Britain doesn't have enough truck drivers. The shortage is contributing to scarcity of everything from McDonald's milkshakes to supermarket produce. Now energy firms are rationing supplies of gasoline and closing some pumps.
A big factor behind the problems is a lack of truck drivers. The U.K. is short tens of thousands of hauliers, as factors including Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic converge to create a supply-chain crunch.
As concern over the disruption mounts, the haulage industry is pressing the government to loosen immigration rules and recruit more drivers from Europe to avert Christmas shortages of turkeys and toys. As a trainee trucker practiced reversing a huge rig between orange cones at the school’s asphalt lot, Bolton reeled off the ingredients that have made for a trucking crisis. Britain’s departure from the European Union prompted some European workers to head home. The British government closed a loophole that many drivers used to keep tax payments down. COVID-19 lockdowns halted driver testing for months, stopping the flow of new truckers.
Bolton generally welcomes the government moves, but has concerns about the safety of letting drivers move straight from cars to 18-wheelers.Shapps said the situation is improving “week by week” as more new drivers pass their tests. But businesses warn the solution won’t be quick or easy. For trainee truck drivers, that’s good news. Wages are up, and some firms are offering free training, signing bonuses and other incentives. A driver for a big supermarket can make up to 50,000 pounds a year, more than many teachers, police officers or even lawyers.
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