French journal Liberation headlined its late September issue with a reflection on the consequences of Brexit, ranging from the departure of much-needed European workers which is not just being felt in the HGV industry, but also in in sectors such as agriculture to its supply chain crisis.
Meanwhile, the opportunity was not lost on Olaf Scholz, who could be Germany's next chancellor, to remind Brits that they had voted for Brexit and so could not expect the benefits of belonging to the EU.
They decided different and I hope they will manage the problems coming from tha t," Scholz said , adding that pay and working conditions could also be exacerbating Britain's problems. The average salary for a truck driver in the U. The U. He noted that while Brexit has "certainly had an impact" on the U.
We have less and less people to work in Western markets," he added. Analysis company Transport Intelligence published research in August looking at "European Driver Shortages" in which it assessed the severity of the shortfalls in various European countries, a problem it said had been growing over recent years. It estimated that across Europe the total shortfall of drivers now surpasses ,, with the most heavily impacted European countries being Poland, the U.
News this year has fractured communities, and caused confusion and panic for many of us. No one can control what will happen next. But you can support a debate based on fair, accurate and transparent information. As independent, impartial fact checkers, we rely on individuals like you to ensure the most dangerously false inaccuracies can be called out and challenged. Bad information ruins lives. You deserve better. For these reasons, industry has pressed government for a temporary worker visa for HGV drivers to allow EU drivers to come back to the UK.
Unfortunately however, many of these drivers do not want to work in the UK even if they could. Not only has Brexit created endless paperwork and customs procedures, but working conditions are arguably superior in France, Germany and Belgium thanks to laws that, for example, make it illegal to work on Sundays. This reluctance was voiced by dozens of drivers in the Financial Times last week. But to work, the way they treat people? HGV drivers are an ageing workforce, and the rate of retirement has risen over the past decade.
At the start of , before the pandemic hit, there were 37, EU drivers in the UK. Now, there are 24, That loss of 12, drivers only goes a little way to explaining the current shortfall. Brits are certainly the more significant factor. Over 55, domestic drivers left the industry during the last 18 months. Retirement, a lack of driving tests during Covid, and tax changes have all been cited as the cause.
Retirement has certainly played its part. The haulage industry is an ageing workforce, evidenced by an average age of HGV drivers of 55 years old.
In , the number of drivers over 50 exceeded those under 50 for the first time [ONS]. It means the rate of retirement has unsurprisingly risen over the past decade, from around 7, per year in to 10, per year in , according to analysis of ONS data by Driver Require. In pre-pandemic times at least, this was more than offset by new entrants to the industry. Between and , there were three times more test passes each year than retirements.
In theory, driver numbers should have been growing. There are now more than , HGV licence holders under the age of 45 alone in the UK deciding not to work in the commercial haulage sector. To put that in perspective, there are more 30 to year-olds that fall into this category than there were total EU drivers in the UK before the pandemic.
SMMT Reports. Member Benefits Apply to Join. About us. Contact Us. General Info. This is a secure area and requires you to be. I already have an account Log in.
0コメント