There is a lack of truck drivers in the UK. This leads to increasing problems. In UK supermarkets, large gaps on the shelves have not been overlooked for weeks. The trade association British Retail Consortium confirmed “minor disruptions in supply chains”. Tesco, one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, also said it was experiencing sporadic disruptions due to the industry-wide shortage of drivers. This leads to bottlenecks in certain products. Petrol stations or factories that would have to suspend their production are also affected. “Everything we get in the UK comes to us on the wing of a truck,” said Rod MacKenzie, head of the Road Haulage Association. According to him, the shortage of drivers means that many large supermarkets only get one instead of about three deliveries a day.
The problem also has to do with Brexit. Around 20,000 European drivers have since stopped working in Great Britain because they have left the country since leaving the EU. There are major hurdles for new applicants, as expensive and complicated visa procedures are necessary. Also, according to the Road Haulage Association, thousands of older drivers are retiring every month. Due to the pandemic, tens of thousands of driving tests that could have provided for offspring were also canceled. A total of around 100,000 drivers are currently missing, according to MacKenzie. The British government has so far relaxed the maximum driving times at the wheel of trucks. However, according to MacKenzie, that is far from enough. There was a need for short-term visas for EU drivers and training should be subsidized more so that it could also be used by people who could not invest £ 5,000-10,000. The British Retail Consortium and Logistics UK have made similar demands. However, the UK government is pointing to the end of free movement for EU citizens after Brexit and is calling on British companies to engage the British.