As a result of COVID and Brexit combined, the UK has recently suffered from a shortage of lorry drivers - due to this, there have been huge threats of gaps on supermarket shelves and products that we take for granted every day. So, how does that affect your deliveries being successful? And what is the government doing about the shortage?
Firstly, fear not - take a few deep breaths and calm yourself - you needn’t worry about any of your consignments with Red Rocket Couriers. In this post, we’ll explain everything there is to do with the lorry driver shortage - what it is, why it’s happening, how it’s being overcome, any considerations you need to make and more.
We’ll cover:
What is the Lorry Driver Shortage?
How Could the Shortage Affect Everyday Lives?
How is the Shortage Being Solved?
Will Red Rocket Couriers Be Affected by the Shortage?
What is the Lorry Driver Shortage?
In the wake of the UK leaving the EU and the ongoing COVID pandemic, like many other industries, road haulage and transportation has been majorly affected. It’s thought that a combination of the aforementioned factors has led to a loss of up to 100,000 lorry drivers - that’s both new and existing drivers on the road.
Both of these factors have majorly affected businesses, so in a series of rolling power cuts, they’ve seen lorry drivers being laid off and driving tests unable to go ahead. Also, lorry driving within the UK has a lot of foreign representation. Therefore, these drivers have returned to their families and are struggling to re-enter the UK.
With 100,000 fewer lorry drivers on the road, businesses are struggling to cope with demand as restrictions have further eased and the UK economy is starting to rebuild once again. Quite simply, if businesses can’t cope with demand, they won’t be able to operate successfully for lengthy periods and may be forced to close. And they’re not the only ones that may be affected by this either.
How Could the Shortage Affect Everyday Lives?
Food Shortages
One of the main concerns of the lorry driver shortage is empty shelves. For example, we’ve already seen a lettuce shortage this summer during warm temperatures and barbecue season. If demand goes up and there are no lorry drivers available to restock the shelves, we’re going to be left without, aren’t we?
Could this lead to the stockpiling behaviour that we’ve seen from shoppers in times of panic before? We certainly hope not. Without an adequate amount of drivers, shops won’t be able to process the deliveries that they need to fulfil their shoppers' needs. Therefore, they could lose loyal custom, revenue and damage their overall reputation.
Higher Living Costs
Naturally, if products are harder to get ahold of, they’re going to be more expensive. So, if the lorry driver shortage continues, we can say goodbye to our usual weekly shopping bill that we’ve become so accustomed to. Not only will you not be able to buy everything you need due to shortages, but it could also cost you more.
Just because prices in the supermarkets will rise, doesn’t mean that you’re going to be paid anymore. So, it’s not only a select few that are going to be hit in their pockets. The vast majority of the nation that visits the supermarket once or twice a week will have to splash out a little more and tighten their purse strings on their desirable items and activities.
Unemployment
As we mentioned, if shops can’t meet their customers' demands, they’re likely going to fail. In extreme cases, we may see some businesses, unfortunately, go under and never recover. With that in mind, all employees of that business will be left without a job and forced to look elsewhere - of course, that’s not ideal for anybody.
With fewer deliveries, businesses can afford to get by with a minimum number of people in delivery and loading bays. So, we may see some businesses making necessary pay cuts and laying staff members up to make up for the dent in their revenue. While unfortunate, it’s a situation that businesses may have to create to survive.
How is the Shortage Being Solved?
Thankfully, the government has stepped in before the shortage has become a major crisis - and they’ve outlined a clear plan to get out of the situation that we currently find ourselves in. Phew. Firstly, they’ve changed the laws and sped up the process that drivers have to go through to be able to drive certain vehicles.
Now, drivers are only required to take one test to allow them to drive both rigid and articulated lorries. While people may be sceptical of the thoroughness of the new process, we believe that this is a great idea to help work through the backlog of cancelled and reorganised tests from the past 18 months.
Parking spots and lorry parks are also going to be improved - that way, more drivers will feel comfortable on the road. A lot of lorry drivers admit that the facilities aren’t up to standard and that’s putting off a lot of new recruits. Designated truck and lorry stops aren’t as common as your everyday services - therefore, they’re often overcrowded.
So, if more facilities are introduced and improved, it’s hoped that more drivers will be attracted to work within the UK. After all, the last thing you want after a long day at work is to be turned away by a lorry park because it’s full - then you’re stuck with nowhere to go - right?
Will Red Rocket Couriers Be Affected by the Shortage?
Within our fleet, we have plenty of HGVs that are perfect for transporting large industrial and commercial loads. And you’ll be glad to know that we won’t be affected by the shortage - as always, our expert team of drivers and support staff are always on hand to help with all of your needs and requirements.
As a business, we work with you to ensure that the most efficient way of transport is utilised for your consignment. Therefore, if there are ways around using HGVs to make your deliveries more efficient, our team will gladly advise that. There’s no point adding to the pressure of the shortage if we can avoid it, right?
We’re no stranger to helping businesses meet customer demands when the larger firms can’t help them out either. For instance, if local supermarkets need emergency deliveries of stock as their usual delivery can’t be made, we can help. We don’t want to see any business suffer - and if we can help in any way, we can.
Of course, we have a wide-ranging fleet and offer many services. So, in answer to the question “will Red Rocket Couriers be affected by the shortage?” - we can proudly say, no we won’t! As always, we welcome any consignment and can promise our rapid collection windows and timely delivery methods in every job.
Red Rocket Couriers Can Help Your Business!
We understand times are tough at the minute during the shortage - and as business owners (and customers too), it can leave us very worried. However, we urge you not to worry and see how we can help your business today. We care about our customers and want to help them out in any way that we can.
So, don’t wait around and let your business suffer during the shortage - please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and see how we can help you out. Remember, whether it’s a one-off job or contract work, we can provide a wide range of flexible solutions to suit your needs and requirements. We look forward to hearing from you!
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