Time Machine 2015-2019

It’s the final part of our series on the history of UK haulage. Let’s look back at those innocent times before that pesky virus turned up

- Peter Davies

One thing’s for sure, we don’t need a time machine or even a crystal ball to see that the haulage industry of the future is to face more and more regulation and an ever-growing trend towards automation. There seems to be a determination among manufacturers and politicians to pursue driverless trucks. For the time being we can at least look back to significant events that have shaped our industry since 2014. If any issues dominate the period they are the ever worsening driver shortage; the growing problem of illegal immigrants; the search for alternative fuels to combat climate change, and last but not least, Brexit.

Perhaps the most serious of these was the driver shortage. Despite many initiatives the problem has continued to blight the industry. In 2015 statistics show that there were up to 60,000 unfilled vacancies and the average age of existing drivers was going up since there were very few youngsters interested in taking up the career. In 2015 the main industry trade body, the RHA, claimed that the driver shortage was becoming a threat to the UK economy. The problem was predicted to worsen as 35,000 HGV holders were due to retire over the coming few years. Typical of the recruiting initiatives was one in Hampshire where the RHA teamed up with Job Centre Plus to coax job seekers to find out what it was like to drive a truck.

Another scheme, sponsored by the government’s Business & Innovation Department entitled LGV Trailblazer offered apprenticeships. This was in response to a campaign by the RHA and FTA to try and alleviate the problem. Despite such efforts throughout the period, and indeed until now, the driver shortage shows no sign of improving and has got worse.