HGV driver recruitment needs a jump-start from government, says Logistics UK

Thursday 17 July 2025

The government’s latest employment data issued today (17 July) shows unemployment is at its highest level since June 2021 and has increased to 4.7% in the three months to May. The announcement comes as business group Logistics UK publishes the findings of its latest Skills and Employment Update and calls for a coordinated effort to address recruitment and retention in the logistics sector.

Logistics UK’s Skills and Employment Update analyses data from the first quarter of the year and identifies pressing concerns regarding HGV drivers, where the average age is 48 years old and more than half of the profession are over 50. In addition to demographic pressures, the report shows that transport operators are also facing significant difficulties in recruiting HGV drivers, with 14.5% experiencing severe or very severe issues.

“An ageing workforce and inability to recruit is a recipe for potential disaster in the future unless action is taken now,” says Bethany Windsor, Head of Skills Policy at Logistics UK.  “The situation is being made more difficult by recent government decisions to devolve effective initiatives at a time when a long-term national approach to recruitment and retention would be more appropriate.”

Ms Windsor cites the government’s decision to discontinue centralised funding for the HGV Skills Bootcamp programme as “a case in point” explaining further, “The HGV Skills Bootcamp was launched in 2022 and has trained over 20,000 drivers, with a 72% job placement rate. It has been effective in attracting career switchers and the unemployed, yet all training is set to end by 30 September 2025 with responsibility shifting to devolved authorities, despite only a few regions having replacement funding in place at present.

“Industry is ready and willing to work with government to address recruitment challenges while initiatives such as Generation Logistics are raising awareness and making roles like HGV driving more appealing to a younger and more diverse workforce.

“We have already weathered an acute shortage of qualified drivers and other staff exacerbated by the pandemic. While plans have been put in place to reverse the decline in recruitment, the decision to end centralised funding and shift responsibility to devolved authorities at this stage seems premature and risks a patchy and inconsistent national response.

“The sector needs a coordinated approach to recruitment; on behalf of our members, we are pressing the government to work with industry to support alternative training pathways to recruit, and address working conditions that affect retention, both of which are critical for stabilising and building resilience into the sector.”

The Logistics UK Skills and Employment Update Q1 2025 provides a more positive outlook for other areas of logistics and shows van drivers and forklift drivers are easier positions to fill, with 50% and 41.3% of businesses, respectively, reporting they expect “no problems” filling vacancies.

Logistics UK is one of the UK’s biggest business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With decarbonisation, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, water and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods. For more information about the organisation and its work, please visit logistics.org.uk