The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is exploring opportunities for reservists and ex-military personnel to train as HGV or LGV (heavy/large goods vehicle) drivers in order to help plug a skills shortage.

This follows the news the UK haulage industry has asked the government for help to recruit and retain new drivers in the face of an “unprecedented shortage”.

FTA skills policy development manager Sally Gilson told Recruiter driver shortage was quickly becoming a serious issue, with an increasing demand due to the rising popularity of online shopping, and an estimated 35,000 drivers due to reach retirement age in the next two years. 

This is on top of a current shortage of 50,000-60,000 drivers.

Gilson, who has met with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Work and Pensions to explore options to help more people enter the industry, said there was “no magic wand” to solve the shortage, but a lot of ex-military people were drivers and have already got the required licences.

And the industry needs help to get more people licences.

“Ultimately, we need some form of assistance, whether this be via student-style loan, which a company can use as a way of sponsoring a potential new driver or for individuals to go and get their licence on their own,” said Gilson.

“A cash payout would be fantastic but I think with a long-term view on this, for us to have something in place for the years to come, there needs to be this student loan funding and that’s our big push at the moment.”

She added the FTA was also supporting work to encourage young people to think about careers in logistics.

“We do have to find the drivers of the future which means we really do have to engage with youngsters because they don’t really understand what the world of logistics really is.”

According to the FTA, and based on Office of National Statistics figures, there were about 305,000 drivers in 2001 but that number had fallen to 285,000 by mid last year. 

The industry expects to need an extra 650,000 workers overall by 2020.