The driver shortage problem has long been an issue for the UK’s haulage firms. Reports show that there are approximately 80,000 licence holders for Class I and II but they are not all willing to drive; in total figures are leaning towards an industry shortage of over 45,000, and this is a growing concern. The average age of a lorry driver is close to 54 and we are losing more drivers than we can replenish, yet there are enough licence holders out there to supply the industry, but if we can’t persuade them to drive the industry will literally grind to a halt. So what are the main reasons why licence holders are not interested in getting back behind the wheel? I spent a lot of time talking with drivers, the FTA, the RHA, fleet operators to try and find out why and this is what was uncovered:
“Poor pay conditions, whilst there has been a slight improvement in this area the average wage for an HGV driver is £24,700, or less if newly qualified.”
“It is too expensive to become a driver, whilst many companies support their drivers through subsidised training (or in some cases completely cover the cost of their training) the rest fork out anywhere between £3k-£4k, which the driver has to fund.”
“Conditions on the road are not fit for drivers. Many drivers have to live in their Lorries, they are shunned from certain services with “No HGV’s” signs placed at entrances, and the truck stops that are available are often grotty, food is awful and it’s a miserable means to an ends. On the continent there is a difference in culture and mind-set. Services often include accommodation, waiter service and the drivers feel more looked after, as such their visits to the service stations are an enjoyable experience rather than an unpleasant one.”
“Legislation and accountability. Many drivers are put off by red tape and the level of accountability that they are ultimately responsible for.”
“As a newly qualified driver it can be difficult to find work and many companies shun them due to a lack of experience, there seems to be a myth about newly qualified drivers being unsuitable. As such the drivers are more likely re-apply in a few years or so because they know that companies will hire drivers with 2 or 3 years on their licence. The obvious problem being that the last time that driver actually drove an HGV was probably in their examination and their hours of experience is low. In fact they are most likely to pose more of a risk to employers than a freshly qualified driver.”
There are of course many other reasons, but these echo the majority. So how can we fix this industry problem? Firstly the average age is something that needs to be addressed so as to replenish attrition from retired drivers, this is a slow burner but many companies now offer apprenticeships to encourage younger drivers to take up driving and once qualified, a £21k+ salary is quite attractive to youngsters. Furthermore, the companies who are developing these individuals benefit from being able to coach the apprentices through the entire process of learning to drive and so they have greater confidence and trust in their employees. Ex armed forces personnel, there are so many drivers who are currently operating in the armed forces who regularly drive HGV class I and II vehicles, when they are ready to leave the armed forces they have plenty of experience and the advantage of hitting the ground running. Moving forwards we still need to address the infrastructure issues in the UK, this will be key to keeping our drivers happier with life on the road, otherwise these ‘driverless’ HGV testing companies (currently testing in the USA) may indeed solve the shortage crisis for us!
Thanks for reading, please post your comments, opinions and more importantly ANY factors which put you off driving as an occupation which I have not mentioned in this article.
If anything its the otherway round IMO at least where I live. Not much class 2 work and the pay is crap anyway. More class 1 work but the pay aint much better.
