Annual salary is as high as 500,000, but there is still a shortage of 100,000 truck drivers in the UK

The supply chain crisis is continuing to ferment around the world. In the UK, many companies are unable to operate normally due to a severe shortage of heavy truck drivers. In order to alleviate this phenomenon, companies are willing to hire truck drivers at high prices, and some companies even offer truck drivers an annual salary that is higher than that of executives.

According to foreign media reports, due to the impact of the epidemic and Brexit, there is a serious shortage of grassroots workers in the UK, among which freight drivers are the most scarce. The shortage of freight drivers has led to a series of supply problems. Many supermarkets in the UK have experienced shortages of goods. Some large companies such as McDonald's, Nandos and Coca-Cola are even facing the crisis of being forced to close stores due to inventory shortages.

In this situation, retailers have tried their best to recruit freight drivers. As one of the largest grocery retailers in the UK, Waitrose has increased the annual salary of truck drivers to 53,780 pounds, about 480,000 yuan. In addition, as long as freight drivers are willing to join Waitrose, they can get a signing bonus of 1,000 pounds. According to Waitrose, they have increased the wages of truck drivers by an average of 7,000 pounds in the past year and a half.

What's more, according to foreign media reports, Gist , a logistics company that delivers goods to British supermarkets , offers truck drivers an annual salary of 56,674 pounds , or about 505,200 yuan . The average annual salary of a lawyer in the UK is 43,190 pounds, and the average annual salary of an architect is 42,930 pounds.

Despite salaries far exceeding those of executives, lawyers and architects, the UK's shortage of truck drivers has not been alleviated. The Road Haulage Association (RHA) estimates that the UK currently has a shortage of about 100,000 truck drivers. However, the existing driver workforce is also aging rapidly. It is reported that the average age of British drivers is 50 years old, and some industry organizations warn that about one-third of British freight drivers may retire in the next five years.

The driver shortage could lead to a spike in prices for products in shops. Rod McKenzie, head of public affairs at the Road Haulage Association , warned that drivers' wage increases were "significant" and that this in turn was a cost that needed to be passed on, with consumers likely to pay higher prices for goods in the future.

As the holiday shopping season is approaching, retailers are actively preparing for the shortage of truck drivers, which is expected to continue, and will inevitably have a certain impact on the supply of goods during the holiday season. Sellers must prepare in advance and manage inventory well to avoid shortages during the peak season.

U.K.

Supply chain crisis