Transport Committee launches investigation into lack of skilled drivers

By Commercial Fleet
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14 September 2015

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has welcomed the launch of a skills and workforce planning inquiry into the lack of professional drivers in the haulage industry by the Transport Committee.

FTA has been warning that the freight industry is facing a long-term challenge to attract and recruit sufficient people to professional driving, and that the skills shortage in the logistics sector has reached crisis point.

According to the Committee, the objective of the inquiry will be to investigate what action Government has taken to address industry concerns about a lack of skilled drivers in the road haulage sector, and assess how effective the Government's response has been.

David Wells, FTA chief executive, said: “FTA is delighted that the Transport Committee is going to investigate the lack of skilled drivers as this has been an important issue for our members who have been concerned about this for some time.

“In our recent conversations with MPs we have emphasised the real problems the logistics sector is having in attracting new recruits and suggested that Government and the industry need to work together to find solutions which enable us to keep delivering the goods for the UK economy.”

How to fill the skills gap and to engage, develop and retain staff is currently being featured within the current FTA Transport Manager Conference 2015 series, which includes a presentation focusing on plans for solving the industry wide problem with the driver crisis.

Author: Commercial Fleet

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Comments (6)

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Comments

Heaths - 14/09/2015 12:21

It really shouldn't take very much investigating. 1. The introduction of the CPC for drivers who were already experienced and had far more knowledge than the 'experts' who decreed the necessity to have this training / qualification has seen hundreds of highly experienced people exit the industry. 2. Drivers are treated appallingly at most delivery locations and on the road. Being told to go away and drive round because they are half an hour early for their delivery or just made to sit for hour upon hour because someone doesn't want to off load their truck or cant find the person who ordered the goods are just 2 minor examples of how badly drivers are thought of and treated. A week spent with a randomly chosen driver will open the Committee's eyes to the issues.
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Nick Simpson - 14/09/2015 12:35

I've been in the transport industry for 30 years as a driver, manager and business owner. Government after government bring out layer upon layer of legislation, demonising and criminalising as many parts of a day's work as they possibly can. Anyone who wants to enter this industry as a career in 2015 wants their head testing. Any future discussions will be held by people with little idea of the industry as a whole, from larger businesses only (the important 10%), about one vehicle type only, blah, blah, blah, and the usual outcome will ensue, more paperwork, more legislation, more layers of rules, while us the other 90% pay for it. It is time we stopped making laws that are binding all businesses simply to keep the unproductive few in jobs. If they are not bright enough to realise the bubble is about to burst as it can no longer sustain big government, then there is little anyone can do to help them. The rest of us do happen to live in the real world and can choose to change career or retire early. We are currently experiencing the thin end of the wedge and it is only going to get worse.
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training - 14/09/2015 13:30

I have to agree with both you guys. I am in the HGV training industry. Not many clients at all here in the South of UK. It does need proper management by people within the industry with first hand experience. People that have spent most of the adult life driving, and moving onto management within the industry. Desk jockeys never seem to have a clue.
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Chris Luty - 14/09/2015 17:40

Question is what is the industry doing to attract new drivers? If we wait for the governments input it will be too little to late !
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Alan Rigney - 14/09/2015 21:16

Why don't hauliers adopt what one firm is offering in Scotland, pay to put individuals through the training and give them a job at thee end of it, they could have it written in the contract that they have to stay with that firm for a year, or the employee could have the training fee taken out of their wages each month. It's like we are living in the dark ages, it's not rocket science. What action the government is taking.....don't make me laugh, that shower can't get anything right.
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Az - 23/09/2015 14:43

I have class 2 HGV and now full new CPC and digi card as well as health & safety certificates etc and currently unemployed! Don't see how hauliers can be so surprised by a shortage when they don't want new drivers! Give us a chance without offering offering a lame trainee wage positions or agencies insisting on doing 7.5t first! (Which I drove 15 years ago when I was 21!) and maybe things could change for the future!
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