UK hauliers are under massive pressure, struggling to counter the border delays, increased administration and crippling driver shortages that have plagued the industry since Brexit and now, as they fear the full UK border checks due in January, drivers are planning a strike in August. Surges in pandemic-driven demand are pushing hauliers to breaking point, …
Driver hours have been temporarily legally extended and the government launches secret visa talks for foreign lorry drivers, amid a staff shortage that threatens to undermine supply chains. Over 45,000 HGV driver tests are outstanding at DVSA as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns, while 79,000 European logistics workers returned to their home countries following Brexit and recent tax …
Surveys for the FT find companies have been hit hard by new checks and red tape, with almost a third of British companies suffering a decline or loss of business since post-Brexit. The survey by the Institute of Directors found that 17% that previously traded with the EU have stopped — either temporarily or permanently …
Calls to bring in the army to help ease the UK’s worsening driver shortage have been rebuffed by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), who are calling on the Government to tackle the problem, which is affecting the speed and cost of deliveries across the country. The Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) said the situation had become so …
The twin impacts of Brexit and the pandemic had a negative effect on road freight in the first quarter of 2021, with freight tonnage and vehicle movements down significantly, marked by lack of capacity, driver shortages and other disruptions. January was the largest month-on-month drop in imports and exports since records began, which was ultimately …
The mass departure of EU lorry drivers from the UK since Brexit has left hauliers facing an acute staff shortage of qualified drivers, that has been compounded by a backlog of driving tests due to the pandemic and is a looming crisis for the UK transport industry, with an impact on container movements. While the road haulage …
Over £400,000 worth of goods in transit were stolen every day from Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) supply chains in 2020, even with many countries being under lockdown for much of the year. The Transport Asset Protection Association (TAPA) recorded 6,463 cargo thefts across 56 countries in the EMEA region despite widespread lockdowns, with …
Technology is the solution to the efficient movement of goods between Great Britain and the EU, and the mainland with Northern Ireland in the post-Brexit transition world. Live for GB/NI trade since the 1st January 2021, the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) is a critical border tool partially deployed by HMRC, that was still in …
The Direct Vision Standard (DVS) and new rules for London’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) become enforceable by Transport for London (TfL) from the 1st March 2021. Both were set to be enforced from October 2020, but had been delayed for four months to allow the freight industry to focus on core operations during the coronavirus …
In the fourth quarter of 2020 the UK’s trade deficit widened by an astounding £10.9bn, as companies’ stockpiling accelerated ahead of the end of the EU transition period, barely pausing during French border disruption, to stop the spread of the Kent coronavirus variant. No FTA review Despite producing reviews of major trade deals, such as …