Truck and Track Summer 2021

Truck and Track Summer 2021 www.truckandtrack.com 22 BREXIT - DESCARTES A ‘perfect storm’ of Brexit, Covid-19 and growing ecommerce demands are exacerbating the UK’s HGV driver shortage. The shortage has put pressure on transport operators struggling to recruit HGV and van drivers and the situation is unlikely to change for years to come. It’s not just the logistics industry that is suffering fromthis issue, the lack of qualified drivers is having a severe knock-on effect on many different sectors, including retail, manufacturing and the public sector. The Road Haulage Association believes that there is currently a shortfall of about 60,000 HGV drivers while other sources are reporting figures closer to 100,000. The HGV driver shortage is so critical that the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) is recommending the government should have army trucks on standby toensure thereareenoughvehiclesanddrivers todistribute food. Fresh food is rotting while supermarkets and restaurants are facing shortages and shoppers are facing higher prices for goods. These issues associated with driver shortages are becoming more and more problematic for both businesses and consumers alike. The driver shortage is creating immense pressure on fleet operators to retain and find new drivers to meet market demands. So what can be done to combat driver shortages? From overcoming ecommerce challenges to combating decreasing supermarket supplies, logistics providers need to make the most of their existing drivers whilst adhering to drivers’ hours regulations through implementing route optimisation and effective fleet management solutions. As Andrew Tavener, Head of Marketing at Descartes UK outlines, fleet operators can mitigate the impact of the driver shortage by introducing efficiencies and improving the productivity and retention of existing drivers. The ecommerce challenge The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of ecommerce with years of predicted growth achieved in just a few months in 2020. This has added to the shortage of HGV and van drivers distributing and delivering for retailers. With numerous lockdowns and restrictions throughout 2020 and into 2021, consumers have become increasingly reliant on home deliveries. This upward trend isn’t going to change as consumers have realised the convenience of deliveries to their door and this is putting further pressure on fleet managers as demand is greater than capacity to deliver. With calls for more delivery drivers to cope with this increasing demand, fleet managers are under greater strain than ever before. The forecasted growth rate of online shopping in the UK in 2023 is 34.5% and this continued growth will lead to yet more demand for drivers in the future. As the demand for home deliveries is increasing, consumer expectations are also increasing. People are looking for convenient and dependable deliveries at a price they are prepared to pay. More responsibility is being placed on retailers to ensure successful and timely home deliveries. Faster, more efficient and convenient deliveries that prove to be value for money are increasingly important to the consumer. More recently, the environmental impact is becoming more important to consumers and will influence buyer behaviour in the future. Retailers choosing to capitalise on this uptick in ecommerce and home deliveries must therefore attempt to find solutions that work for the customer, meet expectations and release the pressure on delivery drivers and protect the environment. Adjusting delivery offerings accordingly to meet demand and maximise fleet efficiency, will enable businesses Combating driver shortages through route optimisation