{"id":3154,"date":"2019-07-23T16:27:13","date_gmt":"2019-07-23T14:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/?p=3154"},"modified":"2019-07-23T16:27:13","modified_gmt":"2019-07-23T14:27:13","slug":"3154","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2019\/07\/23\/3154\/","title":{"rendered":"The HGV driver shortage"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The HGV driver shortage<\/h2>\n

The nationwide shortage of HGV drivers is threatening the UK\u2019s logistics sector and we are reaching crisis point; businesses now anticipate that 15 per cent of their current HGV driver vacancies will not be filled and a further 36 per cent expect a long delay to find the right candidate.<\/p>\n

This was one of the key findings of FTA\u2019s Logistics Report, launched in partnership\u00a0with Santander Corporate and Commercial\u00a0in May 2019, which polled the opinions of more than 500 freight and logistics businesses operating in the UK and internationally.<\/p>\n

The logistics sector is the lifeblood of\u00a0the nation\u2019s economy, employing more\u00a0than 2.7 million people and contributing \u00a3124 billion gross value added (GVA). Our economy simply cannot operate without HGV drivers \u2013 businesses would come grinding\u00a0to a halt and Britain would cease trading.<\/p>\n

But we are facing serious challenges in the recruitment and retention of these workers, due to an ageing workforce, competition for skilled staff, the ineffective apprenticeship levy, and shifting migration patterns in response to Brexit.<\/p>\n

In this article, FTA, the business organisation which speaks for the logistics sector,\u00a0shares its three-pronged\u00a0recommendation\u00a0on how this issue can be tackled.<\/p>\n

Attract new talent<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With the average age of an HGV driver now 48 years old \u2013 as revealed in the survey\u00a0\u2013 it is clear the industry needs to attract\u00a0and retain a new generation of workers;\u00a0we must show there are promising career opportunities and long-term prospects on offer to convince them that this is a job worth pursuing. After all, the logistics sector is at the heart of every facet of British life, from hospitals to business, schools, retail and manufacturing. HGVs drivers support the nation\u2019s well-being, economy and prosperity,\u00a0by ensuring that everyone has access to the goods and services they need, but too often, this vital contribution is often overlooked.<\/p>\n

FTA has established a partnership with Think Logistics, an arm of educational charity Career Ready, to build links between schools, colleges and employers to communicate the opportunities a career in logistics presents\u00a0to young people. But awareness is only\u00a0one piece of the puzzle: the government must rethink its treatment of drivers; only\u00a0by delivering promised upgrades to driver facilities and infrastructure will it\u00a0be viewed as an aspirational\u00a0career choice. Furthermore,\u00a0the apprenticeship levy is\u00a0not working for logistics\u00a0businesses across the\u00a0UK and needs to be\u00a0radically overhauled\u00a0if the workforce of\u00a0tomorrow is to be\u00a0trained effectively.<\/p>\n

Repair the\u00a0apprenticeship levy\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The apprenticeship levy is\u00a0a tax on employers which can\u00a0be accessed to fund apprenticeship\u00a0training. But despite contributing large sums to the apprenticeship levy fund, logistics businesses have not been able to draw down funds to train the workforce of tomorrow, since the standards against which to train them have yet to be approved. Any moneys still unused after two years of payment will be taken by the Treasury. This means that\u00a0the levy is simply an additional tax on those businesses which desperately need to use this money to train their future workforce.<\/p>\n

By insisting that businesses plough funding into a levy which they cannot utilise, the government is preventing the development of existing workers in the logistics sector, \u00a0which reduces motivation and increases staff turnover. In essence, this means businesses will have to pay twice to train staff, thus removing valuable investment from the bottom line at a time when the logistics industry is under extreme financial pressure.<\/p>\n

The government needs to develop a workable apprenticeship standard and training framework or, alternatively, reassess the role of the apprenticeship levy and turn it into a training levy, which would enable its use where it is most urgently needed.<\/p>\n

Amend future immigration policy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The UK\u2019s future immigration system needs to accommodate the requirement for workers with practical qualifications \u2013 as well as academic \u2013 if Britain is to keep trading effectively after Brexit. After all, 13 per\u00a0cent of HGV drivers currently working in the UK are EU nationals. But the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report fails\u00a0to recognise the importance of these workers; it is deemed to be \u2018low skilled\u2019 profession and so drivers are unlikely to be granted access to the UK post-Brexit.<\/p>\n

The MAC report, along with the recent review of the Shortage Occupation List (SOL), ignores the value which workers\u00a0at all levels bring to the logistics sector,\u00a0one of UK PLC\u2019s most crucial trade drivers. The government must move away from prioritising purely academic classifications and focus more on vocational skills: the regulatory knowledge and the skills required to drive an HGV are complex and must\u00a0not be dismissed or underestimated.<\/p>\n

To ensure that our businesses can continue\u00a0to be served by the industry which provides the goods and services they need, the\u00a0government must start recognising and appreciating technical skills within\u00a0our immigration system too; otherwise, its approach\u00a0will remove thousands of vital logistics workers from our economy.<\/p>\n

Logistics is a flexible, highly adaptable industry, which\u00a0always goes the extra\u00a0mile to deliver for its customers. Yet without adequate allowances for\u00a0training and development, the improvement of driver\u00a0facilities, and amends to the UK\u2019s future immigration policy, the industry could easily come to a halt due\u00a0to lack of available skilled staff. While this article focused on the shortfall of HGV drivers specifically, the skills shortage touches every corner of logistics, from technicians to warehouse staff.<\/p>\n

FTA is committed to ensuring that the industry has sufficient skilled staff on which to draw as we move into the next decade; we will continue to push government to ensure policies reflect this vital need.<\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/greenfleet.net\/<\/a><\/p>\n

FLEET MANAGEMENT AUDIT<\/h3>\n

Fleet management is the use of a set of vehicles in order to provide services to a third-party, or to perform a task for our organization, in the most efficient and productive manner with a determined level of service and cost.<\/p>\n

Fleet management activities are shown in the following graph 1:<\/p>\n

\"fleet<\/p>\n

Graph 1: fleet management activities<\/p>\n

The proposal audit analyses and assesses all fleet management activities shown in the graph 1, and its main goals are:<\/p>\n