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Originally Posted by 1andrew1
There was panic buying across the UK, just fewer HGV drivers here as we had more European ones who returned home for various reasons including the new tax arrangements and Covid.
Much as I like Nottingham, it's a long way to go to fill the car up!
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Panic buying was the sole cause of the shortage. The 100,000 driver shortage is being blamed on a maximum of 20,000 EU drivers leaving, no mention of the c.40,000 HGV tests cancelled due to Covid.
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The Road Haulage Association says of the 600,000 registered HGV license holders half have left the industry, 16-20,000 foreign drivers are estimated to have returned home since Brexit and about 40,000 driving tests were cancelled due to the pandemic. Poor roadside facilities including a severe lack of roadside toilets and showers are also an issue.
Similar issues to do with pay and poor working conditions mean that many EU countries are facing similar HGV driver shortages. Poland is the most severely affected with the UK a close second. The shortage across Europe is estimated at 400,000.
Logistics analysts Transport Intelligence told i: “The most heavily affected European countries are Poland, the UK and Germany. The UK is in a particularly difficult position as it is not only grappling with Brexit, but it also saw many European workers leave over the course of the pandemic, as fears over lockdowns grew.”
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The haulage industry needs fixing re- facilities for drivers and wages.