A SERIOUS shortage of HGV drivers is having a big knock-on effect on stock in supermarkets.

The boss of a Swindon-based recruitment firm that works with some of the country’s major retailers says Brexit and the pandemic led to a loss of 100,000 drivers around the UK.

Lee Hallett of OPX Recruitment in Dorcan wants to help these chains fill the gaps and meet the high demand.

He’s working on a way to offer free re-training for people looking to change careers which would cover the costs of the three weeks it takes to receive a HGV 1 licence.

Lee said: “There is an acute lack of drivers all over the country which has really started to affect food and products getting onto shelves, there’s talk of the military being brought in.

“Regional distribution centres are only just managing to get their products to the stores. It’s getting worse by the week because there has been a huge exodus of East European drivers who went back to their countries which has left a void.

“The average age of a driver is around 50 but a lot of them have quit and there’s a lack of new blood coming in to replace them.

“We work in partnership with supermarkets and DIY retailers and I think there could be a great opportunity for Honda workers in Swindon to upskill, change to this sector and re-train as HGV drivers to earn good rates of pay.

“They might be struggling to find a job that matches the earnings they were on at the plant but payment rates for drivers are spiralling up due to the demand.

“We could offer them funding from the government which would pay for them to get their licence - normally costing around £3,000 - and then offer them work.

“It’s something we’ve been thinking about for the last few weeks.

Based on a survey of its members, the Road Haulage Association estimates there is now a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers in the UK, out of a pre-pandemic total of about 600,000.

That number included tens of thousands of drivers from EU member states who were living and working in the UK. The most common reasons given for the shortage in the survey were drivers retiring and Britain leaving the EU.

Even before Covid, the estimated shortage was about 60,000 drivers and it's often taking more than eight weeks to fill a vacancy.

The government then extended the amount of hours HGV drivers are safely allowed to work, though the RHA criticised the idea.