Just 2% of all HGV drivers are under 25 – where are the drivers of the future for transport & logistics?
It is fair to say that over the last few years there has been a shortage in the number of young drivers entering the transport & logistics sector. A report published earlier this year found that just 2% of all HGV drivers are under the age of 25, with nearly 60% over 45. The report also found, staggeringly, that there are marginally more managing directors within the transport & logistics sector who fall within the under 25 age bracket than there are drivers who do.
David Owens, Transport & Logistics Partner at Hawsons, notes: “There is a real concern among many transport & logistics companies as their ageing workforces approach retirement age, or will do in the next 5 to 10 years.”
“There is very much a driver shortage – particularly young drivers – and that is leading to an ageing workforce. The fact that just 2% of all HGV drivers are under 25 is an extremely striking and worrying statistic. There are simply not enough younger people entering the sector. Transport & logistics firms are the linchpin of the UK economy…and drivers are at the heart of those businesses. So where are the drivers of the future going to come from?”
A solution needs to be driven by both employers and government
“The solution to undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges many in the sector are facing is not an easy one. There are a number of strategies that individual companies (and the government) can introduce, but there also needs to be an overall sector push to motivate new, young and enthusiastic drivers to enter the sector. This is an issue that all companies across the sector need to address before the problem becomes insurmountable.”
“The shortage of qualified drivers is also, in turn, putting upward pressure on rates and wages. This, in conjunction with recent increases in the National Minimum Wage and the introduction of the new National Living Wage, will likely see costs rise for many hauliers.”
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