Much has been written over the past few weeks about the HGV driver shortage, the Government is looking into how to deal with it, and any potential shortages that may result. There is much talk about encouraging more people into the sector and making the process easier to access.
One of the main issues is establishing just how many HGV drivers there are in the UK in the first place. According to the data the number of drivers is roughly half the number of vehicles on the road. The go to place would be the Office for National Statistics (ONS). But we think that the published numbers are underestimated. The ONS records the main occupation of the respondent. However, it seems likely that many respondents who drive HGVs may not consider their main role as an HGV driver, for example those working in industries such as utilities construction and waste management.
All of this of course will make finding a solution more difficult but whatever that solution is, it must not compromise road safety.
