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How HGV Driver Shortages Are Affecting Truck Fleet Insurance Prices
How HGV Driver Shortages Are Affecting Truck Fleet Insurance Prices
Why Do Lorry Drivers Seem To Be In Short Supply?
According to the Road Haulage Association (RHA), there is a deficit of more than 100,000 drivers, compared to a pre-Covid total of 600,000 or thereabouts.
This has increased dramatically, despite the fact that there was a shortage of approximately 60,000 drivers before Covid, owing mostly to changes in migration laws as a result of Brexit.
Because the UK is no longer a member of the single market, where HGV drivers can move freely across borders, many European drivers have chosen to work primarily within EU countries.
The greater formality involved in travelling to and from the United Kingdom frequently results in higher costs for drivers who are paid for distance rather than time.
Furthermore, changes to the UK's tax policy following Brexit may make working in the UK less appealing for many HGV drivers.
The epidemic has also had an influence on the number of HGV drivers in the UK, with several European drivers who remained in the country returning home due to travel restrictions.
The British Retail Consortium's chief executive, Helen Dickinson, stated that disruption has been "limited thanks to the fantastic work by retailers and their suppliers."
She said: “Retailers are increasing pay rates, offering bonuses and introducing new driver training schemes, as well as directly supporting their suppliers in the movement of goods, but Government will need to play its part. “We are calling on the Government to rapidly increase the number of HGV driving tests taking place, provide temporary visas for EU drivers, and make changes on how HGV driver training can be funded.”
The RHA also reported that because of the pandemic, around 30,000 HGV tests could not take place last year, resulting in 25,000 fewer applicants passing the test in 2020 than that in 2019.
Pay rates in the industry are generally low, with lengthy hours, prompting a number of firms to publicize dramatically improved pay rates , particularly for younger drivers
Drivers who are now employed in the industry describe a variety of other difficulties, such as decreased access to and quality of facilities.
Furthermore, the average age of an HGV operator in the UK is 55, indicating that the industry has a large rate of retirement.
Hours Of Service Rule
Drivers are only allowed to drive for a maximum of 9 hours a day, though this can be increased to 10 hours twice a week.
Drivers must take a 45-minute break after every 4.5 hours of driving, which simplifies HGV driving hours.
Drivers' driving time might be divided into 4.5-hour blocks or divided into shorter blocks that total 4.5 hours.
HGV drivers must follow a slew of laws and regulations in order to keep themselves as well as other road users safe. It is critical that everyone is aware of these so that we may all travel securely. It is critical to follow government guidance in order to stay current with these rules.
Aging Workforce
According to Statista, there were 275,000 lorry drivers employed in the UK between April 2020 and March 2021. The majority of heavy goods vehicle drivers in the United Kingdom (UK) were aged 50 to 64, with over 122,000 personnel.
In the next five to ten years, 45 percent of heavy goods vehicle drivers in the UK will reach retirement age, implying that the current driver shortage may be far from finished. In addition to the age structure, 10,000 drivers from European nations other than the UK departed the country in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum. As a result, there is a high need for younger drivers.
Solutions To The Shortage
Most trucking companies face a significant driver shortage. Increased driver compensation is one option, but with rising fuel costs and narrow profit margins, many trucking businesses are obliged to explore alternative ways to recruit and retain drivers.
How Can You Lower Your Truck Fleet Insurance Costs?
The driver is one of the most important factors to consider when buying cheap truck insurance, and the driver scarcity makes it more difficult to find well-qualified drivers, which often leads to more accidents and higher insurance premiums.
Here are some suggestions to help you save money on trucking insurance:
Provide Driver Safety Courses
If you find that one or more drivers are frequently involved in accidents, it may be worthwhile to provide a safety course for them. These classes can assist drivers in identifying problematic behaviours. Ideally, it will assist them in avoiding future mishaps. Many insurance companies will give you a discount if you take your drivers through a safety course While you're researching safety courses, you might want to check into more specialised programmes as well.
Establish A Standard For Your Employees
It is critical to establish a company standard for your personnel. After all, if one of your fleet drivers makes a mistake, it does not reflect poorly on them. It reflects poorly on the entire organisation. This is particularly true if you drive vehicles with your company's emblem emblazoned on the side. You may create a standard for new drivers by communicating your expectations to them.
Make Sure Your Vehicles Are In Good Condition
Maintaining your fleet of vehicles is an important component of running a successful business. If your vehicles are out of commission, they are more unsafe on the road. They are even capable of breaking down while driving. This could result in fatal accidents. So, how do you keep your vehicles in good working order?
To begin, delegate the various roles so that no one gets confused. Remind drivers of their maintenance responsibilities while they are driving. For example, they could be in charge of changing the oil and inspecting the tyres. You should also plan for both routine and unforeseen repairs.
Carry Out Driver Assessments
A risk assessment is a method of investigating an employee's driving record and check all elements of the truck fleet insurance policy. Whether there are any problems, these are highlighted in the report. Identifying these potential liabilities benefits both you and the insurance carrier. Most of the time, you can inquire with your insurer about forming an in-house risk assessment team.
You can, however, hire other third parties as well. Alternatively, you can compile data on your fleet employees' driving history. If your organisation is more secure than others, you may be able to use this to your advantage.
Find Cheap HGV Insurance In One Simple Step.
Although Truck Insurance Comparison cannot address the truck driver shortage, we can assist you with your insurance needs.
We specialise in offering low prices for HGV Insurance and Truck Insurance with no deposit and payments spread out over the course of the year. Because we are an office rather than a contact centre, you will have a single account manager who will handle all elements of the policy.
Truck Facts
Running a fleet of HGV vehicles? Do you want to find a lower insurance premium?
If you are running a fleet of HGV vehicles then it’s very important to look at all costs across the board. With recent HGV driver shortages, it is likely that you will be looking to get a newly passed HGV driver under 25 to drive for your company. Alternatively, you might take an older driver who would be either over 70 or maybe 80 years old. In these situations, you may also find inexperienced drivers, newly passed drivers or drivers with points on their licence. This can make getting affordable lorry insurance harder. READ MORE
In the current haulage insurance market, it has become increasingly difficult to source good quality HGV drivers. A lot of the younger generation are veering away from the haulage industry to more modern careers. There are also significant costs for the individual driver to gain either a class 1 or 2 licence. Therefore, an advantage of employing older, more experienced drivers is that it can reduce your costs and reduce claims saving you money. If you are a new start haulage operator and a member of the Road Haulage Association you will have no doubt be informed of the Brexit changes. This may mean that more containers are moved on heavy goods vehicles, usually articulated tractor units, from the ports to the end destination. READ MORE
Newly passed drivers arriving into the haulage industry will have undergone significant driving to pass and attain their Class 2 or 1 licence. The term HVG or heavy goods vehicle relate to vehicles governed by Vosa from 4.5 tonne to 44 tonnes trucks. Nearly all businesses rely on road haulage in some way or another. The benefits of finding cheap insurance for HGVs means that the small business will be more competitive with lower costs that other haulage operators whether you are running a truck in Manchester, Birmingham, London or elsewhere. Younger drivers with little or no experience present an issue to insurers as they may have a high risk rather than a lower risk. READ MORE
Brexit comes with a great deal of uncertainty within the haulage business having a knock on effect on the price of lorry fleet insurance for HGVs [heavy goods vehicles]. If you are operating within the UK, for example, Manchester, Birmingham or London, although you may still be affected by Brexit, haulage and fleet operators travelling to and from the EU will be the ones most affected by the upcoming changes. There will inevitably be changes in the way haulage providers operate and the costs involved in their operation, such as insurance prices. READ MORE
Research is the key to finding affordable truck insurance. As with purchasing any type of insurance, it is vital to shop around and get multiple quotes from several different brokers. Many truck insurance providers can be found online and it may be possible to get a more competitive quote if you approach several companies. This will ensure you have found the cheapest truck insurance price available. READ MORE
Fleet insurance is a type of insurance which will cover several vehicles, two or more, all under one policy. This proves beneficial for businesses such as haulage and couriers with many vehicles. This coverage is flexible as to who is covered. Policies range from named drivers for specific vehicles to any driver driving any vehicle. A factor will affect the affordability of your insurance is if the driver has an convictions or endorsements on their license. It is possible to qualify for a driver lorry fleet insurance policy even if a driver has convictions. READ MORE
The government has made large and several investments into the research and development of automated vehicles. This is due to their belief that automated vehicles have the potential to make road transport safer and more efficient for all. Yet, with HGV vehicles, qualified drivers will still need to be present in the vehicle until a method of safe driverless long-haul routes is implemented therefore the human element is still vital in the operation of driverless HGV trucks. READ MORE
New haulage operators will ask questions like: ‘Why have goods in transit insurance?’ ‘Where can I get these policies?’ ‘Who will provide the best GIT quote?’ ‘Does having inexperienced, newly passed drivers or HGV drivers over 75 make a difference?’ ‘If the gross vehicle weight is high, will the price compare to smaller vehicles?’ They might also ask, ‘How can I reduce the cost and find a discount broker who can explain all the advantages and disadvantages of policies for heavy goods vehicles?’ READ MORE