Why the declining HGV driver workforce is an economic risk

I was asked recently about the driver skills challenge. The reality? It’s not just about skills - it’s about the workforce.

Latest Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency data shows around 587,000 qualified HGV drivers - roughly 100,000 fewer than this time last year.

But the real issue is the shift behind the numbers.

We’re losing experienced drivers, while not bringing enough younger people into the industry to replace them. That’s a loss of both capacity and expertise.

We need an intergenerational workforce. We need a workforce that values experience and actively develops new talent. In the short term, that means:
– Restarting driver bootcamps
– Introducing flexible, modular training programmes
– Making the Growth and Skills Levy work better for employers

But longer term, this is about how we position the industry.

If we want logistics to be seen as a career - not just a job - we need to address working conditions, infrastructure, and perception.

Because if we don’t fix the pipeline now, we risk not having the workforce the economy depends on.

You can read more in our Intergenerational Report, launched at the end of last year HERE