Hard times for Hauliers
We have had a number of calls from people in the haulage industry seeking our help. Recent issues such the troubles in Calais, the ongoing problems with the M20 and the tragic Paris Bombings have all taken their toll on the transport sector in the region. Adding to what was already seen by many as difficult times.
Recruitment Issues
Adding to the list of concerns for the sector there are problems recruiting younger people into the haulage industry, Research be UK Parliament group found that just 2% of all HGV drivers are under the age of 25, with 60% over 45.
It really is a ticking time bomb, as highlighted by this quote from a submission by Skills for Logistics: “A fifth of the current LGV workforce will reach retirement age in the next 10 years. That’s approximately 75,000 drivers and this does not include those that will have licences revoked or curtailed or even those that will leave the professions for other job opportunities.
“But the number gaining a licence is decreasing year-on-year. The data shows a 45% fall in the number obtaining a LGV licence in a five-year period, and it appears that only 20% are acquiring their initial driver CPC. This therefore does not come close to replacing those that are anticipated to leave the profession.”
As a consequence costs are driven up in an attempt to attract drivers to a business.
Chaos at Calais
As the flow of migrants from war torn areas such as Syria continues to cause political debate, the pinch point continues to be the Calais Channel Tunnel border. Katja Hall, deputy director general of the CBI, said: ‘While clearly hampering holidaymakers, the disruption at Calais also has an economic impact as exporters are being delayed getting their goods to market.
The Government has also allowed that temporarily lorry drivers caught up in the Calais delays will be allowed to drive for longer and rest for a shorter amount time. The temporary relaxation of EU rules means they will be limited to driving 11 hours a day rather than nine hours, with the daily rest requirement cut from 11 hours to nine hours. They will run for 30 days at the times when Operation Stack is in place. All adding to costs for Hauliers as well as having a negative effect on staff well-being.
Operation Stack
Operation Stack is a procedure used by Kent Police and the Port of Dover in England to park (or “stack”) lorries on the M20 motorway in Kent when services across the English Channel, such as those through the Channel Tunnel or from the Port of Dover, are disrupted, for example by bad weather, industrial action, fire or derailments in the tunnel. Operation Stack is implemented whenever there is an urgent need to inhibit the flow of traffic to the Channel Tunnel and the Port of Dover, which handle 90% of freight traffic between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. There are officially only 550 parking spaces for HGVs in Kent, so if access to cross-channel services is restricted, congestion would quickly spread across the county. By stacking lorries along the motorway an additional 3,000 spaces for freight can be created. However the M20 is the main road from the London Orbital Motorway, the M25, the world’s largest and busiest ring road which bring further misery to local freight companies just working in the local vicinity let alone those with logistics operations into Europe.
If your business has been affected by any of these events and are looking for solutions to help you get back on track we offer a range of business recovery support services as well as insolvency options if required.