Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Truck driver rules set to be eased to address shortage

Truck driver rules set to be eased to address shortage
Drivers of freight lorries and heavy goods vehicles are illuminated by the lights inside their cabs as they are parked at a truck stop off the M20 leading to Dover, near Folkestone in Kent, south east England on December 22, 2020 (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images

The government announced plans on Tuesday to attract more truck drivers and simplify training in a bid to address a chronic shortage in the haulage industry which companies have warned could damage supply chains and lead to some food shortages.

The government said it would consult on proposals to streamline the application process for drivers seeking heavy goods vehicle (HGV) licences, increase the number of tests, and help improve working conditions and cut the cost of training.


"The driver shortage is well documented and its impacts on the wider economy are becoming more evident," government ministers wrote in an open letter to the industry.

Earlier this month, the government relaxed rules on the hours drivers could work in a bid to cope with the problem. It came after food and logistics groups warned that a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers could lead to gaps on supermarket shelves.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which prompted many foreign workers to return home during lockdown, and new immigration controls after Brexit has led to staff shortages in logistics and other sectors such as construction and hospitality.

The government said it needed to attract British drivers, rather than relying on a workforce from the European Union.

"I understand the challenges faced by drivers and operators right now and while longer-term solutions must be led first and foremost by industry leaders, today we are saying this government is here to help," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.

"This set of measures will kickstart that help, easing pressure on the sector as we work together to attract new drivers, improve conditions and ensure the industry’s future is a prosperous one."

More for you

'Walkable high streets boost economy'
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Getty Images

'Walkable high streets boost economy'

Shoppers who walk and wheel spend more than those arriving by car, states a recent report, demonstrating the significant economic and social benefits of investing in walkable town centres, challenging traditional views on urban accessibility.

The findings published in third edition of "The Pedestrian Pound Report", recently published by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, come at a critical juncture for British high streets, with a record number of retail failures in 2022 and a vacancy rate of nearly one in seven by the end of 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Yvette Cooper

Home secretary Yvette Cooper speaking at the annual conference hosted by the NPCC and APCC on 19 November 2024

Photo: GOV.UK

Home secretary pledges to restore neighbourhood policing

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to rebuild neighbourhood policing and combat surging shop theft as part of an ambitious programme of reform to policing.

In her first major speech at the annual conference hosted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners on Tuesday, Cooper highlighted four of the key areas for reform: neighbourhood policing, police performance, structures and capabilities, crime prevention.

Keep ReadingShow less
Andrew Bailey acknowledges retailers' warning on job cuts
Bank of England building on Threadneedle Street, CLondon (Photo: iStock)
Getty Images/iStockphoto

Andrew Bailey acknowledges retailers' warning on job cuts

Retailers are right to warn of potential job cuts as a result of tax increases announced at last month’s budget, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has said.

Bailey appeared before the cross-party Treasury select committee on Tuesday (19), after almost 80 retailers claimed rising costs would make “job losses inevitable, and higher prices a certainty”.

Keep ReadingShow less
High Street shopping street
Photo: iStock

High Street Rental Auctions: Independent retailers urged to engage with local councils

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has urged independent shop owners to reach out to their local councils about the government's newly announced High Street Rental Auction (HSRA) powers, which aim to tackle persistently vacant commercial properties on UK high streets.

Introduced through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, the HSRA legislation will come into force on 2 December. It will give local authorities the ability to put the leases of long-term empty shops up for public auction, allowing businesses and community groups to secure short-term tenancies.

Keep ReadingShow less
Home energy smartmeter
Photo: iStock

Inflation jumps in October on higher energy bills

Britain's annual inflation rate jumped more than expected in October to back above the Bank of England's target as households and businesses faced higher energy bills, official data showed Wednesday.

The Consumer Prices Index reached 2.3 per cent from a three-year low of 1.7 percent in the 12 months to September, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less