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With the disappointing news that ‘Freedom Day’ has been delayed for another 4 weeks, we head through the month of
June and into July, perhaps a little despondent, but still full of hope for the future. We are certainly experiencing less restrictions than we were when the last edition of The Extra Mile came out. But, the vaccination programme is proving to be successful and not losing momentum with the aim of getting all adults with at least one dose of the vaccine completed this summer.
Figures today (14.06.21) on gov.uk state that nearly 35 million people have received their first dose in England and over 25 million people have received their second dose. With all this in mind, and hopefully with no further new variants being discovered, we can look forward to getting back to our "normal" lives with very few restrictions in the not too distant future
In other news, the driver shortage is dominating headlines. Driver Require has been investigating this since before the pandemic began and we have put together a comprehensive series of Reports which have been validated by a panel of industry experts - our Think Tank goes on to recommend actions to mitigate against the effects of a shortage in our sector. Read more further down, including our recent press coverage....
Our clients are busier than ever and we continue to be on the lookout for more great drivers just like you. We’ve had a great response to the doubling of our Refer-a-Friend incentive – did you know you can now earn £200 EACH time you refer a driver friend to us?
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Please remember that in line with government restrictions and in order to maintain the safety of all our staff and drivers, we are conducting remote registrations where practicable and visits are strictly by appointment. If you need to chat with one of
our team, please give us a call, we'd love to hear from you.
Contact us at any time by phone, text or email.
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Our Tamworth branch has nominated Kaloyan Kolev as our May Driver of the Month.
Kaloyan has worked for us for nearly four years now, and is always helpful and flexible. He never complains and will happily do any type of work, HGV 1, HGV 2 & van if we need him to.
Kaloyan is such a great guy and always goes beyond the extra mile for us and our clients, doing runs at short notice, working different hours - whether it's early mornings, afternoons or nights.
Thank you Kaloyan, from us all at Driver Require.
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HERE'S £200 TO SAY THANKS
Simply refer your driver friends to us and earn £200 each time
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| 8 of our drivers have already claimed their refer-a-friend bonus in the last few weeks, but we're still looking for more great drivers.
Do you have any driver friends looking for a new job? We have some of the best work and rates around, for some great UK brands.
We'll give you an easy £200 EACH TIME you refer a friend to us to say thank you, so give us a call today and we'll give you a bonus in your pay once they've completed 12 shifts for us.
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We decided to validate our findings and forecasts and gathered a panel of haulage sector experts to confirm likely scenarios through a series of workshops which we called the Think Tank. With
representatives from the REC, Logistics UK, Think Logistics, Road to Logistics, haulage and distribution operators including grocery suppliers, a statistics expert, a national fleet hire supplier and an established HGV driver training school, the Think Tank has concluded that haulage activity has recently returned to pre-pandemic levels, and there is demand for approximately 300,000 HGV drivers, and that this is likely to increase throughout the remainder of 2021.
In summary, the unprecedented events of the pandemic will impact the supply and demand for HGV drivers and most likely
culminate in a driver shortage crisis over the coming months, according to our CEO and Report author, Kieran Smith.
Check out some of the recent press coverage we've received:
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MOTORTRANSPORT: 11 JUNE 2021
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An industry think tank put together by HGV driver recruitment firm Driver Require believes that the key to solving the long-term shortage of drivers lies in stopping existing drivers leaving the industry as well as recruiting and training more new drivers.
The fact that the BBC is now reporting the HGV driver shortage on its flagship Radio 4 Today programme highlights the seriousness of the situation which may just make the government sit up and take notice.“This indicates the severity of the issue,” says Smith. “The Financial Times has also been covering the subject. Our estimate is real not just a made up or inflated number.
Driver Require’s second report, ‘The answer to the UK’s HGV driver shortage’, due to be published this week, seeks to come up with actions industry and government need to take to halt the “squandering” of qualified drivers and restart the pipeline of new drivers that was shut off in the pandemic.
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TRANSPORT OPERATOR: 9 JUNE 2021
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A combination of Covid-19, economic recovery, Brexit and continuing poor pay and conditions could lead to a severe shortfall in available truck driver numbers this summer and beyond, warns the latest report from recruitment agency Driver Require’s CEO Kieran Smith.
The haulage sector had already been suffering from a “chronic low-level shortage” of drivers prior to the pandemic, said the think tank, becoming severe at times of increased need. But the report concluded that although UK haulage activity had returned to
pre-Covid levels, problems with would-be drivers getting tests and a decline in the number of foreign nationals with LGV licences in the UK had contributed to an estimated fall in driver supply of seven per cent (22,000) in a ‘most likely’ scenario, rising to a ‘worst case’ 10 per cent drop (30,000).
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THE FINANCIAL TIMES: 9 MAY 2021
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Driver Require’s CEO, Kieran Smith, was interviewed by
The Financial Times and was featured in an article “Exodus of EU truckers leaves UK hauliers facing acute driver shortages” published earlier this week.
The article centres on the shortage of LGV drivers due to Brexit, Covid-19 and tax reforms and warns of “a looming crisis for industrial and retail deliveries” that may lead to shortages for consumers.
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Name: Gemma Purps
Branch: Andover
Role: Branch Manager
How long have you been with Driver Require? 4 Years
Have you always been in recruitment? If not, what did you do before? My previous background has always been in HR. I am a fully Accredited HR Manager. My roles have always been in the transport sector.
Now for some of your favourites…
Favourite band/singer? – Old school! Ronan Keating! (Soz but its true!)
Favourite ‘binge watch’ series on TV/Netflix/Amazon etc? Crown, Line of Duty and Marcella over lockdown!
Favourite quote from a film? "Nobody puts baby in the corner"
And last but not least…
What three words best describe you? Caring, loyal, dependable
Proudest moment of your life to date? Raising two beautiful children
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CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR HOTTEST DRIVING JOBS
We have loads of Class 1, Class 2, 7.5t + Van jobs
Great rates & flexible shifts
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The Great British Spring Clean might be officially over... but we all have to keep doing our bit!
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Litter is a huge problem in Britain – and I am not talking of the cat variety! According to Keep Britain Tidy it costs the taxpayer in excess of £850 million a year to clear litter left behind. Britain’s roads are a magnet for litter unfortunately with Highways England clearing 200,000 sacks of litter from the roads they manage. These numbers are staggering and not only is litter unsightly it is a threat to wildlife and a hazard for road users and the road workers that clear it. Advise given is to keep a bag in your vehicle so that you can collect your rubbish through your shift and bin it at the end of your
shift - simple advice but makes loads of sense.
Keep Britain Tidy is a UK charitable organisation - details of what they do can be found at https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/home. Their most recent activity has been the Great British Spring Clean that ran from 28th May to 13th June. #GBSpringClean involved volunteers, ranging from individuals and groups of up to 30 people, pledging their time to litter pick in their local areas. Their mission was to clear 1 million miles of litter and the great news is that they had well and truly
smashed their target before the end date. It just shows that if we all work together what can be achieved.
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The Sun the has got his hat on!
Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek & Slide
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It’s summertime and we all like how the sun feels on our face. When the sun is shining, we think of getting a healthy glow and sitting in a pub garden having a cold one or just topping up our vitamin D. But really what we need to do is protect ourselves from it!
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Last month was Skin Cancer Awareness month. Do you remember this truck driver with severe sun damage on one side of his face? A study by the New England Journal of Medicine released back in 2012 reported on a truck driver who had been driving for over 28 years and the intense damage that the sun had caused by coming through his truck’s window. While
glass does filter out harmful UVB rays, it cannot filter out harmful UVA rays and they are the ones you really need to protect your skin from.
As a driver out in your cabs every day, you are at high risk of UV sun exposure and skin cancer. By taking some simple preventative measures, you can protect your skin.
Ways to protect yourself from the sun whilst driving
- Slop on sunscreen every day: Apply sunscreen to your face, arms and hands. You should focus on the right side of your body because it’s most likely to receive the most sun exposure. Apply 20 minutes before going outdoors. SPF 30+ or above, broad spectrum UVA sunscreen is recommended. It should be a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVB and UVA rays because UVA rays are the most likely ones to penetrate window glass and cause damage. And remember even when it’s cloudy or snowing, you need to apply sunscreen.
- Slip on and cover up: Wear longer sleeves to protect your skin from the sun. Try to wear clothing with a close weave as this will provide more protection. Certain fabric won’t fully protect you from sun exposure so you should still apply sunscreen.
- Slap on a hat: Wide brimmed hats can also provide a level of protection for your face and head.
- Seek: Whenever possible find some shade when you are outside taking a break.
- Slide on sunglasses: Radiation from the sun can damage your eyes and even cause cancer. Safeguard your eyesight with sunglasses that provide UV protection. Look for the European CE mark which indicates a safe level of protection.
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TAKE A BREAK!
Here’s a summer-related wordsearch to amuse you for a few minutes
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'Hero' lorry driver parked under M62 bridge amid fears man was going to jump off it A lorry driver has been hailed a hero after parking beneath a motorway bridge amid fears a man was going to jump off it.
A photograph shared on social media showed the man had climbed over the railing of the bridge on the M62 in Warrington, Cheshire, and sat down, with his legs dangling over the edge. Read more...
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Shops and hauliers face staff shortages as lockdown lifts and the economy roars back to life
Shops and hauliers are struggling to get hold of qualified staff as the economy roars back to life.
Consumers could face higher costs or even empty shelves as the impact of the pandemic collides with post-Brexit problems over visas.
Across the UK, bosses are looking to fill 700,000 vacancies, twice as many as a year ago, despite there still being two million workers on furlough. Read more...
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Stay-at-home holidaymakers warned of summer products shortage
Some firms are struggling to secure summer items like garden furniture, picnic baskets and outdoor toys, as consumers prepare to holiday in the UK. About 60% of British suppliers have experienced import delays in the past month, according to customs clearance platform KlearNow. The six-day-long Suez Canal blockage in March is partly to blame, as goods meant to arrive weeks ago are still stuck on container ships elsewhere. Read more....
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Police mocked for second time over using 7.5 tonne lorry to tow away scooter
Police have been mocked on social media for the second time over using a huge recovery truck to tow away an electric scooter.
West Mercia Police released a picture of the two-wheeler on the back of a 7.5 tonne flatbed lorry after they seized it in Hereford on Friday.
It comes after the operations patrol unit of the Worcestershire Police were mocked for posting a similar photo in February. Read more....
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Owens Group: HGV drivers are skilled workers, and we need them
Ian Jarman, manager at Owens Group, has spoken out on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme to highlight some of the issues caused by the HGV driver shortage.
He explained that the haulage industry is facing a ‘perfect storm’ as the effects from Brexit, a lack of drivers, the Covid-19 pandemic and thousands of EU haulage drivers returning home, have all hit the industry within the space of a few months.
His comments were also reported in a BBC News article, which also featured RHA chief executive Richard Burnett’s comments that, if action isn’t taken soon, the industry will be unable to maintain the UK’s supply chains. Read more...
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And you can check out some of our other driver reviews from Google. ⭐
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Read more from our latest Blog and interesting stories here...
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