Operators need to work to stop driver shortage
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By Chris Druce
THE HEAD OF a new working group formed to tackle the looming threat of a driver shortage has called on operators to get involved to help address the “critical” issue.
Road Haulage Association (RHA) chief executive Geoff Dunning has been tasked with chairing the Drivers’ Occupational Craft Skills Group, which intends to hold its first meeting next month.
Although the group will contain representatives from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the RHA and Skills for Logistics (SfL), Dunning wants as many operators involved as possible. “There are real concerns regarding driver availability in the next few years,” Dunning tells CM.
“The requirement to undertake Driver CPC, the fact that a significant proportion of our driver population is over 55, and the relatively small amount taking LGV tests, means the pool of drivers is shrink ing. This is a big issue,” he says.
Dunning’s call to action comes after a report from SfL highlighted that the UK faces a driver shortage that will hit by 2014 (CM 15 May). The report, A Looming Driving Shortage?, reveals there has been a 31% decline in LGV tests passed (C, C+E, C1, C1+E) during the past four years to 22,700 in 2010-11.
The figures chime with CM’s own investigation into the issue (CM 15 March), which found tests taken (C and C+E) have more than halved from 2005-06 to 2009-10 to just 43,094. Those passed in the same period fell 45% to 21,749.
To get involved, please e-mail: driver-group@rha.uk.net