Over the last few months I have been reading the various mags that cover the trucking industry ie Commercial motor, truck and driver, trucking.
Over the last few months all of these publications have reported a shortfall of drivers in the industry, this shortfall is alleged to be in the thousands
if this shortfall of drivers does exist in the industry then why is it that I am finding it extremley difficult to find a job
Does anyone know whether or not there is a shortfall in drivers and where are the best places to look for a job.
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The main problem is the lack of experinced drivers. Altough there is a general shortage.
The main areas are the M4 corridor. Up the M1 and anywhere there are lots of distribution wharehouses.
Finding the first job in any industry is hard, but keep trying and try the less obvious companies everybody wants the drive the flash kit.
During the `eighties, around 30,000 new HGV licences were issued every year. The current figure is about 14,000. For some years, drivers have been retiring at twice that rate.
There`s no doubt that there is a driver shortage which is increasing year on year. My own wages have increased by 30% in three years after years of stagnation as a result of it. However, West Sussex is not a transport hotspot and you may have to look further afield for work.
Mike, it is a regional thing. In Northampton for example, a new RDC was opened at Crick. THe shortage of drivers there is so bad £15 an hour is on the table for agency drivers and they’ll even provide accommodation too.
Its also the local pay rates. Who wants to work long hours just to make up a decent wage packet? Look at the job from the outside and compare the pay rates to what is paid to shelf stackers in the supermarkets/ burger chain operatives etc. AND they go home every night. What is the incentive for leaving a job that gives you that for another that barely pays more?
There must be a kind of magic in this job . Some people wouldn’t do anything else. I’me one of them. Despite all the things against it being a good job (long hour, pretty poor rates, away from home a lot, attitude of other road users etc etc I could go on for ever ), it can be very rewarding if the job suits you. It suits me.
You pays your money n takes your choice.
It appears that most people choose not to drive trucks for a living. They don’t know what they’re missing .
the shortage is defenatly a regional thing and also a time of year thing.
most of your big companys take on a lot of agency drivers throughout the later months of the year but during the early months the work dries up for them.
at one point we had 35 agency drivers on .but now we dont have any at all.
. Some people wouldn’t do anything else. I’me one of them. Despite all the things against it being a good job (long hour, pretty poor rates, away from home a lot, attitude of other road users etc etc I could go on for ever 
), it can be very rewarding if the job suits you. It suits me.
They don’t know what they’re missing 
.