The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has issued a stark warning that consumers could see empty shelves this Christmas as the chronic lack of truck drivers affecting their industry worsens. To highlight the crisis, the Road Haulage Association will undertake intensive lobbying of MPs on Tuesday 27 October as part of its first ever National Lorry Week, which runs from 26-31 October.  The industry will also be holding many events across the UK to draw attention to the problem.

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said: ‘We are short of between 45,000 and 50,000 drivers and the situation is getting worse.  Thousands of older drivers are leaving the industry and younger people can’t afford the £3,000 it costs to get a truck licence.  The government could help but won’t.  They should support a truck driving apprenticeship but are refusing to do so; even though they are forcing the larger trucking firms to pay the new apprenticeship levy.  As far as the RHA is concerned, that amounts to little more than just a tax on payroll. That’s why we are holding RHA National Lorry Week to highlight the issue and pile pressure on the government.  What young person can find £3,000 without some help?  This shortage is grave and presents a real threat to Christmas and to economic growth.’

Over 85% of everything bought in the UK is carried by a truck at some stage in the supply chain.  The road freight industry and its associated warehousing operations employ over 2.2 million people and is a vital part of the UK economy.

Richard Burnett added, ‘Our industry is the life blood of our economy.  The government can and must do more to help with this driver shortage crisis.  Its failure to do so is now posing a real threat to the UK’s economic recovery’.