According to a new report from the Road Haulage Association (RHA), 40,000 new HGV drivers are needed each year for the next five years in order to support the UK logistics sector.
The report, entitled ‘Lorry drivers: the vital link’, identifies that 81% of all freight in the UK is transported by road, and describes HGV drivers as ‘the backbone of the supply chain’.
The RHA’s forecast is based on predicted economic growth. It expects that in 2029, nearly 740,000 qualified drivers will be needed, up from the 700,000 that it currently calculates are needed. There is a gap between this number and the number of active HGV drivers at the moment, which it estimates to be 684,000 currently.
Over 73,000 driving tests will need to be carried out over the next five years to support this influx of new HGV drivers, the RHA estimates.
A number of concerns are outlined in the RHA report surrounding the recruitment and retention of HGV drivers in the UK. One such concern is the ageing workforce in these roles. The majority of HGV drivers, data shows, are aged between 50 and 59, while the number of drivers aged between 25 and 34 is at a five-year low.
As well as retirement, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that physical and mental health issues are amongst the top reasons for individuals leaving the sector. It also notes the impact of the UK’s departure from the European Union as having an impact on driver numbers, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.
In terms of diversity in the workforce, there are a number of categories in which the current pool of HGV drivers fall short compared to the UK average. Only 2% of HGV drivers are female, but 4.5% of drivers under 30 years of age are female, suggesting that perhaps this is beginning to change.
When it comes to sexual orientation, just 1% of HGV drivers reported that they were not straight, compared with 3.5% across all occupations. And compared with an average across all occupations of 16.3%, only 5.3% of HGV drivers in the UK are not ethnically white.
The report concludes that ‘the demographic mix of drivers is a narrow one’. It says that ‘of those born in the UK, the main body of workers is of older, white males’ and notes that ‘in the relatively recent past this group has been supplemented by a dependency on EU drivers’.
For more on recruitment and workforce diversity in the logistics sector, look out for a magazine-exclusive exploration of this crucial topic in the March issue of Logistics Manager next month.
The results of another survey, conducted by fleet management software provider Samsara, echo these concerns about the sector and its workforce. Of the 500 commercial drivers surveyed, 69% agreed that there is already a shortage of commercial drivers in the UK, 66% said the industry is failing to bring in enough young talent, and 53% claimed that not enough women are being attracted to the profession.
Philip van der Wilt, Samara’s senior vice president for the EMEA region, commented: “The challenge of driver recruitment and retention is critical to preventing supply chain disruptions. To attract and retain talent, the industry must prioritise better working conditions, ensuring the job is safer, smarter and more appealing.”
