Why are there queues at all the fuel stations?
Is there a fuel shortage in the UK?
Why is the UK currently experiencing long queues at fuel stations?
Two weeks ago I went to my local supermarket for my weekly shop. I was a bit miffed that there was very little choice of cleaning products, and in particular, there was no bleach at all. The shelves in the cleaning aisle were almost bare.
I asked a shop assistant if there was Bleach in their warehouse, believing there was an unpacked delivery at the back of the shop. The reply was unexpected; they informed me that there was no Bleach waiting to go out onto the shelves. And, it wasn’t just Bleach; there was a shortage of other groceries that they usually stock. It was to do with a lack of lorry drivers.
Since that visit, I have returned to the supermarket. There have been several other items I’ve been unable to buy; fabric conditioner, eggs, lacto-free milk, cream crackers…
The thing is, there isn’t a shortage of Bleach or cream-crackers all over the UK at any one time. Here, in East Sussex last week, we were short of Lacto-free milk and cream crackers, while some areas in Wales, they were short of tinned fruit. The fact is there isn’t a shortage of anything; it’s just that not every area can get everything simultaneously.
Yesterday the problem escalated. The media on all news channels declared a fuel shortage, prompting panic buying at all of the UK’s fuel stations. Queues formed outside every fuel station, causing traffic delays everywhere!
Unfortunately, the media have done their usual in that they like to sensationalise everything. Instead of stating a lack of tanker drivers delivering fuel to some stations, they have declared a fuel shortage.
Nobody minded much about the cream crackers or the Bleach, the UK won’t grind to a halt if we run short of a few groceries, but we could grind to halt if we run short of fuel because of panic buyers!
So why are we running out of food in the supermarkets and fuel at the stations?
The problem lies with transportation. There are enough qualified HGV drivers, but only 50% of those drivers are willing to work; — why?
Here in the UK, we have seen a significant decline in facilities for HGV drivers. With health and safety restrictions becoming ever more restrictive for drivers and facilities dwindling, we are seeing more and more truckers changing careers.
They are quitting their jobs to work in areas that don’t impose strict regulations that prevent them from earning a decent wage. With little or no facilities in many areas across the UK, truckers are often forced into refusing work.
Densely populated areas such as the South East have seen a rise in many trailer parks being sold off for development. This has increased demand for truck stops which has increased revenue for motorway services, and the cost of an overnight stop in some truck stops has quadrupled in ten years.
There are very few incentives to entice truckers from Europe to work in the UK because The UK doesn’t appreciate our truckers, and it shows.
In the UK the working conditions for Lorry drivers are poor in comparison to other countries. Long hours, often sleeping in roadside layby’s; And a decline in transport cafes and truck parking.
In the last five years, UK truckers have seen an increase in timed-weight limits across many cities, making their job more restricted and more difficult.
The working conditions in the UK have, and continue to, drive our truckers into alternative employment.
Comparing the industry standard of working as an HGV driver in the UK with that of other countries, it isn’t surprising that the UK has difficulties retaining its workforce of lorry drivers.
Take France, for example. There is ample provision for Truckers in almost every village and town. Truckers are provided with marked parking bays specifically for trucks providing facilities for rest in clean, safe, welcoming surroundings.
Motorway services are either free or have a minimal fee. In addition to the service, Truckers get to jump queues because they are highly respected and valued for the service they provide. In addition to the genuine appreciation and welcome, there is often a 20% discount for truckers in Motorway services.
In the UK, parking is not free, and truckers can expect to pay anywhere between £25 — £40 to park up overnight. The showers are often dirty and expensive and the food is over-priced and often dried out under fluorescent lighting for many hours. In the UK, HGV drivers have no choice but to endure these poor working conditions if they wish to continue driving for a living.
In the UK, the cultural attitude towards HGV drivers is very different to the French. In the UK, nobody wants to see a heavy goods vehicle parked up, and there is very little or no provisions for the truckers in the towns or cities.
Is it any wonder that many of the UK’s qualified HGV drivers choose to either work abroad or change careers altogether?
It is estimated by the Road Haulage Association that currently, the UK have a shortfall of 100,000 drivers; and it is estimated that only half of the UK’s qualified HGV drivers are working.
In other countries there are fewer restrictions applied to the industry, and truck stop conditions are clean, welcoming, and plenty. In essence, lorry drivers in other countries are valued and respected; they are seen as the Knights of the road providing a service - bringing goods to the people.
It is easy to blame the lack of working HGV drivers on Brexit, but the evidence is clear, whilst Brexit has seen many of our drivers return to their home countries, there has been little or no incentive for them to remain. The decline in HGV drivers has been an ongoing problem for many years, long before Brexit came about.
This is about the long-overdue modernisation of the haulage industry in the UK and the need to appreciate, respect and value our knights of the road.
What is the Government going to do about it?
The latest news from Westminster is that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has agreed to relax immigration rules for an unspecified ‘short period of time’ to allow foreign drivers to come and work in the UK.
The question is, will they come given the appalling restrictive working conditions….
