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It’s no secret that the UK is facing
a serious logistics skills gap. With
60,000 new HGV drivers needed by
2017, this is an issue that not only
affects logistics firms, or companies
with logistics arms, but it will impact
the entire British economy. Left
unchecked, we’re potentially talking
about empty shelves in supermarkets,
shrinking profits for businesses and an
overall slowing of economic growth.
The Next Generation
As we all know, the factors contributing
to this shortage are numerous and
complex. At the root of the problem
is that drivers are a retiring at a faster
rate than they are being hired; it is
estimated that 20% of the current HGV
workforce will reach retirement age in
the next ten years. It should be evident
to us all that the future of the industry
lies in engaging with a younger
audience.
Businesses and local councils should
consider attracting young people
into the industry through formalised
apprenticeship schemes, or by building
stronger relationships with schools,
colleges and universities. It’s also
key that we don’t fall into the trap –
as many companies seem to do - of
automatically disregarding younger
drivers. With the right training, the
investment in youth can be turn out to
be more than worthwhile - not least in
loyalty and enthusiasm.
Another hurdle worth noting is the
introduction of compulsory CPC. The
cost of CPC isn’t astronomical, but it
could be seen as off-putting, especially
to the young. Perhaps Transport
Managers should be encouraged to
subsidise the cost of this, in order to
generate that longer-term loyalty.
Altering perceptions
Underlying all of this remains a
challenge: attracting new drivers
of any age has been a struggle
for a profession which is often
perceived negatively outside of the
industry. Potential applicants may
be dissuaded from this career path
by outdated views of drivers living
conditions, the perceived complicated
processes to obtain a licence or safety
concerns raised by the situation in
Calais. Although these issues need
addressing, they are often exaggerated
by the media and we must ensure that
those considering a career in road
haulage are given a more accurate
portrayal of the industry. It is an
exciting career option – loaded with
potential – for the modern world.
Ultimate responsibility for making the
profession more attractive lies with the
industry itself. An important element
of this is promoting the benefits that
a career in road haulage can bring,
whether that be the good income levels,
excellent job security, the increasingly
high living standards that modern
vehicles offer – and a real chance to
enjoy freedom out there on the road.
What we’re doing
As the UK’s largest HGV provider of
HGV training, it is important we play
our part in making the industry more
attractive, and indeed accessible.
We have invested serious time
and effort in our website to
ensure that, in a world where job-
searching is increasingly taking place
online, the path to HGV training is easy
to find.
Further down the line, we simplify
the training process as much as
possible by taking care of the complex
paperwork and licence applications.
Finally, we connect drivers to the
companies that need them, both
through our recruitment team that
finds jobs for our graduates and the
pioneering online Driver Finder tool,
which allows firms to find qualified
drivers near them.
The crisis we are facing in the road
haulage industry is severe, yet we
are fortunate in that there is still much
we can do to improve the situation.
However, there is no time to delay.
Trained Truckers
34
Logistics Business Magazine | November 2015
HGV DRIVERS