Freight Update
European Road Freight
The latest figures still look gloomy for driver shortages with almost 76,000 drivers short compared to previous years in the UK and that figure hits 400,000 across mainland Europe. According to the UK Road Haulage Association, 20,000 European drivers have left the UK for ‘Brexit reasons.’ Data from 2020 highlights that Germany was short of 45,00-65,000 drivers, while in Poland that figure was almost 124,000.
The RHA also suggests that the average age of a HGV driver is 55 with less than one per cent under 25. With a reported 2,000 drivers a week leaving the industry and just 1,000 joining over the same period, so it will remain a challenging picture for the remainder of 2021 and into 2022.
Union leaders call for largest HGV strike since 1979
The situation with HGV drivers has slowly started to improve in some cases, however, it is not looking too positive for Christmas with tensions rising between the government and unions representing HGV drivers.
Union leaders at Unite are still outraged and demands for higher salary and better working conditions continues. Unite represent 50,000 HGV drivers, have called for a strike which would be seen through Christmas before January.
Unite national officer for road transport
explains:
“Drivers have had enough. Our members need
proper facilities, fair pay and respect. HGV drivers are the blood in the body
of our economy. We are now looking at coordinated strikes before January if we
do not get those commitments from the Government and employers.”
