For any recruiter placing temporary drivers, the driver shortage story won’t be new to your ears. It’s been talked about at length, but there’s an unaddressed tension that lies in what happens next. The question to ask is: could increasing demand lead to rushed hiring?
The industry needs drivers – lots of them
According to the Road Haulage Association’s (RHA) 2025 report “Lorry drivers: the vital link”, the UK logistics sector faces stark challenges. It predicts that to meet demand and avoid future shortages, the industry will need 200,000 new drivers over the next 5 years – that’s 40,000 per year!
And it’s not just HGV driver numbers that are struggling. Reports suggest a shortage in courier drivers impacting local delivery systems too.
The RHA’s warning came as the sector grappled with an ageing workforce, ongoing recruitment difficulties and increased pressure on supply chains. And while it might not be at the top of the ‘national crisis’ list anymore, the conversation has shifted to how can any progress be sustainable.
The paradox: newly qualified drivers often can’t get hired
The biggest frustration for many new drivers is, even once they pass their Category C driving test, they’ve never been able to get started in the industry.
Unfortunately, many driving jobs still require:
- 6–12 months’ HGV experience
- Proven commercial driving history
- Previous experience with specific vehicles, routes or sectors
Even Class 2 job listings for local/regional drivers often require at least 6 months’ experience. This creates a classic catch-22: You need experience to get work, but you need work to gain experience.
While the RHA highlights the need to attract new entrants, recruitment barriers can make it difficult for newly qualified drivers to enter the workforce.
Is it about more than just experience?
The curious part of the story is that it might not be a black-and-white question of getting enough drivers to replace the ones leaving.
One reddit user in particular questions if it’s really a “shortage of drivers”? Or is it a “shortage of experienced drivers wanting to stay in the industry”?
They note that many of the people they know who’ve “packed it in” haven’t done so just because they suddenly fell out of love with driving. They’ve done it because of:
- Unpredictable hours
- Poor shift planning
- Night shifts becoming an expected part of the job
- Lack of decent facilities
- Ability to earn a similar wage elsewhere for less money
So, the real conundrum is, could part of the solution be to keep more drivers ‘in love’ with their job for longer, therefore easing the pressure on hiring new drivers?
Could labour shortages drive rushed hiring?
For recruiters and hiring companies, the risk lies in the hidden trap of rushed hiring.
As shortages continue, businesses may come under increasing pressure to fill shifts quickly.
The challenge isn’t whether the industry should hire newly qualified drivers to fill some of the gap. The question becomes whether recruitment, onboarding and training can scale fast enough to maintain standards while meeting demand.
And while there’s no speculation that hiring standards have fallen, faster hiring processes increase the importance of robust screening and compliance procedures.
Without continued due diligence, recruiters could face claims of:
- Negligent vetting if proper screening isn’t completed
- Tax or legislation investigations if correct status determinations aren’t generated
- Vicarious liability if they agree to an indemnity clause for a driver they place, who is later negligent in their job
- Drivers’ negligence if a driver they place causes damage to a client vehicle
Robust recruitment practices are more important than ever. Licence verification, compliance checks, driving assessments, references and ongoing monitoring remain essential safeguards, particularly when placing newly qualified drivers into temporary or agency roles.
The predicament isn’t simply filling vacancies quickly. It’s filling them responsibly.
Is insurance a blocker?
Experience requirements and tricky recruitment risks are only part of the story. The RHA report also highlights a hesitancy to hire new drivers for fear of skyrocketing insurance costs.
It’s no secret that new drivers can attract higher premiums, larger excesses or, in some cases, may not be covered under existing policies at all.
This can leave employers in a difficult position. Even where there’s a willingness to hire new drivers, the financial implications can make doing so commercially challenging.
But the important thing is not to fall victim to a classic assumption. Insurance providers can be more amicable than you think. Always check with them first and what impact a new driver will have on your policy before closing that door.
Building a sustainable driver pipeline
The logistics industry’s workforce challenge is often discussed in terms of shortages, but recruitment is only part of the solution.
Attracting new entrants into the profession is important, but it won’t solve the problem if newly qualified drivers continue to struggle gaining meaningful employment.
Unless employers, insurers, recruiters and industry bodies work together to bridge the experience gap, thousands of potential drivers could remain stuck on the sidelines while vacancies continue to grow.
The UK undoubtedly needs more HGV drivers. The question now is whether the industry is prepared to create the opportunities those drivers need once they’ve qualified. And can they make improvements to existing working conditions to retain veteran drivers?
Having the right safeguards in place
The need for more drivers is clear, but as businesses look to build sustainable driver pipelines, having the right safeguards in place can help provide operational confidence.
Kingsbridge Recruitment supports recruitment businesses with straightforward insurance solutions designed for the realities of today’s hiring market, helping agencies and employers focus on growth while protecting against potential risks of hiring temporary drivers.
Speak to the Kingsbridge team – they’ll be more than happy to answer your questions.
