Research and analysis

Understanding industry perceptions and experiences of 17 of the measures to reduce the HGV driver shortage

Report into the road freight industry's perspective on government measures to reduce the shortage of HGV drivers.

• From: Department for Transport
• Published: 28 March 2024

Documents

Understanding industry perceptions and experiences of 17 of the measures to reduce the HGV driver shortage

PDF, 788 KB, 63 pages

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Understanding industry perceptions and experiences of 17 of the measures to reduce the HGV driver shortage: technical annex

PDF, 542 KB, 42 pages

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Details

The road freight sector is vital to the UK economy. 176 billion tonne-kilometres of domestic freight were moved in the UK in 2020, of which 77% was moved by road.

In 2021, HGV driver shortages impacted multiple supply chains including food, consumer goods, water, and waste. In response to the acute shortage of HGV drivers, the government implemented a range of interventions to support the road freight sector. The measures addressed:

• supply chain efficiency
• driver training
• capacity of testing and licencing processes
• driver working conditions
• taxes

This report aims to:

• understand the road freight industry’s perspective on the effectiveness of the measures
• understand any wider consequences as a result of the interventions
• establish lessons learnt which will be used to inform future policy development

The technical annex provides further detail on the methodological approach and potential limitations of this study.

Published 28 March 2024