Hidden away among George Osborne’s big Budget announcements was a nod to the logistics industry - and the grocery sector should take note of his promises on funding driver training.
There has been considerable discussion around the need to attract a younger population of drivers to counteract an ageing driver population that will retire over the next 10 to 15 years.
With over 4,000 drivers in our own business working across a range of sectors that have complementary delivery peaks, including construction and defence as well as fmcg and retail, we are in an enviable position when it comes to being able to satisfy our customers’ transport needs. However, it would be disingenuous to imagine this is the case with many other hauliers, large and small, and any driver shortage here could easily impact on the grocery industry.
The Budget went some way to address this. Hidden under the section marked Strengthening the UK’s Skills and Innovation Base, the Budget promised the government will ‘work with road haulage firms on an industry-led solution to the driver shortage, including looking at the right level of access to, and funding support for, training’.
However, funding is not the only issue. A real hurdle the industry faces is the inaccurate negative perception of a career as a professional driver.
At Wincanton we’ve been promoting the attractiveness of commercial driving as a career as it is a well paid and highly skilled job with clear opportunities for career progression. By working together, the logistics and grocery industry could have a much greater impact on changing the general public’s perception of a career behind the wheel of a 40 tonne truck.
The importance of a healthy, flexible and responsible logistics industry to a competitive and profitable retail sector should not be underestimated, and therefore nor should the thousands of drivers who provide the crucial link from manufacture to market. Drivers really are the backbone of UK business; they ensure British businesses get their products to market efficiently and on time so they are competitive in the global marketplace. And, in this era of multichannel retailing, the increased flexibility of routes to market means drivers are more important than ever, acting as brand ambassadors at the front line of customer service and brand experience. As George Osborne stated in parliament, the UK has grown faster than any other major advanced economy in the world, but we must work in partnership to continue delivering this pace of growth into the next decade and beyond and take responsibility for our own prosperity.
Liam McElroy is MD Retail at Wincanton
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