a driver shortage or not?
I know this topic has been done to death and many of you ■■■ ■■■ the idea, but you have to keep your eyes open.
There are more driving jobs advertised in our local paper recently than I’ve seen in many a year.
Barghe the tanker firm from Leek have been advertising for some time, now Boughey from Wardle near Nantwich are looking for drivers, and a new one this week is N.R.Evans. from their Derby depot, advertising in a Stoke newspaper?
Two Pertemps offices are advertising, and they do have some good jobs,(Not all jobs I know),as my boy did quite a bit of work for them before he dropped on this brilliant job 6 weeks ago.
Of course they all want “Experienced” drivers, but if they can’t find drivers, where are they hoping to find experienced drivers?
the shortage depends on where you live and how much ■■■■ you are willing to take.
If there is a driver shortage or not will be finally laid bare on the run-up to this Christmas.
THEN we’ll see just how much our ranks have been depleted by those “not doing DCPC” or those “used to be agency, but took a full time job out of fear” or “had a pay increment as a full timer/agency at last, so don’t fancy moving about anymore.”
Rates for agency should rise before the general full timers ranks though, simply because any crap out there - guess who’s introduced to it first… 
nope theres is no shortage, just an unwilligness to pay a going rate for service, all the jobs you see advertised are for crap money in crap jobs with crap working conditions, they simply take someone on for a few weeks then that person finds something better and moves on, you never see good paying jobs advertised all the time bbecause a sonn as there posted they are filled and stay filled, driver shortage stems from the DWP and driver trainers trying to stay in work all year round, if such shortage existed then why are the rates going down and not up, as said before christmas should be fun as if there are lots DCPC less drivers the rates should sky rocket and stay high after christmas
Around the Cotswolds, it appears there is a shortage of gulliable drivers; The same adverts from crap employers and agencies appear on the likes of Gumtree, Indeed etc. It seems decent jobs are either already taken or are snapped up by those in the know. I work for someone who I used to work for. Conditions improved, and I was asked twice to come back. The vacancy wasn’t advertised, whether that’s right or wrong I don’t know or care. All I care about is I’ve got a good secure job, average hours, my own newish (a '61) wagon, DCPC paid for and no weekend working. 
As said
No shortage dependent on area
Come crunch time I do think some agency’s will have to start to pay a little more or even a premium for weekend working.
I have noticed in some places drivers not opting for weekend work or even working that extra shift like they would normally do.
( me being one of the opt out of an extra shift unless I need it .)