The UK must recruit and train 60,000 HGV drivers each year to meet demand and support growth in the road freight sector, according to new figures from the Road Haulage Association. The RHA is calling on the Government to reinstate driver training programmes and reform flexible skills funding to secure the future of an industry vital to the economy.
Research shows that 100,000 drivers allowed their Driver Qualification Card (DQC) to lapse in the past year, representing one in six working-age lorry drivers in Britain. Many of those leaving the profession are in their 30s and 40s, adding to pressure on an already ageing workforce, and with around 80% of goods transported on UK roads carried by lorries, ensuring enough trained drivers is crucial to keeping supply chains moving.
RHA Managing Director Richard Smith said: “To future-proof businesses and the supply chain for the long term, driver recruitment, training and retention must be an urgent priority for the Government. With an ageing workforce and significant numbers of experienced drivers leaving the profession, attracting people into HGV driving has become increasingly urgent. HGV driver bootcamp training has been closed nationally, leaving many firms struggling to pay for training at a time when costs are rising. We want to see these bootcamps reinstated until the Growth and Skills Levy is reformed to allow permanent driver training programmes.”
“A lack of roadside facilities, safe and secure parking remains a chronic issue too,” Smith added. “We’re making headway, but there’s a long way to go on that, and the work on this continues. A thriving road freight and logistics sector is a key enabler – but the goods and materials our economy needs to prosper can’t move if we don’t have enough people behind the wheel. So, our message to the Government is clear. Work with us to future-proof our workforce to ensure drivers are in place for the next decade and beyond.”
The RHA is urging industry partners, training providers, and policymakers at local and national levels to collaborate on long-term solutions to address these challenges. Without urgent action, the sector faces continued strain, threatening supply chains and the wider economy.