A bombshell new report has warned that the UK could face petrol station chaos as seen in recent years unless 200,000 new lorry drivers are recruited.
The Road Haulage Association is calling for more to be done to hire lorry drivers, with estimates suggesting 200,000 will be needed over the next give years to avoid a repeat of the 2021 driver shortage.
During this period, many filling stations around the UK were forced to deal with long queues of motorists waiting at near-empty pumps as petrol and diesel shortages blighted the nation.
The Conservative Government was forced to roll out the army to drive tanker trucks to deliver fuel across the country as pumps ran dry.
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Experts are warning that shortages could be seen in the coming years unless more is done to help the haulage sector
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The report, entitled “Lorry drivers – the vital link – attracting, training and retaining key workers in the UK supply chain”, is urging the industry and Government to act.
The RHA is now warning that unless the UK’s logistics industry receives 40,000 new HGV drivers annually for the next five years, the nation could deal with a similar situation in 2021.
In total, 81 per cent of all freight in the UK is transported by road, with the RHA describing firms and drivers in the road transport sector as being “essential” to keep supply chains running smoothly.
Sally Gilson, skills policy lead at the RHA, said: “Businesses across the road transport sector are key economic enablers – and attracting people into the industry and building the foundations for a future workforce is essential.
“If we’re to future-proof the industry for the long term, we need to recruit, train and retain tens of thousands of drivers annually to meet demand. With an ageing workforce, we also need to attract more young people into the industry.”
She said rising costs and insolvencies prove that more support is needed for drivers and the haulage industry, with flexible and funded training options the best option to attract talent to the sector.
The RHA identified the UK’s departure from the European Union, the coronavirus pandemic and the cost of living crisis as having an impact on haulage driver rates.
The report states: “2021 was a year of genuine crisis with an HGV driver shortage which saw empty shop shelves, delivery delays and supply chain disruption. We must avoid a repeat of this.”
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It comes just months after the Labour Government scrapped plans to introduce new legislation that would protect against fuel shortages in the future.
Proposals were put forward by the Department for Transport in a consultation between April and May 2023, and questioned whether allowances could be made to temporarily increase the weight of fuel tankers.
At the end of December last year, the consultation was updated after more than 18 months of silence to announce it was “no longer proceeding with this proposal”.
Plans would have seen a temporary exemption for current maximum train weight for fuel tankers of 44 tonnes and allow a maximum of either 48 or 50 tonnes.
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Drivers dealt with long queues outside petrol stations in 2021 as motorists rushed to panic buy fuel
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The Government clarified that it would work with local authorities in charge of key routes to ensure roads were not damaged when vehicles with heavier loads were using them.
In total, the consultation received 47 responses, with 15 from individuals and 32 on behalf of organisations, including fuel hauliers, local authorities and trade associations.
