This year, more than ever, Britain will be swamped with discounts online and in the High Street. Almost one in four purchases are expected to be made online as shoppers spend £1.7bn a day in the run-up to Christmas and all have to delivered to the customer on time for the big day.
“A driver is for life not just for Christmas” is the message from logistics operators who have taken part in an FTA survey with 94% of participants saying that they see driver shortage as a real concern to the freight industry.
‘With just a month to go until Christmas day – it is clear that the festive season is at the forefront of our minds – but driver shortage is not just a seasonal issue but a long- term problem,’ commented Sally Gilson, FTA skills policy manager. ‘FTA has long voiced its worries regarding driver shortage and is calling on the government to support the freight industry with funding in order to encourage new drivers to enroll in the logistics industry.’
The FTA survey results illustrate that there is no “north-south divide” when it comes to a lack of drivers as the delegates attending the current FTA Transport Manager Conference series 2014 at venues around the country including Brands Hatch, Durham, Warrington, Leeds, Taunton, Huntingdon, Chepstow, Dunblane, Sheffield and Slough were joined in their response.
The Association’s survey also confirmed that driver shortage is not only a concern on the run-up to Christmas but a potential problem in the longer term. Delegates attending the FTA Transport Manager Conference series were asked to answer a "snap-shot" survey relating to their own freight operations and were asked: “On a scale of 1-5 how bad is the driver shortage?”
- 67% of respondents in Durham said that driver shortage is ‘very bad – and that it will be a major issue’
- 60% delegates in Warrington replied that ‘it is bad and could impact Christmas deliveries’
- 57% of attendees at the Dunblane event said that it is ‘a potential problem in the longer term’
FTA is once again highlighting the serious issue of delivering the goods in time for Christmas and is claiming that the freight industry is in need of drivers to meet the demand in the weeks up to the busiest time of the year for many businesses. In addition the Association estimates that the number of drivers that will need to be recruited over the next few years exceeds 45,000.
‘It is clear that from the FTA survey that the issue of driver shortage is one of genuine concern. This is the busiest time of the year for many businesses. With "Black Friday" looming and thanks to the e-commerce explosion with so many people buying goods on line it is only going to get busier,’ Gilson added.
‘It may appear that there are more "trucks on the road" but they are simply trying to deliver the goods ordered. The simple fact is that this is a case of supply and demand but the real problem is that there simply aren't enough drivers to meet it.’