Marks & Spencer is to award HGV drivers a £2,000 sign-on bonus as it seeks to address a shortage of hauliers that has hit the retail industry.

The sum is twice as much as that offered to new drivers by Tesco and forms part of a package comprising incentives totalling up to £5,000.

Marks & Spencer is running the initiative with logistics partner Gist.

Warehouse staff will have the opportunity to join Gist’s Warehouse to Wheels scheme and have the cost of training covered. M&S said drivers “can also benefit from discounts and a generous pension”.

M&S’ initiative came as grocers battle to ease supply chain disruption that has on occasion led to empty shelves.

The driver shortage is partly a result of Brexit, which has prompted a fall in the number of drivers from EU countries working in the UK, as well as the return of overseas workers to their home countries as the Covid pandemic hit and the ’pingdemic’, which has caused drivers to self-isolate. 

As well as Tesco offering drivers a sign-on fee, Aldi has increased wages for its drivers.

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