How’s My Driving? - Safe Driving Blog Tips
The last few years have been difficult for all, but especially those in the logistics industry, we've faced a severe driver shortage, low morale, border difficulty, product delays and general shortages across the industry. When looking ahead to the next 12 months, we've learnt not to make predictions about what to expect, but instead we thought we would share a few thoughts on trends that may grow in importance.
Driver retention
Driver shortage is something that has been on the mind of all fleet managers for the last few years, and we think this will continue to be a challenge for 2022. Currently, the industry is facing a shortage of more than 60,000 drivers and that number is slowly growing.
Given the role of road transport in logistics and the broader economy, ensuring there are enough qualified drivers is essential to keeping the country running. Driver retention is an important theme and one that we think will continue to grow, with many companies looking to break the stigma around HGV driving being an unhealthy and unsociable lifestyle. Instead many will be looking to showcase the industry for being a wealth of opportunity with fair pay and good benefits.
According to the annual skills report of
Logistics UK, the number of lorry drivers in employment fell by nearly a quarter during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of EU drivers down by one-third and many older British drivers retiring. Some companies are trying to find solutions by offering free HGV training in a bid to encourage drivers into the industry to reduce the shortage over a period of the next few years. This means an investment of around £4,000 per person. There are grants available to help employers offer this free or subsidised training, which are part of the government’s £2.5bn
National Skills Fund. This is available for employers who are considering hiring employees, offering work experience or upskilling existing staff.
Last mile delivery
We all know that customers want their orders as quickly as possible. They want to know exactly where their order is, when it’s arriving and everything in between. We think companies will be looking to find solutions to make their supply chain as visible as possible to the customer – watch this space for new app innovations, text and email updates.
Environment and sustainability
Over the last few years public perception of sustainability has shifted, with a bigger focus on recyclable materials, packaging and eco-conscious sourcing. Globally, the transportation sector is a major polluter and in 2020 produced approximately 7.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Everyone is now paying more attention to seeking out brands who are aligned with their ethos and ethical values, increasing the importance on focusing on your carbon footprint and sustainability as a business.
There are a number of ways that the logistics industry can reduce waste, recycle where possible and reduce their carbon emissions. One way to this is by driving more ecologically by reducing harsh breaking and planning journeys. Our service can support your goal to reduce carbon emissions; the real time reports can provide a clear view of how the driver is driving when out on the road, meaning that you can identify and provide targeted training to ensure your driver is as skilled as can be. This results in your fleet driving more thoughtfully, planning their route and generally being more aware on the roads.
Autonomous vehicles
It's no surprise that autonomous vehicles are likely to be a trend in the logistics industry in 2022. Not only does the option have advantages in reducing day-to-day running costs and eliminating the risk of driver shortages, it also increases efficiency. One to watch!
Do you have any more suggestions of trends to watch this year? Let us know on LinkedIn
18 January 2022