According to Motor Transport 21.05.12 the total amount of LGV Licence Holders in the UK(driving professionally) is 299,000. Over the next five years 48,000 Drivers will retire, most of these
Drivers have decided not to complete the DCPC.

In 2011 22,700 Lgv Tests were passed but only 12,000 Drivers actually applied for the mandatory Driver Qualification Card, so only these COULD enter our Industry, I doubt they all will!

MT also states that over 25% of LGV Drivers are aged 60 or above, while just 1% are under 25.....what we said before, who wants to drive, nowadays!

Here are three quotes:-
1. We are exploring a number of initiatives, including using Apprenticeships, to attract younger people into the business...Deborah Parker, HR Director at Norberts.

2. The shortage(of Drivers) is being masked by Operator efficiences, which has taken some pressure out but I suspect a lot of the low hanging fruit(?) have gone in terms of maximising
the Fleet. I worry that in 2014, when many Drivers will leave the Industry, there could be 'The Perfect Storm'...Andrew Waldron, MD of Recruitment Firm, ADR Network.

3. With about 300,000 LGV jobs available in the UK, it would be nice to think the Industry could fill the bulk of these posts from the 1 million young people who are unemployed...Steve Hobson MT
really? 300,000 jobs?...Cloud Cuckoo Land, that one.

Thoughts?



I like all this, we as stupid Drivers knew this years ago but nobody listens to us, we are after all ONLY Drivers......!

Join the queue my friend, there's a worldwide shortage of Top end Heavy goods drivers. Shame the wages dont reflect that. The word on the shop floor here on the Pacific rim is Companies in the States are buying other roading companies not for the frieght but because the HGV drivers they employ come with the sale as "Insitue" assets. Dont know about the UK but here in NZ Class 5 (HGV1) drivers are fairly rare, Class 5 with decent experiance are rare as rocking horse shit.

Poland must be getting short on drivers by now. Probably be another influx from the eastern european states sponsord by the agency's. Sorry but that's the only thing i can see happening.

Can anyone speak Greek?

Ποιος θέλει να μάθει?

Sorry, could not resist.......................

Touche(how do I put those damn accents in?)

Γαμήσι αν ξέρω. Απλά δοκιμάστε το Google μεταφράζει

Speaking from an agency perspective, part of the problem is that its now almost impossible to place a new driver with a client due to Driver negs insurance, Min req, must be 25+, held a license for at least 2 year and have had at least 180 days behind the wheel in that period, couple that with only being aloud a maximum of 6 minor points - and then people wonder why there's a lack of new drivers coming though the ranks, its a quite disheartening situation for them to be in.

Daz

I can see both sides of this, Daz, from our point of view, we rarely use Agency lads but when we do it's usually from the same Agency and we
try to get Drivers who have worked for us before, I believe this is important, as the Drivers know us and we know them.

This incident is true and happened 2 weeks ago....using a Driver we did not know, he loaded in Westbury for a delivery to Yeovil, this is the route
he took....Westbury - Chippenham - M4 - M5 - Taunton - Yeovil, check it out on the map, we had a Microlise system on the Vehicle but the
Scheduler neglected to check on his progress and when he did it was too late.

There are some very proficient Agency Drivers and they should be nurtured (Postman knows this) but as you know, there are some real
mongs as well. I do appreciate the problems the Agencies have...how do you check if a new Driver is suitable? by Feedback from the
Company, by this time it's too late, your name is mud, you will lose money and your reputation in the Industry is tarnished.
Devil and the Deep Blue Sea springs to mind.

I have seen this happen on numerous occasions, a good Driver comes to us, does a good job, next thing you know he's taken on with
us on a permanent basis....poaching, anyone!

In my position within the Company, I will always have with a private word with any Driver who hands in his notice, far too many times
in the past we have just let Drivers walk away without the 'Beret and Belt off' chat. 90% of the time, over a brew and Bourbons, the
problem can be sorted out and he stays with us but if he is adamant that it's time to move on I always advise him not to burn his
bridges.
Here in W. Yorks it's a bit of a merry-go-round with Drivers, we tend to see the same faces over and over again....the grass is rarely
greener.

I tend to use this saying quite a lot......'What the hell do you know, you're only a thick Driver'....really! the problem is that this is the
way that many Managers/Schedulers look upon us, Drivers Log on previous posts on another part of this Site, springs to mind.

Something needs to be done, FAST, before 2014 or we are going to be in deep do-do, this could well be a Godsend for the Agencies,
if your Drivers are holders of the DCPC Card, all Daz' comments in the previous post will, in my opinion, go out of the window.

The Golden Eagle is flying on it's inexorable course in your general direction....'If the wheels ain't turning, the motor ain't earning'

Re 'Poaching'. We've just invoiced a client for a finders fee. We've always been flexible in the past but this time they were very sly and we caught them out. We still didn't charge them as much as we could have though!