The government plans to solve the British A chronic shortage of truck drivers Industry leaders warn that it will take at least five months to take effect and that the threat of food shortages will not be addressed this summer.
Minister of Transport Grant SharpsThey said that providing a fast licensing process to attract a large number of new drivers on the road is not enough to solve the problem that affects supply in the summer, fall and Christmas.
They said that only by allowing EU drivers to return to the country can the problem of driver shortage be solved.
“Although they have formulated some things they want to do, from the current situation, we don’t see a solution on Christmas Day,” said James Firth, head of road freight supervision policy at the British logistics company. Represents freight owners including supermarkets.
An estimated 90,000 HGV drivers are missing, including an estimated 25,000 EU truck drivers who followed him home BrexitIn addition, there is a backlog of 25,000 truck driver license applications.
The ministers announced a negotiation on Tuesday to allow drivers to participate in a test to drive articulated and rigid trucks to speed up the process of obtaining licenses for all types of heavy goods vehicles.
Nowadays, @theresecoffey @DWP, George Eustis @DefraGovUK I have written an open letter to the road transport industry, setting out a series of measures to help it solve the problem of the shortage of heavy truck drivers.
In this challenging time, the governor is listening and doing all we can to provide support. pic.twitter.com/fiJ8xzy5cM
-Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) July 20, 2021
But these plans have been criticized by the Highway Transport Association (RHA) for failing to solve the industry’s “critical” short-term problems.
Firth said that the new proposals to clear the backlog of HGV driving tests will not take effect until October at the earliest because they require legislation.
“Our members tell us that the only thing that can solve this problem in the short term is the flexibility of the immigration system,” he said.
But the government has ruled out this possibility. In a letter, Secretary of the Environment Sharps, George Eustis, And the work and pension secretary, Teresa Coffey, Stating that the industry “needs to train people living in the UK instead of providing visas for this group of workers”.
Priti Patel’s new points-based system requires low-skilled workers entering the UK who are not on the skills shortage list and have an A-level or equivalent or above, excluding many truck drivers.
Industry insiders said It is extremely difficult to attract employees An industry that is not attractive to young people. A logistics boss told the Northern Ireland Commission that she would not be able to hire a new driver even after a 15-20% salary increase, which was “embarrassing”.
The British Logistics and Road Transport Association accused the lack of support, including the lack of safe parking spaces for sleeping and showering on the highway, especially in Kent.
Last month, the United Labor Union stated that the prohibition of parking in temporary parking spaces and the shortage of parking and toilet facilities have caused the county’s services and truck parking lots to be “overcrowded for a long time,” and quarrels broke out among truck drivers in an attempt to secure a place for mandatory rest.
Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, which represents the owners of refrigerated warehouses, said that as the “epidemic” now hits food storage and delivery, it has caused a shortage of employees and aggravated the shortage of drivers.
“Since the beginning of 2020, we have been in a rolling crisis.
“In this industry, if we didn’t complete delivery of 98% of orders, we would blame ourselves, and now we have reached 80%,” he said. “What we have seen in the past eight weeks is that retailers are starting to lower their expectations, so they will deliver 3 days a week instead of 5 deliveries a week.
“The industry cannot predict the next two months and there is not enough room to think about Christmas,” he added.
