What is causing the HGV driver shortage/fuel and food issues?

[FlatteredFool]

I feel like I've m

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I feel like I've missed something with all this. What is the root cause of the problems? Covid? Brexit? Pay and conditions? Something else or a combination of things?

We have a closed petrol station and lots of empty shelves here and the empty shelves have been an issue for over a month.

Huge shortage of drivers as a result of Brexit.

No it’s not just brexit- it’s a perfect storm of brexit covid and a neglected industry!!!

Combination of all of those reasons!

I’ve just read on Guardian website that the continent also has a shortage, and speculation that EU drivers might not want to come to Britain because they’re generally being well paid in the EU.

Covid and Brexit.

Look at the mail today, looks like not just petrol, loo roll, crisp, flour panic buying too.

I think it is a combination of all of the above, it can't be blamed on just one thing.

Panic buying is due to the twat British!

Hgv drivers have been leaving the profession for years
Most are in their 50s
the people that were doing the job are now not allowed in because they all went back home to Eastern Europe
The industry relied on the Eastern Europeans to do the job because nobody wants to do it because the pay and conditions are awful
We don’t have enough people taking the test, to replace those leaving

Crap pay and conditions and not a job that many youngsters are encouraged into from school
Been bubbling away for years

It's a combination of all those reasons. If only covid had happened and no brexit or only brexit but no covid then we could probably have absorbed some mild shortages and delivery delays (like we did in the early days of covid and lockdown) but when it's all the issues involved it eats up any slack in the system and then the system can't cope.

Some companies are going bust also, so not much meat, fresh ready meals or bulky items going to be around anymore.

The test also has a backlog due to covid - lots of drivers went home not just due to brexit but also the lockdowns

Also a problem in many countries with tin, hence pet food shortages, so tinned food out and power problems so freezer food is a risk.

Went out with an Eu lorry driver last night - word is that Eu drivers don’t want to travel to UK in case they get stuck for 2-3 days trying to get back.

There's a great thread on Twitter today by a lorry driver, describing his job. It sounds bloody awful and it's unsurprising no-one wants to do it. thread here

Brexit and the haulage industry. But mainly Brexit. If only people were warned this might happen. Oh wait…

I have Manson jars and a pressure cooker, I know how to can in theory, I am fearful due to bocholism.

Several factors

It's a long neglected industry. Many HGV drivers quit the industry when digital TACHO machines were introduced as they were expected to foot the bill themselves. Already on low salaries, many couldn't afford the additional cost to digitise.

Aging workforce, many companies relied on cheap foreign labour instead of enticing younger British workers to the fold. Over reliance on foreign labour was obviously impacted by Brexit.

Poor working conditions & driver pay.

Covid - as with taxi industry there is a huge recruitment issue at the moment. Supermarket home deliveries offered more lucrative contracts, so many private hire and HGV drivers made the switch. These roles were not filled by HGV bosses, and not made enticing enough for new comers.

It's a hard vocation to break into in the UK requiring years of specialised training and equipment you need to fund yourself. So there's no quick fix to plug the lack of drivers.

TLDR; Reliance on cheap labour, COVID, Brexit, red tape, poor work conditions.

British firms have employed cheap overseas drivers for years, reduced their pay, not trained up new British drivers. Then Brexit happened. European drivers could have stayed but chose to go home.

Companies turned to British drivers and found that they hadn't trained any young ones, and had treated the old ones so poorly that few want to do the job any more. Even with the £5k pay rises now on offer.

Covid stopped people taking HGV tests so there is a backlog there too. And then people started panic buying petrol, rather than loo roll like last year.

So if you want to apportion blame, companies not investing in training younger employees, companies and govt not valuing the skills of being able to drive a 36 wheel artic safely on Britain's roads, and people panic buying. With a bit of covid and brexit thrown in.

The panic buying should work its way through the system in a week or so. The rest will take months.

There were also issues with drivers doing the test, they stopped because of COVID and also the DVLA not issuing licenses (I’ve been waiting for a simple name change on my licence for 3 months) if you look on the DVLA Facebook page so many people wanting their licences and not able to work without them

BREXIT!!!!!!!!!

It is multi faceted. It’s no ‘just’ anything. It’s a long standing issue that’s been exacerbated by Brexit and Covid.

The average age of an HGV driver in the UK is 56
20000 have left the UK because of Brexit
More because of covid
It's a lonely, drab job that often sends people under
Facilities are rubbish
UK rates didn't compensate enough for EU tacho laws restricting hours
Newly passed drivers can't get work
Driver CPC requirements expedited the decision to retire for many drivers

Friends DH was a lorry driver and a couple of years ago was earning about £11-£12 an hour and getting up at 3 in the morning and not knowing when he was going to get home, spending loads to keep his HGV license, or whatever up to date, he's now retired