Bulletin: The HGV driver shortage crisis

We have just released a Bulletin which provides new insight into the UK’s HGV driver shortage following the release of new data – it appears positive, but churn is still unsustainably high as record numbers of under-45s abandon driving as a career. 

Driver Require CEO Kieran Smith and author of The Bulletin says:

“The latest QLFS data shows that we may be starting to turn the corner and that the shortage has meaningfully lessened in the 3rd quarter of 2021, but this doesn't mean that we are out of the woods. In fact, quite the opposite, it appears that despite rising wages churn is still high, critically in the Under-45 age group. 

This means that we are nowhere near to resolving the issue of retention in our driver workforce. The addition of new entrants to market has effectively been negated by the churn in the Under-45’s age group, leaving us effectively at a net zero position for Q3 2021.

While we are really encouraged by these results, we absolutely can’t sit back and relax. We must forge ahead with addressing the issue of retention; there must be concerted and unified action to improve HGV driver working conditions, provide more quality secure HGV parking facilities – along with other measures to prevent drivers from leaving the workforce.”

Click here to download the Bulletin today.

Our previous Reports and Insights on the Driver Shortage Crisis are available here.