Driver shortage in summit spotlight - Palmers Solicitors

Driver shortage in summit spotlight

A leading freight industry body is to hold a special summit to tackle the shortage of qualified professional drivers.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) announced on 12 January that it would hold the Solving the Driver Crisis event on 12 March at the Ricoh Stadium, Coventry.

More than 200 people have already signed up to attend the free summit, which the FTA said would bring together government officials, professional HR advisors and operators to work towards solutions to the driver shortage.

James Hookham, the FTA’s managing director for membership and policy, said: “We are facing a long-term challenge to attract and recruit sufficient people to professional driving. We need to up our game in recruitment practices and start addressing some deep-seated problems in the industry.

“We also need to ensure government and other agencies are on our side and that we make best use of the support and funding that is already available.”

The summit will also offer advice on dealing with driver shortage issues, tapping into government funding and learning how other attendees have overcome the driver shortage problem.

Whether a haulage or other business is seeking to attract new staff, or to retain existing staff by maintaining a strong employment relationship with existing workers, expert legal advice can add real value.

At Palmers, we provide a comprehensive range of employment law and HR services, including auditing existing employment documentation, such as recruitment policies and employment contracts, and advising on any changes necessary to ensure compliance with legal requirements.

We can also advise on new policies that might make the business more attractive to new and existing employees, for example around flexible working. For more information about our employment law services or our HR package, please contact Lara Murray.