A discussion on the shortage of lorry drivers in the UK
Long-term solutions, rather than short-term remedies, should be sought to address the shortage of lorry drivers in the UK
Why is there a shortage of HGV drivers in the UK?
According to Sky News, there is not only one but quite a few reasons that have caused the shortage.
In my opinion, the so-called “reasons” are the results of the actual reasons that can lead to long-term labor shortages.
OK, Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have had a big impact on the UK transport industry, but the same could also be argued for other industries and sectors. For example, it is not only the transport industry that seems to have been affected by these two factors, but the food industry, e.g. poultry processing, has been affected, as well, and that is the reason why the UK government is going to issue temporary worker visas to help those industries address their labor shortage problems.
The fact is, however, that the current and former UK governments that handled the Brexit process should have anticipated this type of problems; they should have acted before these shortages appeared, and not after. Did the UK governments and those UK citizens who voted in favor of Brexit ignore the fact that many UK industries rely on workforce coming from EU and other countries?
In fact, it seems that the only sector that does not rely on foreign workforce is the British army, and that’s why Boris Johnson has called for the army’s support and help.
However, the army cannot make up for production processes lagging behind, at least in the short run. You can train soldiers to work as HGV drivers and factory operatives, but that’s only a temporary remedy, which will not be accepted even by army staff itself in the long run.
It is evident that, regardless of the intention of the British to cut the umbilical cord with the EU, their plan, if there was one, had serious shortcomings.
More and more people have started to realize that the relationship between the UK and the EU was not only political; it was, and is, based on the economy, and this applies to the relationship between any countries in the modern globalized world.
When Greece realized how high the volume of its trade transactions with the EU was, it reconsidered its Grexit intentions.
Could the UK reverse Brexit now, or is it too late?
This question should have been addressed by both UK politicians and citizens, before even thinking about Brexit.
Another question should also be asked:
How can I attract more young people into industries such as transport and food processing?
For example, in the same article, it is reported that, every week, 1,000 people become drivers, whereas 2,000 existing drivers exit the industry. Therefore, there is already a deficit of 1,000 drivers, regardless of any health crisis or political decision-making to exit the EU.
How do you address that?
How do you lure young people away from trendy Internet-related jobs, for example, when those people who are not connected to the Internet tend to be the minority nowadays?
How do you attract people to hit the road and become professional HGV drivers, when Covid-19 has boosted self isolation, teleworking, and working from home?
On top of that, the cost of getting trained as a driver can be compared to that of taking a college degree in the UK.
The issue of HGV driver shortage has not arisen overnight, and cannot be resolved overnight. It takes years to provide the right type of incentives to convince people to become professional drivers, and reject other job opportunities.
Sources and further reading:
Supply crisis: Why is there an HGV driver shortage and how bad could the problem get?
Hauliers and poultry workers to get temporary visas
Truck driver shortage won't solved by quick fix visas - here are three ways forward
UK cabinet split over solution to lorry driver shortage
HGV Driver Shortage – The Causes, the Facts and the Potential Solutions
About the Creator
thepavsalford
Hi,
I have written articles for various websites, such as Helium, Hubpages, Medium, and many more.
Currently, I work as a translator. I have studied Tourism Management at college.
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