The UK road haulage industry is facing a crisis as it struggles to recruit the new drivers that it desperately needs to replace an aging and retiring workforce. In order to continue to meet the demands of the industry, and reap the benefits of the UK’s improving economic health, a new generation of drivers is needed. But attracting young drivers can be a challenge.
Young people are always eager to learn how to drive, but with greater expenses involved – from insurance to gaining professional certificates – a potential career in haulage can quickly run into a red light as expenditures add up. On the flip side, businesses that pay a substantial amount for the coaching of young drivers are becoming fearful that their investment could be wiped out if a driver then leaves for a competitor.
The end result is the same – new drivers are not coming through fast enough to replace those who will retire over the next five years. Skills for Logistics estimated in 2010 that 149,000 new drivers would be needed over a 10-year period to 2020, but that would only be to maintain current activity and does not account for renewed growth.
As with any industry, the key to recruiting and retaining your best employees and keeping the workforce happy is to recognise and reward good performance. Coaching recruits so that they understand what the company expects will help them to gain the work ethic needed to become a success in your business. Rewarding them for that achievement and their continued professional development will help you to keep them on your payroll as opposed to your competitors.
Coaching and a recognition or reward programme should go hand-in-hand. One of the many advantages of the advanced technology that is being used in commercial vehicles today is the ability to recognise where coaching is needed, but also where a driver has performed in-line with, or above, expectation.
For example, an intelligent, dual facing in-cab video device may help identify that a driver doesn’t maintain proper following distances and often has to brake hard because of this. In this case a personalised coaching session can improve his or her performance. But the system would also add context and recognise a driver properly braking or swerving to avoid another vehicle that had lost control – demonstrating that the driver is highly alert and has great awareness and control of the vehicle.
The use of in-cab, video-based driver safety technology to capture these types of events can also be important for exoneration purposes. Businesses can support their drivers in the event of a fraudulent claim or any other incident that wasn’t their fault.
The driver shortage situation may get worse before it gets better. New rules in September will mean that all Class 1 drivers will be required to hold a CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) card in order to work legally.
If you are looking to recruit new drivers or struggling to keep your current drivers then Lytx recommends reviewing your coaching and reward programme to ensure that your business won’t be held back by the driver shortage and can make the most of renewed growth in the economy.
Caroline Russon
