Without drivers, supply chains are getting stretched
Europe are struggling to find workers to operate their vans, lorries and tankers. Drivers are getting older, more are retiring, and younger ones are put off by difficult conditions. . Motorists in Britain have been queueing for hours at petrol stations. On September 25th the government said that it would issue temporary visas for 5,000 foreign truck drivers to help plug the gap. But with high demand across the continent, competition for drivers is fierce.
Rising wages may entice more people to get behind the wheel. Indeed reckons the median pay offered to HGV drivers rose by 12.8% in Britain between February and August, compared with an increase of just 1% across all jobs. It notes that more firms are offering drivers signing bonuses, too.
Recruiting new drivers will take time. For now, Britain’s government has ordered around 150 soldiers to be ready to drive tankers. For a government that has been urging citizens to keep calm, that is a rather drastic step.
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