Attracting The Next Generation Of Drivers – The Big Conundrum

In recent years, there's been a stark warning that the UK is facing a shortage of new drivers.

Northamptonshire recently highlighted this problem when it was found that for every one candidate qualified to be a lorry driver there were nine vacancies.

The problem was emphasised to us in here at Navman Wireless when we conducted our Customer Insight Survey. Skills shortages and attracting talent were listed as the most cited threat to company growth.

Transport oriented companies, like those in logistics and haulage, are struggling to recruit young drivers. Yet with the economy growing, it is estimated that the UK needs an extra 150,000 drivers by 2020.

The average age of an LGV driver is currently at 53 and many of the existing drivers are starting to think about retirement. Unfortunately, there's a real shortage of young people who are willing to replace them and his could have a drastic impact on how goods are moved around the UK.

The question many experts are asking is how can Britain be a manufacturing base without an infrastructure to deliver things to the market?

There's a fundamental challenge facing the country.

Why aren't young people being attracted to a life on the roads? Is it because of the lifestyle? Driving a Lorry can be a very physically demanding role and Drivers sit for hours on end, continuously traveling up and down the motorway.

Is it that the younger generation prefers regional jobs; with more of a work-life balance?

Or is it that the lure of other industries within other sectors that offer higher salaries, better working conditions, and less hours?

It's probably safe to assume that it's a mix of all of the above. So what can be done to attract young drivers to the profession?

Higher pay is always a great incentive. According to data provided online the annual average pay for truck drivers is around $24,000, and that doesn't particularly change for Drivers who acquire more experience. Given that you have to be more skilled to be a driver than before, is it now high-tide that Drivers were rewarded more financially? Could this be the answer to lagging numbers of those seeking a career behind the wheel?

For employers, the challenge is both to attract applicants who might not otherwise have become truck drivers, and to also compete with other companies for the few people who do enter the industry. License acquisition is expensive, and given the importance of the industry to the UK economy, work needs to be done with the government in order to find ways to offer support within this area.

Ultimately, smart employers will need to make sure they are the ones offering the best salary and benefits package to recruit new personnel. We shouldn't rule out the role technology can play either. Generation Y and Z are technology-natives. They'll have no problem getting to grips with two-way messaging, smart in-vehicle displays, communicating in real time and having a constant connection with the office.

Frankly, not only does the industry suffer when new/young drivers do not get behind the wheel, but the whole of the UK suffers.

It's about time we addressed this problem together.

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