Lorry driver shortage: what’s the government’s plan? – Reaction Briefing

As society reopens and the economy bounces back, a lorry driver shortage is jeopardising deliveries to retailers and pushing the industry “close to a crisis point”.

According to the Road Haulage Association (RHA), the UK now needs around 100,000 more HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) drivers to ensure that goods can get to where they’re needed, when they’re needed.

The haulage industry is calling for drivers to be added to the so-called Shortage Occupations list, which would allow them to qualify for a skilled worker visa – but the government is resisting the move.

Why is the UK facing a lorry driver shortage? And what is the government’s plan for dealing with it? Here’s what you need to know.

Why is the UK facing a lorry driver shortage?

A combination of the Covid pandemic and Brexit has left haulage firms struggling to recruit drivers.

The pandemic prevented thousands of aspiring HGV drivers from undertaking the six-to-nine months of training and tests needed to become qualified drivers.

At the same time, many foreign hauliers returned home when work dried up during the early stages of the Covid outbreak and have since been unable to return to the UK because of immigration rules brought in after Brexit.

What measures is the haulage industry calling for?

The RHA has presented the government with a 12-point plan to tackle the issue. The recommendations include the creation of a dedicated taskforce to address the shortage and the re-establishment of the DEFRA Food Resilience Industry Forum, which helped to ensure the nation’s food supply throughout the pandemic.

Most controversially, the RHA called for drivers to be added to the Home Office Shortage Occupation List so that they can qualify for a skilled worker visa.

In response, the government said there were no plans to introduce the visas and encouraged industry leaders to employ British workers – despite warnings about how impractical the costs and timeframe of this proposal are.

What is the government’s plan to tackle the issue?

This week, Grant Shapps relaxed the rules for how long lorry drivers can work, giving flexibility to drivers and operators to make slightly longer journeys. The Secretary of State for Transport also announced an increased number of driving tests.

But Richard Burnett, RHA chief executive, said the move could be “counter-productive” because it made the job less attractive. He said: “Loading more hours on to drivers that are already exhausted is not the answer – the problem needs more than just a sticking plaster.

According to reports from The Independent, the suggestion to use the army to deliver goods was also raised at a meeting of industry representatives and officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

How is the shortage affecting consumers?

The RHA has warned that “supermarkets are already reporting that they are not receiving their expected food stocks”, and that the problem will get worse as the economy continues to re-open.

Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, is among firms to have been hit by the shortages, and Germany-based Haribo warned last week that the crisis was causing difficulties in shipments to the UK.

The HGV driver shortage is also threatening to add to the surge in inflation on some products as shortages of raw materials complicate supply chains. The RHA said “substantial” increases in pay for drivers – a result of the haulier shortage – were likely to be passed on and reflected in consumer prices.