Fox Tales
Well-Known Member
No doubt many of you will have seen the figures relating to the above . I have watched , read and listened to various reports on the reasons for the aforementioned shortage , so as a driver , here's my 10 pence worth .
The driver shortage isn't a new problem , a good few years back it was already evident . Fortunately for haulage , the EU's open boarder policies, meant drivers from across Europe could come and work here in the UK . Now ,let's be clear, they were not taking jobs from anybody, they simply filled the gaps within the haulage industry . During this time, hauliers have had a strangle hold on their work force . A strangle hold that has now weakened .
Of course, Brexit has taken much of the blame . To a degree that is true , but of recent, it has become less financially viable for EU nationals to remain here anyway, so why would they ?
Now with these drivers returning home , the industry is left with a massive driver shortage. A fault of Brexit , hardly . This is the result of an industry living in the past , an industry that refuses to respect its employees and does nothing to attract . This isn't just about wages ! It's about conditions at work , the poor work life balance , the lack of basic facilities on the road , being ripped off in the services ... etc . The haulage industry needs a good shake , 2/3 of drivers are in the last 1/3 of their working lives , there's a lot more leaving than entering . The government's answer is to relax the driving hours , once again giving hauliers the opportunity to get more from their drivers . Wake up , this won't work anymore, the tide is turning .
The job market has become more buoyant , drivers have more choices . To prove my point I have jumped ship 3 times in 3 months and I'll continue to do so if employers don't behave in a respectful manner .
Drivers sacrifice a lot ,in particular their home lives , perhaps if the industry gave instead of just taking it wouldn't be in this mess . They could start by increasing holiday allocation, if you work a normal 40 hours a week you'd expect 4 weeks and bank holidays . HGV drivers work 60 plus hours a week and spend very little time at home , surely, holidays should be proportionate . That , at the very least , would be a start .
So , to all you hauliers out there who have treat their staff badly for years , TOUGH , I hope you are suffering
. Perhaps lessons will be learnt !
Thoughts?
The driver shortage isn't a new problem , a good few years back it was already evident . Fortunately for haulage , the EU's open boarder policies, meant drivers from across Europe could come and work here in the UK . Now ,let's be clear, they were not taking jobs from anybody, they simply filled the gaps within the haulage industry . During this time, hauliers have had a strangle hold on their work force . A strangle hold that has now weakened .
Of course, Brexit has taken much of the blame . To a degree that is true , but of recent, it has become less financially viable for EU nationals to remain here anyway, so why would they ?
Now with these drivers returning home , the industry is left with a massive driver shortage. A fault of Brexit , hardly . This is the result of an industry living in the past , an industry that refuses to respect its employees and does nothing to attract . This isn't just about wages ! It's about conditions at work , the poor work life balance , the lack of basic facilities on the road , being ripped off in the services ... etc . The haulage industry needs a good shake , 2/3 of drivers are in the last 1/3 of their working lives , there's a lot more leaving than entering . The government's answer is to relax the driving hours , once again giving hauliers the opportunity to get more from their drivers . Wake up , this won't work anymore, the tide is turning .
The job market has become more buoyant , drivers have more choices . To prove my point I have jumped ship 3 times in 3 months and I'll continue to do so if employers don't behave in a respectful manner .
Drivers sacrifice a lot ,in particular their home lives , perhaps if the industry gave instead of just taking it wouldn't be in this mess . They could start by increasing holiday allocation, if you work a normal 40 hours a week you'd expect 4 weeks and bank holidays . HGV drivers work 60 plus hours a week and spend very little time at home , surely, holidays should be proportionate . That , at the very least , would be a start .
So , to all you hauliers out there who have treat their staff badly for years , TOUGH , I hope you are suffering

Thoughts?