The driver shortage in the logistics sector has been well documented for the past 18 months. However, the issues continue to persist and with supply chain issues continuing to plague the global logistics industry – We believe a deep dive is needed to highlight the causes and possible solutions to the shortage.
There is not just one cause for the shortage - it is a plethora of issues that's gotten us to this point. Feeling undervalued, long unsociable hours, leaving the industry altogether, new drivers being stuck with delays in their applications, and most recently Brexit.
A quote from Samantha Leleu, General Manager at the Pertemps driving division, states - "There is a known driver shortage, and the noise has mostly been about attracting new talent to the sector – but what about those experienced drivers who have just had enough of difficult working conditions, and disrespect from customers and the public? They deserve better, and it is the least we, as employers, can do to try and help as the UK seeks to address a shortage of 100,000 HGV drivers".
How has the scarcity of drivers affected operations directors and managers in the logistics sector?
Without drivers on the road – more goods are coming in than there are going out, and logistics operations professionals are struggling to fill HGV vacancies.
Directors have tried increasing salaries to try and improve retention rates with one director telling the BBC that they had increased wages by 20% to keep their drivers – with many of the non-UK drivers who came over to prop up the driver shortage of the early 2000s, having gone back to their home countries because of a mixture of both the Covid19 pandemic and Brexit.
A Quote from Our Head of Logistics and Transport – James Alexander Uddin
“It’s vital we stay informed and close to our senior contacts in the logistics market, and from speaking to a number of them over the last few days, I discovered some managers with Class 1 licences rolling their sleeves up and going out on deliveries and helping where possible at a time when there is a huge driver shortage during most companies peak times”.
Are you or any of your team having to do this?
Is this a test of togetherness or genuine instability?
Certainly a bit of both. Having managers who are prepared to roll their sleeves up and help out where they can in positions where they hold different skill sets is always going to be a bonus to the organisation because it shows a togetherness of the workforce and the genuine will to succeed in times of hardship. However, it really shouldn’t be a viable option. The lack of drivers and the failings in recruiting new talent to that profession is forcing overstressed operations managers into the trucks.
Delivery hire companies who loan out personnel, vans and trucks have skyrocketed their prices amid the shortage – so the option of bringing in bodies that way seems slim to none.
As admirable as it is for managers to put themselves forward to accompany drivers on deliveries - it is a case of all hands to the pump and square pegs in round holes. This takes away operations managers from their usual day to day duties. Important tasks higher up the chain may be put on the back-burner or forgotten about completely. This can have a domino effect forcing operations directors to fill in for managers when they are out making deliveries. This solution certainly won’t work long-term. It doesn’t fix the problem. It simply moves it to a different place, and until drivers either return to the profession or new talent is brought in, the instability will continue.
How can operations leaders solve these issues and relieve the pressure on the logistics industry?
According to a Health and Safety Director in the sector - “Improving the way we value drives is a huge focus - everything from the quality of the vehicles to potentially having a fridge or a microwave could help a huge amount from a comfort and nutritional perspective. Simply just the way they communicate would allow us to take a huge step in direction of wellbeing, thus making a company attractive to drivers”.
How do you think the industry can improve the shortage and get drivers back behind the wheel?
