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UK long-haul drivers endangered species
Page 11
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• by David Harris
The British long-distance lorry driver is an endangered species because foreign drivers are much cheaper, according to hauliers operating to North Africa and the Middle East.
Orient Freight, which has just resumed its overland service to Iraq (see box, far right), already uses exclusively foreign drivers on the route.
Andy MacLean, a director of the company, which is based in Sevenoaks, Kent, says: "We don't use any Brits on this route at all. It's simple economics— the eastern European and Turkish drivers are cheaper. We have one or two British drivers going to the Gulf, but they are a rare breed nowadays."
John Mann International, the Sleaford-based haulier which specialises in carrying hanging garments back tom Morocco, once used just British drivers, but expects Moroccan owner-drivers to play an increasing role.
David Kite, general manager, says: "It's purely financial. The other day we were approached by a Moroccan company that offered us a tractor with two drivers to pull one of our trailers at 70p a mile. We just can't turn that down, If it was British drivers it would be £1.20 a mile."
Both the Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association agree that the long distance market is increasingly tough for both British owner-drivers and larger haulage operations.
Don Armour, the FTA's manager of international services, says: "It has got very difficult.
"We are selling only half the TIP carnets that we used to and we expect that to halve again," he notes. "It's a declining market." (See box, above).
The RHA also reports a fall in the number of carnets issued of 10% in this year alone, although head of international affairs Mike Freeman says that some British firms flourish by offering a specialised service thatjustifies a higher price.