Lorry driver says cars have been following him to find fuel

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Speaking to LeedsLive, Jay, who did not want to give his surname, explained there was a dearth of younger drivers in the industry, arguing that it was something that needs to change. He said the industry needs a complete “re-think” in order to attract more drivers.

“It is nothing to do with Brexit,” he said. “There is just not enough young drivers filling the ranks.

“I am the second-youngest person in my firm at 40-years-old. That speaks volumes.”

A shortage of hauliers across Europe has lead to shortages of fuel and supplies reaching shops and petrol stations.

In the UK, a Road Haulage Association (RHA) survey of its members estimates there is now a shortage of more than 100,000 qualified drivers.

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett, along with the CEOs of several logistics companies, wrote to the Prime Minister in June, calling for an immediate plan to deal with the shortages.

European figures such as German SDP leader Olaf Scholz – whose party took the most votes in Sunday’s general election – and the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier have sought to lay the blame for the driver shortage on Brexit.

In response to shortages in the lorry driver market, the Government has eased restrictions on new drivers.

On Saturday, the Government announced that as many as 3,000 people would be able to go through “intensive” training to become qualified lorry drivers in time for Christmas.

An additional 1,000 people are expected to be trained through courses accessed locally and funded by the government’s adult education budget.

It has also approved 3-month temporary visas for 5,000 foreign hauliers to come to the UK to cope with the pre-Christmas demand.

However, it said that “visas will not be the long-term solution, and reform within the industry is vital.

“That’s why the Government continues to support the industry in solving this issue in the long term through improved testing and hiring, with better pay, working conditions and diversity.”

DON’T MISS
Angela Rayner got dressing down from Keir Starmer for ‘scum’ outburst [REVEAL]
Starmer’s promise to put Labour party ‘back in business’ [REPORT]
Scotland faces ‘massive tax hikes’ with Sturgeon’s independence plan [INSIGHT]

Pay packets being offered for HGV drivers have massively increased in recent months as companies try to meet demand.

“I do not think pay is the sole answer,” Jay said. The 40-year-old added that he “absolutely loves the job” but the long hours could seem daunting for younger people.

He continued: “I did 64 hours last week, which I worked hard to do, but it is not a way of life. I was getting in the house, having something to eat, having a shower and then going to bed and doing it all again the same day.

“When I was younger I would not have been able to handle it, but now I am older and wiser I can. It is not just a job.”

Similarly, Alan Kerr, 61, told LeedsLive that his working day yesterday began at 4.15am and he would not expect to get home until just before 5pm.

“I think finding more drivers is going to be a problem because young people just do not want to work the hours that we do,” he said.

Meanwhile, Andrew Standage – who has been in the trade since the age of 21 – said he could not wait to retire as “it has got worse”.

The 60-year-old added: “There has always been a shortage but it just seems to have got worse and worse.

“You go to some places and they just don’t treat you right. I would not recommend it.”

While Mr Burnett laid the blame for the shortage on a number of factors – including the knock-on effects of the pandemic, retiring drivers and Brexit – the Government has repeatedly said that it was the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic that was fuelling the shortage.

Source: Read Full Article