The road haulage industry is the most critical element of the supply chain in the UK, as its key role is to deliver goods and products direct from the ports,factories and warehouses across the country to businesses, retailers and individual consumers across a range of industries. These deliveries can include manufactured electrical, technology, homeware and garden products for the individual consumer as well as parts and products required by the manufacturing, energy and construction sectors.

Therefore, it is apparent that appropriately skilled and qualified HGV and lorry drivers are the life blood of the road transport industry. However, the Road Haulage Associationhas recently reported thatthe UK is currently suffering a severe shortage of lorry drivers as a result of the impact that Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed,latest estimates suggest there are between 60,000 and 100,000 unfilled lorry driver vacancies in the UK at present. The concerns associated with this driver shortage are the continuing adverse effect that is already being witnessed on the supply chain, both in terms of increased costs and supply disruptions. As noted in the media, supermarkets and haulage companies are already suffering from this problem, with many of the latter haulage companies reporting having parts of their transport fleets standing idle.
 
There is little doubt that the solution to this problem is complex, but it is not insurmountable. In the first instance, it is within the remit of the UK government to work quickly to clear the backlog of trainee HGV drivers ready and waiting to become qualified so that they can get to work. Nonetheless, we in the industrial recruitment sector can also play our part. Here at Teamwork Partnership, we are working closely with clients within the haulage sector by helping to secure HGV drivers with the industry specific skills to provide temporary and/or long-term support for these clients.