Closures of gas stations have sparked a lorry driver squabble

The closing of some gas stations has revived a debate in the United Kingdom over lorry driver shortages.

Due to a shortage of delivery drivers, a “handful” of BP stations and a limited number of Esso-owned Tesco Alliance stations were shuttered on Thursday.

The UK is predicted to be short of 100,000 HGV drivers, with shortages exacerbated by the epidemic and Brexit. To alleviate the driver shortage, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has pushed the government to reduce visa requirements for international workers.

However, the government stated that firms should make their own. While there is no shortage of petrol or diesel at refineries in the United Kingdom, getting it to forecourts has proven a challenge in some regions. It’s the latest issue to arise as a result of driver shortages, which have previously caused supply issues in other businesses, such as supermarkets.

According to Rod McKenzie of the RHA, more people leave the profession each week than join it. It’s as simple as this: everything we acquire in the UK comes on the back of a truck, “he explained.

Because the supply system on which we all rely is groaning, “he cautioned, there would be hiccups.”

Mr. McKenzie claimed that, in addition to an unprecedented scarcity of drivers, the business had lost 20,000 European drivers as a result of Brexit, and that the epidemic had forced the cancellation of 40,000 driver training examinations.

For months, businesses in the food, petroleum, and construction industries have been warning about driver shortages.

To retain young drivers, Mr. Bridgen urged that the sector modernise and enhance working conditions.

According to the Road Haulage Association, the average age of a heavy good vehicle (HGV) driver is 55, with less than 1% under the age of 25.

Retiring colleagues and Brexit topped the list of reasons for driver shortages in a recent poll of 616 hauliers.

Respondents also mentioned tax changes to the IR35 rules, which have made working or being employed in the UK more expensive for hauliers from other European countries.