Significant disruption in the run-up to Christmas is inevitable unless more delivery drivers are found in the next 10 days, the retail industry has warned.
The stark assessment by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) came as ministers were due to meet for urgent talks on how to tackle the current shortage of HGV operators, which has already led to empty supermarket shelves, Sky News reports.
A number of petrol forecourts have also now been forced to close due to a lack of available fuel, leading Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to urge motorists to “carry on as normal” in a bid to avoid panic buying.
A range of factors, including Brexit leading to the loss of EU drivers, the pandemic preventing driving tests, and existing problems within the haulage industry relating to pay and conditions, have led to the shortage of qualified lorry drivers.
Businesses have been pressing for the profession to be added to the skilled worker list for immigration purposes.
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