07-05-2021, 09:44 AM
I know Proth gets a lot of grief and ridicule when he uses his ‘low wages’ to blame argument whilst some are equally quick to blame Brexit for the shortage of HGV drivers.
Brexit is far from the only reason for the shortages of drivers with many Polish and Romanian drivers never intending to work permanently in Britain and others leaving for home as soon as the pandemic hit, quite naturally and understandably. Then there is the massive increase in demand for deliveries, to homes and industry.
Here are some excerpts from an article in the i news site and some vlogs from drivers themselves. Makes for interesting reading and listening.
“For example, the pandemic has caused a dramatic increase in demand for kerbside deliveries of everyday products such as turf and slabs, as householders embarked on lockdown DIY, with the ratio of home deliveries increasing from one-in-10 pre-pandemic to one-in-four today.
27.8 million pallets delivered by UK networks in the last year, a 3.2 per cent growth year-on-year. Sixty-three per cent of these were next day delivery.
It estimates about 30,000 HGV driving tests were lost last year because of the Covid pandemic.
The Department of Transport says it is "well aware of HGV driver shortages".
In a statement, it said: "Most of the solutions are commercial and within the industry, with progress already being made in key areas such as testing and recruitment, and a big focus towards improving pay, working conditions and diversity." (only 6% of lorry drivers are female )
‘Haulage bosses lowered wages when they could rely on EU workers to fill positions ‘
‘A national shortage of lorry drivers is down to poor pay, theft and a lack of toilets on the road. That is according to HGV drivers who have told i of the “hellholes” in which they routinely stay overnight, criminals who ransack the lorries and filling stations that refuse them access to toilets.’ (Although, listening to one of the lorry drivers below and his view of his fellow drivers, I can’t blame them.)
‘ “While Brexit has led to an exodus of foreign workers, including drivers, the shortage has been exacerbated by increasing numbers of British drivers choosing to leave over poor pay and working conditions”. said Philip Esson, who has been driving HGVs for nearly 30 years and runs his own haulage firm.’
https://inews.co.uk/news/british-lorry-driver-shortage-food-waste-low-pay-hellhole-service-stations-no-toilets-1065879
Here’s some views from the horses’ mouths:
https://youtu.be/9hSake-OUXU
https://youtu.be/x8k8k1Mia2I
https://youtu.be/YbVu-uT1gjk
https://youtu.be/cvM8jIb6Lug
Brexit is far from the only reason for the shortages of drivers with many Polish and Romanian drivers never intending to work permanently in Britain and others leaving for home as soon as the pandemic hit, quite naturally and understandably. Then there is the massive increase in demand for deliveries, to homes and industry.
Here are some excerpts from an article in the i news site and some vlogs from drivers themselves. Makes for interesting reading and listening.
“For example, the pandemic has caused a dramatic increase in demand for kerbside deliveries of everyday products such as turf and slabs, as householders embarked on lockdown DIY, with the ratio of home deliveries increasing from one-in-10 pre-pandemic to one-in-four today.
27.8 million pallets delivered by UK networks in the last year, a 3.2 per cent growth year-on-year. Sixty-three per cent of these were next day delivery.
It estimates about 30,000 HGV driving tests were lost last year because of the Covid pandemic.
The Department of Transport says it is "well aware of HGV driver shortages".
In a statement, it said: "Most of the solutions are commercial and within the industry, with progress already being made in key areas such as testing and recruitment, and a big focus towards improving pay, working conditions and diversity." (only 6% of lorry drivers are female )
‘Haulage bosses lowered wages when they could rely on EU workers to fill positions ‘
‘A national shortage of lorry drivers is down to poor pay, theft and a lack of toilets on the road. That is according to HGV drivers who have told i of the “hellholes” in which they routinely stay overnight, criminals who ransack the lorries and filling stations that refuse them access to toilets.’ (Although, listening to one of the lorry drivers below and his view of his fellow drivers, I can’t blame them.)
‘ “While Brexit has led to an exodus of foreign workers, including drivers, the shortage has been exacerbated by increasing numbers of British drivers choosing to leave over poor pay and working conditions”. said Philip Esson, who has been driving HGVs for nearly 30 years and runs his own haulage firm.’
https://inews.co.uk/news/british-lorry-driver-shortage-food-waste-low-pay-hellhole-service-stations-no-toilets-1065879
Here’s some views from the horses’ mouths:
https://youtu.be/9hSake-OUXU
https://youtu.be/x8k8k1Mia2I
https://youtu.be/YbVu-uT1gjk
https://youtu.be/cvM8jIb6Lug