Logistics businesses urge extra measures to tackle driver shortage

Business group Logistics UK has welcomed the introduction of a new apprenticeship category for HGV drivers, but the organisation has urged the government to extend its incentive payment scheme of £3,000 per candidate beyond the current deadline of the end of September, to ensure that reach of the scheme can be maximised.

“The introduction of a new C + E Apprenticeship standard is welcome news for our sector,” said Alex Veitch, general manager of public policy at Logistics UK. “The Apprenticeship model of ‘earning while learning’ adds appeal for new entrants to a logistics career, particularly those who may have lost jobs during the pandemic and is ideal for a practical career like HGV driving.”

“But with only six weeks to understand the parameters of the new apprenticeship standard, identify training providers and recruit the new staff to undertake the programme, the opportunities for businesses in our sector to take advantage of the government’s signing-on incentive are very limited.”

The group has asked the government to extend the incentive scheme for a further three months, so that apprentices recruited before 1 December 2021 are eligible (currently apprentices must have been recruited by 30 September to be eligible).

The logistics sector is facing an estimated shortage of around 90,000 HGV drivers, according to Logistics UK’s figures, which has recently resulted in disruption of food deliveries to stores.

The trade body has also reiterated its call for reviewing the government’s decision not to grant temporary work visas to HGV drivers from the European Union, in the wake of mounting pressure on the UK’s supply chain .

Veitch warned that the country’s highly interconnected supply chain is now under extreme stress which could be relieved in the short term by allowing EU workers back to support the domestic workforce.

“Logistics has relied on EU drivers for many years, and their loss at the start of the year as a result of Brexit has hit the sector hard. While new drivers are trained and qualify – which can take up to nine months – and DVSA works through its backlog of outstanding HGV driver tests – which we estimate could take until early 2022, it would be prudent for the government to enable temporary visas to be made available for European workers to return to supplement the domestic workforce,” he noted.

“The government has already done this for agricultural workers through the Seasonal Worker Scheme, so the precedent has been set: and what is the point of allowing people in to pick the food, if it cannot be transported anywhere due to a lack of available staff?”

He said the recent extension of drivers’ hours rules and other measures will not solve the problem. “Without an interim solution while new drivers are recruited, trained and tested, the current problems experienced across the country with out-of-stock items will continue. There are simply not enough qualified personnel available to do the jobs we rely on every day – we urge the government to be pragmatic and rethink its refusal to allow temporary visas for the sake of the UK economy,” he said.