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From lost jobs to increased health burdens, COVID-19 has had many effects across the world. One of the pandemic's most notable effects is the shortage of lorry drivers, Quotax explores.

Jobs open up for lorry drivers

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COVID-19 delayed over 30,000 tests for new drivers in the UK. Also, the government halted driving lessons to help control the spread of the virus, leading to a shortage of drivers in the country. 

However, COVID-19 is not solely to blame. Brexit has also contributed to the reduction of lorry and truck drivers in the country. Thanks to Brexit, companies have reported that over 15,000 European heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers left the country last year. 

Previously, drivers were required to have a community license and a standard international operator’s license to travel across EU and EAA countries. However, with the UK leaving the EU, HGV drivers could not use the EU Community License anymore. Some left the country to seek employment elsewhere, while others left the driver’s job. 

Regardless of the cause of the HGV driver shortage, the effect is being felt all over the country. Currently, there is a shortage of more than 65,000 trained drivers across the country, affecting the speed and cost of delivery of products. 

Some products are not getting to shelves in time. With driver shortage, it takes more time to transport some products from one point to the other. As a result, perishable goods are going bad, resulting in losses to farmers and other suppliers.

We expect to have some empty shelves in the supermarkets or food stores in the coming months. The problem is even becoming worse with the hospitality businesses having been opened recently. Also, the shortage of drivers is likely to affect the prices of certain products. 

What is the way forward?

In late June, the UK government held a meeting with logistic groups, retailers, and wholesalers. The main aim was to discuss the driver shortage and find solutions to the impending crisis.

Following the meeting, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) outlined several potential solutions, including:

  • Prioritise driving tests for HGV drivers
  • Add HGV drivers on Government’s Skilled Worker Shortage Occupation List
  • Minimise the restrictions on HGV drivers’ working hours
  • Introduce other training schemes
  • Give seasonal visas to qualified HGV drivers
  • Launch better working conditions for drivers. 

The country is currently facing a summer of food shortage, and the government will do everything possible to solve this problem.

What does this mean to lorry drivers?

Increased pay

Although it is a nightmare for most UK citizens, the shortage of drivers could be a jackpot for the current and upcoming HGV drivers. Currently, HGV driver’s earnings range from £18,500 to £35,000. If the shortage persists, drivers would undoubtedly receive a pay rise to help lure more drivers into the sector. Some companies have already begun increasing the drivers’ pay across the country.  

Better working conditions

Drivers are also likely to receive better working conditions under the country’s reformed rules. As stated by Defra, the restrictions on HGV drivers are likely to be minimised in the coming months. 

There is a job opening for foreigners

 If you’re an HGV driver and have always dreamed of working in the UK, this could be the chance for you. Among the suggested solutions includes putting the drivers on the official shortage occupation list to make it easier for foreign drivers to come to the UK.

The driver shortage is becoming a norm in the UK – and that is a problem. The number of empty shelves in supermarkets is increasing, and the cost of products is going up. The UK government understands this, which is why it held a meeting with wholesalers and retailers to discuss potential solutions. Defra suggests enhancing the HGV drivers’ working conditions and making it easy for foreign drivers to work in the UK in a bid to entice new drivers.

Get in touch

Here at Quotax, we offer an extremely broad range of insurance policies, including various truck and lorry policies, which you can view here.

Need black cab insurance for a short trip, or are you in need of long term cover? We have you covered here at Quotax Insurance. Take a look at our various insurance options here.  Quotax are committed to bringing you the best and most competitively priced in the market, offering a 5-star service to all of our customers. 

Why minibuses are a great transport option

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With the latest lockdown restrictions continuing to ease, the British public now have more freedom with activities which include: Overnight stays, weddings of up to 30 people, indoor adult sporting events, small indoor and outdoor events and more.

For groups of people who are now looking to travel to different areas around the UK, a minibus may be the perfect mode of transport, especially during the pandemic.

Avoiding public transport

Using a minibus service means that your group has less risk of coming into contact with someone with Covid-19 than if they were to use public transport. Not only that, it also protects others on public transport from potentially catching the virus and passing on to further people. 

Having your own minibus to travel with also allows you to sanitise surfaces in the vehicle, therefore, reducing the risk of the virus being transmitted to passengers. With public transport, even with sanitisation products in use, the chances of catching the virus from touching surfaces will be much higher than when hiring your own minibus for a trip. Additionally, with Covid-19 aside, public transport can often be unreliable and a lot less convenient!

Cheaper mode of transportation

Taking a number of cars to get an entire group to an event will result in a much larger fuel cost. Using a minibus to transport all passengers is much more cost-effective, whilst reducing the headache of trying to arrange to meet each other when you arrive. This will also have a negative impact on the environment due to the extra pollution caused by multiple vehicles being used to travel.

Using public transport can also be very expensive, especially if there is quite a distance to travel. Train, taxi and bus fares can all add up to make a very expensive trip! Rail fares, for example, have risen an extra 2.6% in England and Wales recently, meaning that ticket costs have gone up by more than RPI (Retail Price Index) inflation for the first time since 2013. So overall, a minibus may be a much cheaper alternative.

Convenient for small groups

One of the stand out benefits of hiring a minibus is their convenience. You can have a group all together in one vehicle, you’ll have plenty of room for luggage and you can ride in comfort. 

Groups and organisations that hold sporting events, for example, will often hire minibuses or coaches as it takes the stress out of the journey as there will only be one designated driver and not several. As mentioned previously, public transport can be unreliable, therefore for sports events that are timely, minibuses are extremely convenient to get everyone there on time.

Here at Quotax, we offer an extremely broad range of insurance policies, including minibus insurance for sports groups, clubs and teams, which you can view here.

Need minibus insurance for a short trip, or are you in need of long term cover? We have you covered here at Quotax Insurance. Take a look at our minibus insurance options here. 

Quotax are committed to bringing you the best and most competitively priced in the market, offering a 5-star service to all of our customers.