Why health, as well as pay, needs to be at the heart of haulage industry reform

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This autumn’s HGV driver shortages have led to a long-overdue discussion about the need to improve pay and working conditions within the haulage industry. Improving mental and and physical health also needs to be an important part of this conversation, argues Emily Pearson.
We’ve all read about the recruitment crisis within the haulage sector that is exacerbating the global supply chain crunch. This has already generated headlines as a bewildering array of products becomes unavailable, in turn causing uncertainty and leading to panic-buying as seen on petrol forecourts.
The Road Haulage Association’s estimate of a 100,000 HGV driver shortage in the UK is sparking speculation that Christmas and other demand pinch-points on the horizon are going to precipitate product shortages and rationing of previously reliable supply chains. This, combined with soaring energy prices, has sparked fears we might be on the cusp of a winter unlike anything since the ‘winter of discontent’ of 1978/79.
The UK government has attempted to address the driver shortages by loosening visa restrictions for EU nationals with HGV licences and encouraging hauliers to boost salary and benefits in a two-pronged strategy designed to entice people from abroad and from other sectors to fill the recruitment gap.
Unfortunately this does not take into account another key challenge at the centre of the driver shortage: namely working conditions that currently don’t support the health and wellbeing of HGV drivers.
A recent survey by Haulage Exchange found that 50% of logistics companies have seen an increase in employee stress, anxiety and other mental health problems.