To say we should think of the stranded forigne lorry drivers

[Plussizejumpsuit]

To say I hope we (as a country) look after the foreign lorry drivers caught up in disruption. Just heard on the radio lots of forigne lorry drivers are stranded in the UK and face days in their cabs. I just really feel for them. They do I vital job and this must be shit a few days before Christmas

I heard they had set up lorry parks already but I hope they are provided with plenty of food etc. Unfortunately I'm in the North East as otherwise I'd take some stuff myself! I just really feel for them.

Also just to say I used to work in supermarkets and there's absolutely no need to stockpile only 20% of all goods come through France. Wearhoysr will be well stocked. So as long as people don't panic buy there will be more than enough food for all.

I also read it was Dover that closed rather than Calais so isn't the problem on our side?

It isn't Dover that closed, but the French and Belgians refusing entry.

I lived in Kent for 27 years and we got used to the roads being blocked and closed on a regular basis as soon as anyone in France had any sort of dispute. Never mind the truckers, have some thought for the people living there who get stuck with this all the time. The rest of the UK just doesn't realise or care what a PITA is it, until they want to go on holiday and get stuck.

There is a solution to this. Instead of having drivers criss-crossing the channel, send the containers over and get them picked up on either side by resident drivers. Would save all this mucking about.

Anyone worrying about food shortages, its mostly salad stuff, fresh fruit veg etc, I dont think anyone is going to starve for want of a lettuce leaf!

It’s all sorts of food stuck pls don’t diminish this. Cauliflower, broccoli, oranges etc yes no one will die but really is that the point? Prices are already up for food which impacts the poorest hardest. We should be better than this. The uk gov is a disgrace.

@Newgirls

It’s all sorts of food stuck pls don’t diminish this. Cauliflower, broccoli, oranges etc yes no one will die but really is that the point? Prices are already up for food which impacts the poorest hardest. We should be better than this. The uk gov is a disgrace.

I'm not dimishing anything. Who is that aimed at?!

@Cocomarine

I think it’s a bit odd to say don’t panic because “only” 20% of our imports come from France.

I can’t confirm your 20% number, but 20% = a fuck of a lot.

It’s not just finished items ready for sale that can’t get through, it’s raw materials for items that you think of as “manufactured in Britain” too.

Now, I’m not a scaremongerer, but actually supermarket warehouses are NOT packed to the rafters with weeks worth of food. That isn’t how supply chain works in FMCG in this country. Yes, with Covid and Brexit they’ll be holding more than they probably ever have before - but there will shortages.

I’m not worried - there will be food. You might be buying tinned peas instead of fresh broccoli, but there will be food.

But “only 20%” is a big number.

20% of all stuff not 29% of food. This was a number I heard on radio 4 BTW. As I say I used to work in supermarkets so have a good understanding of their delivery and storage protocols. In addition to individual supermarket's wearhouse which don't hold a lot. But still are certainly not empty. There are centralised distribution centres which do have a good few days worth of food. So yes just in time. But not without any slack.

Reports seem to be around specific items too.

@FrothyB I don't think I said I only feel for them in a specific way. There's something about your tone which comes across as quite aggressive. I don't know if that is at me for night being concerned about the apperently wrong thing. Even though I didn't give a lot of details about my concern. Or if you have specific gripes with the system?

Of course I'm aware that a 48 plus delay in the UK will stop many people getting home for Christmas. Hence my post!

Poster above me - there is only one of me

Sorry forgot to reply to it

OP I think it is very caring of you to think of the drivers etc this is horrid for them and their families

@Newgirls

Poster above me - there is only one of me

Sorry forgot to reply to it

Ok!

I'm feeling so fed up today. Its just built through the day so I'm trying to keep in mind how others have worse challenges. I know this can be unhelpful I am feeling what I feel but just appreciating being at home etc.

I feel sorry for them and hope they're able to get what they need but I'm not sure suggesting people go and take them food etc is a great idea in the middle of a pandemoc

Oh dear, just seeing on our local news how much, time vulnerable, fresh fish from Scotland could now be a write off if they can’t get to the continent. One poor guy in Aberdeen already has no client orders for the coming days as the buyers on the continent can’t trust it’ll arrive in time . Also feeling so sorry for the people who live in Dover and those, smaller operators, who are stuck there now. Pictures of the streets full of transit sized vans parked up (I guess it’s only the larger freight lorries that will be diverted to Manston). Lots of people who just want to get home for Christmas. I’m just up the road from Manston, it’s surrounded by farm land and villages. I’m not sure if they’ve already started taking lorries but they were preparing for it earlier. Bit too far to easily walk to the bigger towns on the coast, and as its tier 4 here they probably can’t be wandering around looking for food etc anyway. Their was a plan for lots of portaloos to be delivered etc so hopefully food and drink will be sorted too. Let’s hope the UK and France can sort this very quickly, for everybody’s sake. They need to do everything possible to ensure that drivers don’t need to leave their lorries for more than a very short period of time, for the loo, to get water etc, because if there’s an outbreak of COVID there, the local Margate hospital will not be able to cope with it. In addition to that the congested roads are going to block access to both the Margate and Ashford hospitals for lots of Kent residents at a time when they’re rapidly filling up .

It's not a fun time for the continental drivers stuck in Britain, but they will be allowed allowed off the prison island eventually. You won't.

@MaskingForIt

Did you mean to be so rude?

@Charlottejbt

It's not a fun time for the continental drivers stuck in Britain, but they will be allowed allowed off the prison island eventually. You won't.

Yeah you're not wrong! Ffs this just feels like a nightmare!

Around 750 lorries now parked up

BJ basically lied on the press conference and said it was 170?

@Newgirls

Around 750 lorries now parked up

BJ basically lied on the press conference and said it was 170?

Where's this info from? Yep they repeaded 170ish several times! Down from around 500 I think they said.

@Cocomarine

I think it’s a bit odd to say don’t panic because “only” 20% of our imports come from France.

I can’t confirm your 20% number, but 20% = a fuck of a lot.

It’s not just finished items ready for sale that can’t get through, it’s raw materials for items that you think of as “manufactured in Britain” too.

Now, I’m not a scaremongerer, but actually supermarket warehouses are NOT packed to the rafters with weeks worth of food. That isn’t how supply chain works in FMCG in this country. Yes, with Covid and Brexit they’ll be holding more than they probably ever have before - but there will shortages.

I’m not worried - there will be food. You might be buying tinned peas instead of fresh broccoli, but there will be food.

But “only 20%” is a big number.

@Cocomarine, 20% is a lot, but I have just read that human accompanied freight, i.e lorries is about 20% of the 20% of our daily imports that come through Dover and Portsmouth, the rest is via those massive containers, so the number is 5% which doesn’t sound as bad.

However, it is fresh veg that comes via lorries due to shorter shelf life. As you say though if this does continue more than 48 hours there will still be some veg just lower stock of certain fresh veg like lettuce, citrus fruits etc.

The stranded lorry drivers must be miserable, I don't imagine they would have adequate supplies of food and water for being stuck for a prolonged period of time and having no toilets or showers is a nightmare.

I've got adequate stocks of most things (bought over the months, not panic buying) to last at least a couple of weeks in case we need to self isolate but for those on the lowest incomes that would not be possible.

I agree with you! I hope they do not keep them for long. Now that they have quick tests, and maybe they can quarantine in France. It is getting cold, quite cold and dark to spend the days before Christmas stuck alone in a lorry.

@Newgirls

Around 750 lorries now parked up

BJ basically lied on the press conference and said it was 170?

No it was 500, reduced to around 170 by diverting them away but obviously they’re arriving all the time because, though they’ve been told not to come to Kent, realistically what can they do? They are now being diverted to Manston though. There’s about fifty there now apparently. Presumably that will increase quite a bit overnight.

If you see any of them on a donkey with a pregnant woman on board...

Genuinely curious, why did you post that?

so the problems at Felixstowe have been sorted than? - I don't think so www.eadt.co.uk/news/business/efforts-to-ease-supply-chain-and-port-disruption-6860904

nb no other ports have any problems

@WotWouldCJDo

If you see any of them on a donkey with a pregnant woman on board...

Genuinely curious, why did you post that?

Someone offered a stable for them to stay in upthread

News also said risk of flooding this week... its more like the plagues of Moses than nativity this week