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© Adonis1969

Calls to bring in the army to help ease the UK’s worsening driver shortage have been rebuffed by industry associations seeking “long-term sustainable solutions”.

Chief executive of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) James Bielby said the situation had become so extreme, with the shortage hitting 70,000, he recommended the government having army trucks on standby “to ensure… enough vehicles and drivers to distribute food”.

However, an RHA spokesperson questioned the validity of using the military, noting that at any rate army drivers ...

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  • Jon Knight

    June 16, 2021 at 6:11 am

    I used to drive HGV’s for a living and I can tell you that there is NO shortage in drivers! It’s just firms hiring in from outside the UK people who have not legally passed their HGV test are getting hired and paid national minimum wage for driving artics which has forced the wages to drop so drivers who are expected to do more and more are getting paid less and less! Reduce the work load expected and raise the wages back to what they should be and then you will find all the drivers needed in this country without needing to look elsewhere!!!!!

    • Lol What

      June 17, 2021 at 2:52 am

      What are you talking about? I’m currently working as a HGV driver. I uploaded my CV to a few job search sites when I started driving about 2 years ago, never updated it or anything, so basically it’s a template CV of a newly qualified driver, but I’m constantly getting calls from various agencies if I’m looking for work.

  • John Jones

    June 17, 2021 at 10:09 pm

    In trucking since 1981. Worked all over the world. Started in UK. Last 17 years in Canada. Returning to UK. Shall not be taking up HGV as I have to re sit hgv license & CPC. At my expense! I have seen a job advertised with the company I started back in 1981. For not much more than when I started. It a joke. I spent most of my first 20 years driving left hand drive for UK & Dutch company’s and now drive B trains but you expect me to retrain it’s a joke. You want goods delivered but restrict the hours for me to work. It’s a joke. Then you treat a driver as a leper’s forced to pay half his wages on overnight parking or sleep in a piss stinking back street. It a joke. Is this why your letting in all those illegal migrants. Even they will complain. British industry you made your bed now lie in the stinking mattress you have created.