Proactive Investors - Supermarket shelves could be left empty as a shortage of HGV engineers could weaken supply chains in the UK, industry leaders have warned.
Huge investments in the logistics industry have been made over the last few years to combat a drain on HGV drivers post-pandemic.
Companies increased driver salaries and signing-on bonuses to entice new workers, meaning many lorry engineers switched to driving roles.
Over 54% of freight transport companies reported a “severe” problem when trying to hire fitters, mechanics and technicians, according to a survey by industry organisation Logistics UK.
Only 35% of respondents expressed the same level of concern a year prior.
Sarah Watkins, a deputy director at Logistics UK, said: “If [a HGV] breaks down and needs servicing, and there’s a delay to do that, a vehicle off the road means goods can’t be delivered when they are expected on the shelves.”
TIP Trailer Service’s UK arm is even considering starting its own training facility to reduce the deficit of engineers, stating it used to take only a week to fill the positions.
Now leaders are focused on there not being a repeat of 2021 when barren shelves plagued supermarkets and shops around the UK.
Retailers like Tesco (LON:TSCO) and John Lewis were so desperate they offered HGV drivers £1,000 just for signing up.