You can change your cookie settings at any time. Sign up for email alerts when we add or update pages about the HGV driver shortage. The shortage of HGV drivers has been caused by a range of factors including:. This allows short-term extra flexibility for the industry. We added 4, HGV drivers to the existing visa scheme to help food industries with driver shortages during exceptional circumstances this year.
We allowed up to extra fuel drivers to come to the UK between 1 October and 15 October - they can work in the UK until 31 March This will take 29, more lorry loads of goods off the roads and onto railways or inland waterways until the end of March We changed the law about towing a trailer with a car , the staging of HGV tests, and who can test the off-road exercises to increase the number of HGV tests. Motor Transport say that there are , truck drivers currently operating in the UK.
But the growing demand for drivers is massively out-weighing the number of available operators, and next-day deliveries could be a thing of the past.
Brexit has the potential to be a ticking time bomb for the lorry driver shortage. Truck and Driver report that roughly a quarter of drivers in the UK come from the EU, and it is still unclear if Brexit will impact the 60, European drivers working on UK roads. HGV driving is a male-dominated industry, and the lack of diversity has added to the shortage of truck drivers. According to the FTA, only 1. Breaking the stereotype and getting more female truckers on the roads is essential to solving the HGV driver shortage, and recruitment needs to reflect this.
Another problem for new truck drivers is the red tape hurdles they have to overcome. If regulations were relaxed and grants were more accessible, it would help the number of younger truckers joining the industry. The lack of training and testing could be solved by adopting a different strategy. ITV reported that bus companies can test drivers themselves, but this option is not available for HGV training schools.
Adopting this strategy would allow much more drivers to gain the necessary skills and accreditations. The government has cleared the way for a visa change allowing foreign lorry drivers to work in the UK. The temporary measures will see opportunities created for 5, HGV drivers and 5, poultry workers to take up employment in the UK until Christmas Eve, in a bid to keep supermarket shelves stocked with turkeys and toys and counter delivery difficulties at petrol stations.
But Mr McKenzie said the temporary visas "won't solve" the problems facing the haulage industry, adding that "much more needs to be done on training, apprenticeships, testing and welfare facilities for truckers". The transport secretary announced earlier this month that HGV driving tests will be relaxed to allow 50, more to be taken in an attempt to tackle the shortage of lorry drivers ahead of Christmas. Mr Shapps said three changes will happen to speed up the process after the suspension of tests during the COVID pandemic.
The government says this will allow about 20, more HGV tests each year and means drivers can gain licences and enter the industry more quickly. Watch Live. Fill 2 Copy 11 Created with Sketch. Monday 11 October , UK. The U. K Government is being put under pressure from big brands to act on the shortage of HGV drivers, and the Road Haulage Association RHA have reported that there will need to be an additional , drivers recruited in order to meet the demand of the haulage industry.
When the U.
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