{"id":950,"date":"2022-03-23T12:14:34","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T11:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sameday-delivery.co.uk\/courier-service-blog\/?p=950"},"modified":"2026-03-04T16:01:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T15:01:53","slug":"can-hgv-driver-training-support-the-courier-service-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sameday-delivery.co.uk\/courier-service-blog\/can-hgv-driver-training-support-the-courier-service-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Can HGV Driver Training Support The Courier Service Industry?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Brexit left a trail of issues for courier services in 2020. One of the major problems was a shortage of HGV drivers. In an effort to attract more individuals to the industry, the government looked again at salary scales. Indeed, it was also clear that the work was not attracting a wide variety of people \u2013 most HGV drivers were male and over 40 years old. Following keen promotions, the department of Education has created bootcamps across the UK to train would-be drivers who are considering working in the industry.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Why Did Brexit cause a HGV Driver Shortage?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As much as the UK wants to open up contracts for trade with countries outside of the EU, there was obviously still a real need to keep up those trade networks with Europe. Before Brexit<\/a> was finalised at the end of 2021, a large percentage of drivers were from Europe itself. Many commentators would say that haulage and courier services were relying on cheaper labour from Europe. Following Brexit, the vast majority of Europeans working in the industry returned to the continent. This was because it was financially more beneficial for them, customs regulations made it difficult to work from the UK and previous delivery work in Europe was more complex due to the realigning of EU and UK border controls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other Reasons for Driver Shortages in Courier Services<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For some\r\ntime, haulage has been considered work for an \u201colder white man\u201d. Statistics\r\nsuggest that before Brexit nearly 50% of HGV drivers were men above the age of\r\n50. Only 1% were below the age of 25. So the industry was not attracting the\r\nyoung generation, women or people from ethnic backgrounds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The pandemic<\/a> intensified the problem. Individuals were unable to take the HGV driving training or tests due to lockdown restrictions. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

New\r\nBootcamps for HGV Drivers<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There has\r\nbeen an enormous interest in the new bootcamps set up by the department of\r\neducation, but perhaps one of the most encouraging signs is the range of\r\nindividuals who have shown an interest. Haulage UK reports that 7% of\r\napplicants are women and around 25% are from a non-white ethnic background. In\r\nan effort to attract young people with no experience in HGV driving, free\r\ncourses are available. The government has invested \u00a334 million into this\r\nproject and is hoping to train more than 11,000 people in England alone.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other Training Initiatives Affecting Courier Services<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n