Every newspaper in the county reports a crises because of the shortage of HGV drivers, and photos of empty shelves (even The Express). But yet, the usual suspects post "nothing to see here", and their confirmatory bias appears to prevent them seeing what everyone else in the county can see - i.e. empty shelves in the supermarkets. I do not think that anyone can seriously dispute that there is a crises, and empty shelves. So the question is why? Why is there a shortage of HGV drivers.The FT certainly thinks that the prime reason is Brexit: -https://www.ft.com/content/04466c18-4c69-4fd3-a403-efb0deac0177"Driven largely by Brexit, the issue has been exacerbated by high coronavirus rates, which forced many truckers who were still working to self-isolate after being exposed to a possible positive case.""The Road Haulage Association said that the UK was short of 100,000 drivers, in an industry that usually employs about 600,000".And the Road Haulgage Association (who should surely know) give as the main reasons as Covid and Brexit:"Many drivers have returned to their country of origin during the extended periods of lockdown and restricted travel. The vast majority have not yet returned.""The uncertainty of Brexit and the future rights to live and work in theUK forced many drivers to do the same. Again, the vast majority have not returned nor are they expected to".https://www.rha.uk.net/News/News-Blogs-and-Press-Releases/press-releases/detail/driver-shortage-rha-and-freight-industry-write-to-prime-minister-boris-johnsonAnd the Retail Gazette:"Hauliers have blamed the shortage on a large proportion of drivers being foreign nationals from European Countries who had returned to the EU after Brexit".And the BBC:"What about Brexit?Then there's Brexit. It was another reason why many European drivers went back to their home countries, or decided to work elsewhere.When the UK was part of the single market, they used to be able to come and go as they pleased.But the additional border bureaucracy meant it was too much hassle for many of them to drive into and out of the UK.Many drivers are paid by the mile or kilometre rather than by the hour, so delays cost them money."https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/57810729This was exactly what was predicted before the referendum, and then again before Johnson's (effectively) "no deal" Brexit. Drivers are paid per kilometer that they drive with full trucks. They do not want to spend hours, or days, waiting at ports. They do not want to drive to the UK full, and back empty because UK exports to the EU have fallen by 50%.
T P Howell ● 1904d