‘Ten days to save Christmas’ as HGV driver shortage batters supply

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has called on Westminster to create temporary work visas to allow overseas drivers to plug the gaps in the UK’s strained supply chains.

Businesses have been battered by supply problems since earlier this year after a combination of the ‘pingdemic’ and Brexit sparked a shortage in qualified HGV drivers.

Grocery retailers have been hardest hit by the issues, but non-food operators selling items such as toys and electricals have also warned that there could be a shortage of presents under the tree this year unless the government takes urgent action. 

Parliament has implemented a number of changes to try to ease the problems, including increasing the volume of driving tests being conducted and relaxing restrictions on the number of hours that drivers can work.

Earlier this month, prime minister Boris Johnson appointed Michael Gove to head up the National Economic Recovery Taskforce (Logistics), which is working closely with suppliers in a bid to minimise product shortages.

Retailers including Marks & Spencer and Aldi have also increased pay for drivers and offered signing-on bonuses in a desperate bid to expand their workforces. 

But the BRC has warned that the UK is still suffering from a huge shortfall of drivers, which will impact product availability during the festive season unless the government takes action by early October. 

BRC director of food and sustainability Andrew Opie said: “HGV drivers are the glue which holds our supply chains together. Without them, we are unable to move goods from farms to warehouses to shops. 

“Currently, the UK faces a shortfall of around 90,000 HGV drivers and it is consumers who ultimately suffer the consequences. Unless new drivers are found in the next 10 days, it is inevitable that we will see significant disruption in the run-up to Christmas.”

Opie added: “Retailers are working hard to minimise the impact, attracting and training new drivers through increased pay, bonuses and new driver training schemes, as well as directly supporting their suppliers in the movement of goods. 

“Now government must play its part by creating temporary work visas to allow drivers from abroad to fill the gap and keep our supply chains moving while new drivers are being trained and qualified.”

• Get the latest grocery news and analysis straight to your inbox – sign up for our weekly newsletter