UK Lorry Driver Shortage: Is This a Wider European Problem?

The UK has been grappling with a fuel-supply crisis, with many petrol stations running out, and those with supplies seeing huge lines of traffic as people desperately try to fill up. Empty supermarket shelves have also been highlighted, as a result of a severe shortage of lorry drivers. One of the culprits, according to some analysts, is Brexit.Where once the UK relied on drivers coming from Eastern Europe, after leaving the bloc many of them have left in search of better pay and working conditions on the continent.

After weeks of mounting pressure over shortages, the UK government announced it will issue 5,000 emergency visas to foreign truck drivers to help alleviate the problem. But these are three-month visas, which critics say won’t entice European truck drivers.

But it’s not just the UK that’s grappling with the shortage of drivers. As demand for stock is driven up following the coronavirus pandemic, so too is demand for drivers.

The haulage industry says the UK is short some 100,000 drivers -- an extreme example which has been exacerbated by Brexit -- but Germany and Poland are also grappling with a serious shortfall. According to Transport Intelligence, the driver shortfall across Europe now surpasses 400,000. According to many who work -- or worked -- in the industry, bad working conditions, long distances, and long stretches of time away from home are some of the reasons why people have left in droves.

The problems in industry have been foreseen for at least a decade. Truck driver unions say the onus is now on EU member states to ensure that labour laws are being upheld and conditions are improved if the situation is ever to be resolved.

Transport companies cite the sector's poor image, regulatory hurdles and high training costs as a barrier to attracting new recruits — particularly among women, migrants and young people who they say represent an untapped resource.

Ultimately, it comes down to making the job more attractive to potential drivers, according to Jones from Unite. That means more pay, better work schedules and safe parking spaces, he said.

Source: https://www.just-food.com

References:

UK lorry driver shortage, a stark example of a wider European problem, Luke Hurst and Shona Murray, 29 September 2021 (https://www.euronews.com) 

Europe’s looming truck driver gap undermines UK appeals, Hanne Cokelaere, September 27, 2021 (https://www.politico.eu)