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n our survey of hauliers who read CM every week,
Page 38
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more than 70% said they have no plans to recruit drivers next year. Many of the operators will be forced to change their minds as drivers leave and have to be replaced—but given the difficulty that recruitment now presents, most will be hoping that this will not be necessary. Some will simply sell the vehide of the departing driver and reduce their costs.
About 30% of the companies recruiting drivers this year reported that it was "difficult" to do so, while a further 25% said it was "very difficult''. In other words more than half of the hauliers we spoke to are experiencing recruitment difficulties. The ao% who reckoned recruitment presents few problems said they still have drivers knocking on their doors looking for work.
There was also more positive news. The vast majority of companies did recruit new drivers this year and, while nearly Go% of those recruits replaced departing employees, a healthy 33% of companies took on more drivers to handle fleet expansion. Although most hauliers were wary of committing themselves to recruitment plans for next year, 15% said they will definitely be looking for extra drivers in the new year and a further 13% thought that they might. depending on the economic circumstances.
Methods of recruitment varied. The most popular remains word of mouth, with drivers recruited through personal recommendation or introduction by existing employees-43% use this method. Almost as popular is local paper recruitment advertising; 40% take this route. Job centres proved popular with 2o% of operators, although some complained about the calibre of applicants from this source, citing driving convictions as a problem.
Although still in the minority (currently 7%) a growing number of enterprising operators have begun to think laterally and are training 'ACV drivers from the ranks of existing staff such as porters or van drivers.
One haulier pays for HGV training and the successful candidates pay him back through their wages. Full marks to ti imaginative operator who drew "very good response" after I advertised driving vacancies or trailer running round the M2
Women drivers and drive from the ethnic minorities a beginning to appear in mo companies' recruitment profik with 12% employing son women drivers and 13% son non-white drivers.
The haulage industry, probal because of its preference for word-of-mouth system of recru ment, has been sadly lacking both these areas. The compani who have been facing difficul with recruitment might want ask themselves whether ill, could do more to attract app cants from these groups.