BP started it, its their fault and maybe it was done deliberately to get the low paid drivers back from the EU and lower their costs. I hope they don't come, why should they when there is a worse driver shortage in the EU and no doubt they are now secure in their jobs and getting good pay and the EU won't want them to leave just to help us out of our mess. If people stopped panic buying fuel and groceries there wouldn't be shortages. Its usually toilet rolls, flour, bread and milk, today its petrol and diesel, what next I wonder. Good thing we can't hoard gas and electricity or they would run out in five minutes. Just before the Friday panic hit, I went to the local Sainsburys petrol station on Thursday afternoon with 2 x 5l plastic cans for E5 for the MGB, didn't put any fuel in the Polo and I was surprised that someone accused me of panic buying and hoarding fuel because I had cans, I had no idea there was a panic on its way. The petrol station was quiet and normal, it was obviously calm before the storm, I laugh about it now.
It’s all storing up future problems, the HGV test should be thorough and rigorous learning on the job should not be an option. The British HGV test is regarded as the bench mark, accidents involving foreign drivers is testament to this. It really worries me that the government are showing such disregard for the public safety in their quest to cover their Brexit mistakes and past attitudes to truck drivers and their welfare.
Don't start me on the higher education system A bunch of selfserving psychopaths thinking they can run property development companies because they've got captive market of 18year olds and a load of Government subsidies. Education? Don't make me laugh.
Once everyone fills their vehicles to the brim and assuming they don't then go on unusual/extra long journeys than usual, far fewer people will be filling up in the next week or so. So the tanks at petrol stations will remain fuller than usual and future planned deliveries will have to be deferred. Where's it all going to go? Stop processing it at refineries? Then we'll get a shortage further up the line. Then we'll get panicked buying.....
It can only be described ...As a shocking state of affairs . I don't know where it's all going to end !. Anyway i have got to put a tuck in an Airedale then i've got the frogs to let out
This^^ There is an interesting article written in Feb 2016 at: www.returnloads.net/HGV Driver Shortage For some reason I’m unable to paste the link to the article but it identified an existing shortfall of 60000 HGV drivers in the UK, predicting the shortfall to increase to 150000 by 2020. The key contributing factors cited at the time were: ~ An ageing workforce - 13% over the age of 60. ~ Economic growth - increasing demand for the movement of goods internationally ~ New EU directives requiring additional training for drivers ~ Perception of Industry - not a traditional career choice ~ Bad Press - drivers threatened/intimidated by migrants at Calais ~ Financial costs of becoming an HGV driver ~ Lack of decent and secure service station facilities ~ low wages due to influx of cheaper eastern European drivers ~ Higher insurance costs to employ younger drivers ~ Poor work/life balance
If the government are happy with the death trap smart motorways then they certainly won’t be bothered about driver standards.So long as they can get themselves out of this crisis, to prepare for the next then that’ll be good enough for them.
It has always amazed me how poor facilities are here for wagon drivers. When we travel through France and Spain in the bus we often call in to petrol stations to have a shower ( always spotless and cheap ) also the food that is served is excellent and good value. These facilities are used primarily by truck drivers. I’d suggest we scrap HS2 and use the money in a nation wide upgrade of facilities, most service stations have plenty of space, if not use compulsory purchase powers to buy adjacent land, keep it Government owned and away from profiteering private enterprise. Until facilities and pay is sorted I can’t see an end to the problem.
Spot on The thing is us lorry drivers have known this for years, it’s only making the news because it’s hitting the consumer now. I’ll say it again. The pay rises are fictitious, hauliers aren’t willing or able to pay more to permanent drivers, it’s only the agencies that have the leverage to charge the haulier more because of the shortage and unless you work for an agency it’s still the same old job and the same old hours and the same old pay and poor conditions.
One of my family in the transport business told me agencies were charging £25 per hour for a driver. The driver doesn't get any way close to that and the company cannot make any money paying that kind of rate.
I think, sadly, we were having the same conversation about the shortage of ICU nurses about 15 months ago Says it all really...
The reality is there were 60k drivers short then 19k foreign drivers went home after brexit and covid. During covid 25k potential hgv drivers couldn’t take their test so 44k added to 60k is 104k shortage.Then there’s the other math 600k HGV’s ( Lorries ) registered in the uk 500k people hold an hgv licence ( mechanics etc) but the actual amount of working HGV drivers is officially 250k according to DVSA figures. There’s a big shortage and those 250k working are covering it, unfortunately a huge percentage are over 55 and retirement is looming!
..theres a shortage of lorry drivers all over the Europe..I have read only in Poland alone theres shortage of well over 120k drivers up to even 200k in 2022..and they keep talking about it all the time..all over the tv..news..papers..in the meantime theres no empty shelves in the Polish markets..theres no empty fuel pumps at the garages..go figure... Wysłane z iPad za pomocą Tapatalk
