According to the Road Haulage Association (RHA) the UK haulage industry is facing a shortage of 45,000-50,000 drivers.

RHA Chief Executive dismissed the scare stories in the national press that suggested that this driver shortage could stop children and families from getting their Christmas presents.

However, the RHA Chief Executive said, “We as an industry need to face this challenge head-on. And with a shortage of drivers across Europe, it’s vital that the sector does more to bring people into the industry.”

Burnett highlighted some of the initiatives to tackle the problem. “The road freight sector will continue to deliver the goods we all need, the supermarket shelves will not empty, but it’s vital for the good of the whole economy that we increase the availability of quality drivers,” he said.

There are some businesses that have reported that a shortage of drivers have impacted on their growth. Today, Apex Insight has reported how Ocado has said just that. There is an ageing driver population too, with tens of thousands of active drivers set to retire in the next ten years and this will significantly increase the shortage that already hampers industry growth today. There is no effective government support such as a ‘driver’s student loan’ and there isn’t much appetite among Millennials to go into driving as a career. The RHA is pointing to future shortages as opposed to current problems: future post-Brexit shortages are more likely to occur even while they do not this year.

 
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