UK must train 60,000 new HGV drivers a year to avoid worsening crisis

14th November 2025

The UK must train 60,000 new HGV drivers each year for the next five years to meet growing demand and replace those leaving the industry, according to new figures from the Road Haulage Association (RHA).

The RHA’s latest analysis shows that 100,000 drivers have allowed their Driver Qualification Card (DQC) to lapse in the past year, representing one in six of all working-age HGV drivers.

Many of those leaving the profession are in their 30s and 40s, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the UK’s driver workforce.

RHA managing director Richard Smith said: “To future-proof businesses and the supply chain for the long term, driver recruitment, training and retention must be an urgent priority for Government.

“With an ageing workforce and significant numbers of experienced drivers leaving, attracting people into HGV driving has become increasingly urgent.”

Smith called for the reinstatement of the national HGV driver bootcamp programme, which helped new drivers qualify quickly, and for reforms to the Growth and Skills Levy to fund permanent training schemes.

“A lack of roadside facilities and secure parking remains a chronic issue too. We are making headway, but there is a long way to go,” he added.

Driver shortages a Europe wide problem

The driver shortage problem is not unique to the UK.

Across Europe, more than 426,000 truck driver positions are currently unfilled, with the International Road Transport Union (IRU) expecting this figure to double by 2028.

Girteka Transport chief executive Mindaugas Paulauskas, warned that tightening visa rules, an ageing workforce and low appeal among younger people are fuelling a continent-wide crisis.

Paulauskas said the main barriers to solving the problem are regulatory rather than motivational.

He said: “Visa and work permit rules have become significantly stricter. Without meaningful policy action across the EU, the situation will most likely worsen.”

European logistics operators such as Girteka are investing heavily in driver training and wellbeing.

The company plans to spend €300,000 (£265,000) on training centres in Poland and Lithuania by 2026 and is upgrading its fleet with 8,000 new Volvo trucks to improve safety and working conditions.

Both the RHA and Girteka are advocating for long-term investment in skills, better roadside infrastructure and modern working conditions to stabilise the driver workforce and safeguard supply chains across the UK and Europe.

While companies like Tesla and Waymo are focussed on replacing drivers entirely with artificially intelligence (AI) powered systems, Paulauskas is confident that human drivers still remain the key to the future of transport.

He added: “Without investing in drivers’ skills, working conditions, well-being, and development prospects, the industry will not sustain itself.

“The companies that recognise this today will be the ones still operating successfully a decade from now.”