There is a real threat in the UK due to the shortage of truck drivers, for fleet owners this can be a real danger to their operations. Many of the current truck drivers are aging and retiring, leaving a very small pool of drivers left for operators to recruit.

This decline started at least a decade ago, with over 12% less drivers in 2014 than there were in 2004 despite a 7.5% increase in the number of jobs.

So how can fleet operators deal with this shortage?

Unfortunately, there is no straight forward answer. One of way of dealing with the shortage would be to hire and permanently recruit your own drivers, rather than offering work on a per job basis. This can help to secure drivers to your fleet, preventing the danger of having vehicles without the ability to use them.

While for some operators this is not an option, therefore it could be extremely beneficial to take another look at your logistics. What can be done in order to streamline your business, offering the same or better service while cutting down on the number of drivers you require? This efficiency may not solve the problem entirely, but it can help to make the shortage easier to deal with.

There are many moves being made by businesses and unions to help increase the recruitment and training of truck drivers. This should work to see an increase in the number of drivers across the UK, helping to reduce the shortage and eliminate the threat for fleet operators, although measures should definitely be implemented for the short term issues.