Lorry drivers have slammed a plan to extend the hours they can spend on the road as ‘stupid and dangerous’.
A shortage of HGV drivers in the UK has resulted in gaps on supermarket shelves, with Sainsbury’s this week admitting it has struggled to source all of its usual products.
There is currently an estimated shortfall of around 90,000 drivers, which the haulage industry has blamed on the pandemic and Brexit.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced some new measures to address the crisis today, including relaxing rules on drivers’ hours.
He tweeted: ‘We’re aware of a shortage of HGV drivers, so I’m announcing a temp extension of drivers’ hours rules from Mon 12 July, giving flexibility to drivers & operators to make slightly longer journeys.
‘We’ve ramped up the number of driving tests available & will consider other measures.’
Lorry drivers can can currently spent 9 hours a day on the road, but this can be increased to 10 hours twice a week.
Mr Shapps didn’t specify what the new limit would be.
But many workers hit out at the plans, saying they are already ‘exhausted’ by current conditions and extending their hours was not a fair solution to the problem.
Responding to the minister’s tweet, one person said: ‘As a HGV driver myself I strongly disagree with this.
‘We can be on duty potentially up to 15 hours a day, driving between 9 to 10 of them & we can’t work more than 6 consecutive days.
‘This plus taking longer time working/driving before needing a break is a safety risk.’
Another driver said: ‘Hooray, I was waiting for my Brexit benefit and here it is. I will be able to drive a 44 tonne artic for more than 10 hours in a day and I promise not to fall asleep at the wheel. Stay safe everyone.’
A third driver described the proposals as ‘crazy talk,’ adding: ‘The solution would start by paying the hard working drivers more money and bringing “worthwhile” incentives to new drivers joining the industry.’
A fourth said: ‘Someone close to me is a HGV driver and he already does 60 hrs week, often 15 hr days. He is absolutely exhausted all the time. What you need to do is increase their sh**ty £11.50 hr wage by a great deal and then you may actually have more people apply.’
The new rule will come into force on Monday, but union Unite is advising members not to place themselves in danger ‘and that if they are too tired to drive safely, they have a legal right to refuse to do so’.
The union’s national officer for road transport, Adrian Jones, said: ‘Unite will fully support those who make that decision, legally and industrially.’
He also said the announcement would do nothing to resolve the problem of driver shortages.
The proposal met similar backlash from other industry insiders, who have accused he government of a ‘sticking plaster’ approach.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) said: ‘Relaxing drivers’ hours won’t make any material difference – and fails to address the underlying issues, which require a package of measures to fix.
‘Loading more hours on to drivers that are already exhausted is not the answer – the problem needs more than just a sticking plaster.
‘Ministers should be mindful that road safety is the reason HGV drivers’ hours are limited. Relaxing them should only be used as a last resort to resolve short-term issues that cannot be addressed in other ways.’
Logistics UK, which represents freight businesses, said longer hours would ‘heap more pressure on drivers who are already stretched to the limit to deliver’.
Head of freight policy James Firth said the industry ‘vehemently opposed the extension’ and said the government had ‘ignored the will of those who will be most affected by the changes’.
‘Existing drivers have been working flat out since the start of the pandemic, and this could be the final straw for many of them,’ he said.
‘Instead of trying to paper over the gaps, government should be working with industry to produce a plan to support moving drivers through the current bottleneck of HGV driving tests.’
The RHA estimates some 30,000 HGV driving tests did not take place last year because of the pandemic.
Logistics UK said Brexit also contributed to the shortage as many EU workers returned to their home countries.
They estimate the shortage to be at 90,000 and have called on longer-term solutions to recruit drivers, including temporary visas for EU workers to cover the gaps while new recruits can be trained, and interest free loans for those wishing to enter the market.
Businesses and union officials have repeatedly warned that the driver shortage jeopardises deliveries to supermarkets and other sectors of the economy.
Last week, Haribo said it is struggling to get its sweets to UK shops because of the problem.
Mr Shapps did not make clear what ‘other measures’ are being considered.
The government said driver safety must not be compromised and operators must notify the Department for Transport if the relaxation is used.
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