British transport companies have to hire British drivers to solve the shortage in that profession and not rely on drivers from abroad. This invitation was made by the UK Department of Economic Affairs. “We want employers to invest long-term in employees from their home country.” Transportation organizations estimate there is a shortage of 100,000 drivers.
In the UK, the problems are caused by a lack of drivers. Not all goods can be transported across the country and not all products are delivered to shops. There are now empty shelves in supermarkets and production companies are also struggling to get their raw materials.
Stores are also warning of shortages in the coming months and are calling for Christmas purchases to be distributed over the coming months.
This shortage of drivers is not new. Companies have been dealing with this for several years now. Britain’s exit from the European Union has caused many European drivers to leave the country and exacerbated problems in the United Kingdom. Moreover, this profession has been aging for years, because younger drivers partly began to do other work. Transporting organizations have called on the government to temporarily relax visa rules for truck drivers. (ANP)
A version of this article also appeared in NRC Handelsblad on August 30, 2021
A version of this article also appeared in NRC on the morning of August 30, 2021