Drivers are key to our industry and economy

Reports of a huge rise in insolvencies make grim reading. Some of the businesses impacted are members and others are our members’ customers. In such uncertain times, we must work together to do all we can to future-proof our industry and be ready to face up to current and future challenges.

With an ageing workforce in our sector, improving recruitment and retention is vital, and we have to be bold about how we do this. Truckers are the backbone of our industry. Without them, very little gets moved so we must ensure that we have a sufficiently skilled and resilient workforce to drive forward economic growth. As the industry evolves with changes in technology, we’re determined to work with others to ensure businesses have access to the skills they need.

This will require collaboration to attract, train, and retain talent. This is a key theme in our upcoming #NationalLorryWeek where we’ll be showcasing the skills and careers which make our sector a genuinely aspirational place for young people and others looking for new employment opportunities.

We need to do more to ensure that training and funding aligns with learners and business needs, so we have smoother pathways into driving and other critical roles, such as technicians. Quality training and learning can be delivered in various ways to ensure our industry is a realistic choice for people who have multiple family and personal commitments. We’ve long campaigned for a skills levy to replace the inflexible Apprenticeship Levy to help firms secure funding for the training they need – and we’re pleased the Government is now committed to that reform.

Many drivers are understandably disillusioned with the state of roadside facilities, and we should all be concerned about the impact this has on their health and wellbeing. We often hear of broken toilets and showers, poor food choices and a lack of security. We’ve made some good progress working with government and stakeholders to improve standards, but there’s a long way to go – and that work continues. Crucially, there’s a chronic shortage of safe and secure lorry and coach parking in this country. We estimate there’s a current shortage of 11,000 parking spaces leaving drivers exposed to organised crime gangs targeting their cargo. We’ve long called for reform of planning rules to make it easier for developers to build new facilities – which the new government is committed to. In the mid to long-term we’re confident this will make a difference to lives of the drivers who are crucial to our supply chain.

In the meantime the current five-year Driver CPC cycle ends on 9 September, and we must anticipate that a significant number of drivers won’t have completed their mandatory 35-hour training by the deadline. For this reason, we’ve been urging operators to ensure their drivers are fully up to date to help keep things moving.

Keep an eye out for how you can get involved in our tenth National Lorry Week which runs from 4-8 November.

Your can read our vision to support the government on delivering economic growth in our Mission Driven: A Blueprint for Delivery document HERE