The UK’s shortage of LGV drivers will get worse according to a recent by the Sector Skills for Freight Logistics and Transport. Only 1% of employed drivers are under 25 and the cost of gaining a licence is prohibited.
The driver shortage is likely to be even more serious for the moving industry as only a small proportion of professionally qualified drivers are prepared to enter the removals industry due to the extra work necessary to complete a move.
The study has found that 16% of LGV drivers are aged 60 or over and the number of individuals taking and passing their LGV test is declining year on year. Over the next five years we can reasonably expect the 16 per cent of professional LGV drivers over 60 years to retire. This equates to a potential replacement demand of 48,000 LGV drivers or on average 9,600 drivers each year. With the profession dominated by older drivers, and only 1% of employed drivers under the age of 25, it is clear that the industry needs newly qualified younger drivers to fill the breach.
The changes in EU legislation and the skills required for the drivers role has meant a rise in the educational attainment level with LGV drivers now requiring ICT, safe goods handling procedures and customer service skills, that in the past were not required. Insurance cover for under 25’s has also become prohibitive with many removal companies only insuring vehicles for older workers.
The number of individuals taking and passing their LGV test has steadily fallen since 2007/08 with a decline of 31 per cent in tests passed in the last four year period. Less than half of the LGV and PCV tests passed have resulted in a Driver Qualification Card, enabling the individual to work professionally and currently only 8.2 per cent of professional drivers have received their Driver Qualification Card after completing 35 hours worth of training.
The costs involved in gaining a licence are prohibitive, requiring a substantial and often personal, investment in training. A new driver needs to pass the Driver CPC theory and practical tests in addition to the licence acquisition theory and practical tests if they intend to drive professionally. Once an individual has passed these tests, a Driver Qualification Card (DQC) is issued and then they have to complete the periodic training to maintain the Driver CPC. All professional drivers will need to have their Driver CPC card by September 2014, however, the report indicates that on current projections this will not happen.
The lack of public funding or finance support for driver licence acquisition seems to be a factor in the low levels of uptake of Driver CPC periodic training and it is predicted that there will be a shortfall of 1.7 million training hours or nearly 250,000 seven-hour training courses by 2014.
In summary, LGV driver shortages are here to stay and will impact on the removals industry. As the qualified drivers get scarcer and the demand gets greater, the cost of employing professional drivers can only increase.
Comment
The Mover has been alerting its readers to the looming problem of a shortage of Driver CPC-qualified drivers for some time. What’s your opinion? Is it a Millennium Bug problem? Or is there really a crisis approaching? Have your say at comment@themover.co.uk.