Keep this one simple - if HGV driver from Europe, would you come to help out on a 3 months contract?

Growstuff

You're nit picking but not paying attention, to work a 30 hour week would make you are part timer, generally part time work is not available as said earlier. They need drivers to work as many hours as possible and a driver can't just abandon their load because they think they've done enough hours. The pressure to do more is constant. People don't do 15 hour days for fun.
I've never even been in a trade union in my life . You're free to ignore everything I've said you can bury your head just like the road haulage association have for the past decade.
I won't be supporting anyone other than me quite frankly and you being skint doesn't mean everyone else has to join you, especially when they are working so hard to support their families. So I may feel sorry for you but is everyone supposed to live at the same level, personally I don't think so. If you have a skill that's in demand you should not be exploited.

Last night on the news, they showed a map across Europe, of where the shortages of HGV drivers are. Poland is the worst, followed by Germany, and then us. The other countries all had their shortages on a sliding scale.

The reasons for this were divided into three categories.

1. Covid
2. Brexit
3. Natural turnover which has happened gradually over years.

It was thought that the young people who would previously have trained for this type of work, and many other skilled jobs to be honest, have been going to university.

We now know what little benefit many of these degrees have had, but over time, has caused these, ( and many other I don’t doubt), shortages.

MaizieD I agree that it should have been picked up years ago, there is apparently a backlog in issuing/renewing HGV licenses by DVLA.

It really is time for the hauliers to pay the going rate and we as consumers to realise that wanting to buy foodstuffs and non-consumables as cheap as chips is part of the problem.

Unfortunately I think we are fast approaching (if not in) a perfect storm some of which is due to the Governments lack of foresight.

More than 50,000 people are waiting for their licenses to be processed according to the news.

No!
We have HGV drivers. It's the ones who can drive the dangerous/hazardous chemicals that we have a shortage of!!
We have fuel, it's just taking time to get to places - we have our own oilfields!!!

No they are short of drivers in Europe as well so I'd stay in my own country

No! Lack of facilities ( toilets, parking etc) and a lot of rude Brits would deter me

NO !

Not a chance

As far as I know there is plenty of work for long distance drivers in Europe, so no, there is no reason why they should want the hassle of getting a visa to the UK or a work permit.

No

No . Especially if I had been stuck in the terrible queues last winter .

Some will come as some Eastern European countries don't have as high wages as the UK.
That's why they came before

...to work a 30 hour week would make you are part timer, generally part time work is not available as said earlier.

The Working Time Directive mandates no more than 90 hours over two weeks. So if someone works 60 hours one week they can work a maximum 30 the following week.

So either the employer is breaking the law by demanding constant 60 hour weeks, in which case they should be reported. Or the rights have been negotiated away for more money.

GrannyGravy13

More than 50,000 people are waiting for their licenses to be processed according to the news.

Is that 50,000 HGV drivers? (I doubt it)

The DVLA website is perfectly open about the delays. I recently got my licence upgraded so that I could drive up to 7.5 tonnes again. It said on the website to expect it to take 6 to 10 weeks.

(It took the full 10 but that included it being returned for filling in a bit on the medical form that I'd missed)

Newly qualified HGV drivers wouldn't be able to jump into a tanker straight away (or even an artic) so speeding up the process won't help the current situation...

No.

Maizie I think it is. Apparently, there's a backlog of over a million for all licenses. Additionally, there's a problem with delays for medical assessments.

No

Yes

May I ask why Suzeimarie- what would be your reasons?

No

NO! The pay and conditions are better elsewhere in Europe.

No. The EU is also low on Hgv drivers why should the UK get them? Brexit has been voted for and done. I'm British but I do think that the UK has to live with its decision.

There are no fuel or food shortages here thankfully. Yes I do have sympathy for those suffering from this, especially those that voted to remain.

Did you hear the comments by one Dutch driver?

Don't approve of bad language, but he was spot on!

They don't have to be from the EU