A new survey has highlighted a potential crisis for the UK economy, with an aging driver population and limited younger drivers joining the ranks – could we be heading for a logistical meltdown in the future?
Leading recruitment agency, Blue Arrow, sent a survey to over 4,000 drivers who work for them to find out more about the drivers that keep our businesses on the road. In total, 80% of their drivers were aged between 35 and 60, with just 20% in their twenties and early thirties.
As many of these drivers near retirement age, there are fewer young drivers joining the profession to replace them. Couple this with the introduction of the new European Union directive meaning that drivers have to complete a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), the situation can only get worse as it becomes harder and more expensive to become a qualified driver.
The new survey has uncovered a few crucial reasons why so few young people are pursuing careers in driving. These include:
• The increased costs of qualifications, which can be over £2000
• Overtime and weekend pay rates reducing
• The need to often gain two years’ experience is required on an LGV licence
• The financial security of a full-time, permanent role in another industry can be more appealing
“Agency drivers are vital to keep the wheels of industry turning. Delivering everything from food and drinks through to machinery and medical supplies; our nation needs skilled drivers on the road 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” Charlotte Rush from Blue Arrow commented: “In addition to lower numbers of new recruits becoming drivers, we found that 69.5% of respondents haven’t yet started their Driver CPC, and of those who have started the training only 32.3% have completed their requisite 35 hours.”
Even more interestingly, despite the fact that Driver CPC will be a legal requirement in the near future, 47.3% of drivers said that they didn’t think that it would add value to them professionally.
Charlotte Rush added: “As one of the largest driving recruitment agencies in the UK, we are committed to making sure young people see driving as an attractive career opportunity. This is why we are working with AA DriveTech to make training more accessible, and finding out what makes our drivers tick to provide the best possible working environment for them.”
The partnership between Blue Arrow and AA DriveTech, the largest driver education and fleet risk management company in the UK, will provide a Driver CPC course module that will allow agency drivers to take just one induction instead of one potentially every time they change jobs.
Jim Kirkwood, managing director of AA DriveTech, said: “Drivers form a key part of our economy and it is really important that young people see it is a viable career option. Working alongside Blue Arrow will help us find new ways to connect with the drivers of the future. Our team is committed to training new drivers and getting them into the world of work as effectively as possible. By creating this new module we are ensuring that our drivers only have to undertake their induction module once, rather than repeating it every time they undertake a new assignment.”
Another vital piece of information that emerged from the survey is that the majority of drivers said they would not use social media sites to look for jobs, they would go through agencies; making the commitment by Blue Arrow to offering the best possible opportunities for their drivers even more important.
Blue Arrow is urging drivers to join their agency and take the new course in the hope that together they can begin to correct the imbalance and encourage more people to take up a life on the road.
Blue Arrow
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