Driver shortage survey

Photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash

THE CHARTERED Institute of Logistics and Transport has published findings from a recent industry survey on the current driver shortage crisis. 

More than three quarters of respondents declared their organisation is currently experiencing a driver shortage and more than three quarters of respondents also said they have increased pay as a method to helping deal with the current driver shortage.  

The survey also revealed that the Southeast of England was experiencing the highest level of driver shortage, with East Midlands and London second and third.  

CILT carried out a similar survey seven years ago in 2015, and the findings have been compared in the 2022 CILT Driver Shortage Crisis Report. Comparing the data, the average age of a driver has increased by 4 years, from age 47 in 2015 and age 51 in 2022.  

The overwhelming majority of respondents cited ‘unsociable hours’ as the main responsible factor for the driver shortage with nearly 80% of respondents selecting this choice. This was followed by a lack of European Drivers and the age of drivers.  

Respondents were asked if they thought the government is doing enough to highlight and deal with the driver shortage, to which 92% of respondents said no. This is an increase from 2015 results.  

Organised by the Institute’s passenger transport and logistics benchmarking clubs, LogMark and BusMark, the survey was completed by companies involved in both the movement of goods and the movement of passengers. The aim of the survey is to encourage collaboration and debate across the transport, logistics and supply chain sector to tackle this ongoing crisis.  

Commenting on the survey, Sharon Kindleysides FCILT, Chief Executive at CILT(UK) said: “The results of the survey clearly show that much still needs to be done to combat ongoing driver shortages. Through our research we hope to add clarity to the situation by providing an opportunity for organisations to discuss where, why and how the driver shortage is having the most impact on business and public transport. For the first time, we have brought together two of our leading benchmarking clubs in the logistics and passenger transport space to fully understand the driver shortage across all modes of transport. We hope these results will spark collaboration and help organisations better understand the challenge at the core of our profession.” 

To view the survey results in full visit https://bit.ly/3E2U83u

Air freight

CILT(UK)­ has released a briefing paper on air freight in the UK. 

Produced by the Institute’s Aviation Policy Group, part of the Public Policies Committee, the paper reviews the current nature of the air freight sector. It aims to highlight areas where policy makers in government and industry with a particular interest can assist with the progress required to support UK cargo aviation.

While passenger air transportation is more widely understood, the paper has been produced to help make the UK air freight industry more visible and less impenetrable. The UK air freight sector is vital to the functioning of the UK’s import and export markets, and in safeguarding its supply lines. Resilience in the sector is essential to the national interest.

Written by aviation expert Dr Sally Dixon, the paper argues aviation will see radical change over the next century from new modes of transport, new power sources, increased efficiency, and sustainability. Whilst many opportunities exist in the air freight market, support for the radical changes that are imminent will be imperative if the UK is to play a leading role in the increasingly rapid and clean transportation of goods.

Dr Sally Dixon, Lead-Author of Air Freight Briefing Paper said: “The crisis deriving from the Covid-19 pandemic has stimulated rapid growth in air cargo. Unprecedented growth in e-commerce and the need for rapid deployment of PPE, vaccines, medicines, and medical equipment is driving modernisation and innovation in the sector. However, policy issues, labour and skills shortages must be addressed if the UK is to maintain its global competitiveness.”

To read the paper in full, visit https://bit.ly/3cYYOfu