RHA in fresh driver shortage warning

The Road Haulage Association has responded to recent data suggesting that hundreds of thousands of qualified drivers have been lost to the industry in recent months, as reported by Transport Operator in July.

“Since our Skills Report earlier this year, which highlighted the need for 40,000 new HGV drivers annually, new data suggests we may have lost over 117,000 qualified drivers in just 12 months,” said Richard Smith, managing director of the RHA.

“That figure includes a surprising number in their 30s and 40s – not just retirees.”

The data, based on the number of lapsed driver qualification cards (DQCs) over recent months, was obtained via freedom of information rules and published in a report by recruitment specialist Blue Arrow and transport consultancy Aricia Ltd.

According to Mr Smith, they are supported by anecdotal evidence: “virtually every haulier” the RHA has spoken to is reporting a growing shortage of drivers “at levels unseen since the pandemic”, he said.

“The current situation is a culmination of multiple issues that have been building for years,” he warned.

“We’re seeing a shift. New drivers are struggling to get permanent roles – often blocked by insurance costs. Lapsed DQCs may reflect a deeper issue: drivers leaving because they feel the system isn’t working for them. Training is expensive and out of reach for many, and nationally funded bootcamps have been withdrawn. And our sector still sits outside key government priorities like the Industrial Strategy.”

Mr Smith acknowledged that generally, specialised sectors such as tankers were less impacted.

But he added: “For the general market mere financial increases in per hour rates aren’t fixing the problem the wider issues run deeper.

“The focus on price above all else has been imposed on the industry pretty much as a given by shippers for decades, which has led to much short termism amongst the larger players that take the larger contracts, and an erosion of already thin margins for the smaller hauliers.

“This causes supply chain vulnerability and risk for those same shippers as haulage capacity shrinks.

“We cannot keep relying on salary increases alone to attract and retain talent – especially when operators face rising costs across the board.

“Instead, we need to re-engage skilled drivers whose cards have lapsed. We need to invest in entry routes that work for new drivers and employers. And we must secure sustainable training support that reflects the importance of logistics to our economy.”

Mr Smith concluded: “This is about creating the conditions where people see driving as a respected, long-term career. That means joined-up thinking from industry, government, and the wider skills system.”

A lack of adequate driver facilities and overnight parking locations is among the factors often cited as contributing to a poor perception of HGV driving as a career which may be deterring fresh talent, as well as disincentivising qualified drivers from remaining in the industry. The RHA warning came in the same month as Sue Webber MSP, the shadow transport secretary for the Scottish Parliament, said that while the vital role HGV drivers played during the pandemic was “recognised and understood… four years later they have been forgotten”.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion on HGV driver facilities organised by Logistics UK, she also said that “failing to support our HGV drivers impacts economically on our entire economy and impacts the price of goods we buy” and said that it is critical to have “safe and secure locations for trucks to stop” in order “to address the escalating levels of freight crime”.

“Our drivers deserve better,” said Ms Webber.

Logistics UK has recently called for the Scottish government to undertake a national review of truck stop requirements to identify geographic gaps, priority areas and minimum standards, having warned of a “chronic shortage” of safe, high-quality truck stops, especially in the Highlands and rural areas.

Logistics UK’s senior policy manager Alexandra Herdman said: “More than 200,000 people are employed in logistics roles in Scotland which represents 7.8 per cent of the nation’s workforce but their contribution to the country’s growth and the economy as a whole is not always recognised.

“Scottish trade is enabled by the logistics sector and HGV drivers but their health, safety and wellbeing is not prioritised by officials or planners. This has to change.

“Alongside a national review of the current network of rest facilities for logistics workers, we are also calling for truck stops to be incorporated into planning frameworks and the introduction of a specific crime code for freight crime to enable better data collection and appropriate sentencing.

“Those driving freight around the country, and further afield, must have access to the same hygiene and rest facilities afforded to those who work in offices, shops and factories – to expect them to be unable to access safe, clean and secure places to rest and eat during and at the end of a working day is unacceptable.”