Hauliers across the UK are facing troubles due to the impact of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union.
On the 31st of January 2020, the UK left the EU. Brexit changed the landscape of the haulage industry. Hauliers had to adapt quickly to the changes, whilst suffering from a driver shortage and the ongoing consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a new study undertaken by haulage industry leaders, over 30% of haulage companies are turning down jobs from the food and drinks industry due to the sheer volume of admin that staff must complete for products since Brexit. Other sectors being impacted include retail, agricultural and livestock farming as well as the gardening supplies sector. These issues paired with the national driver shortage are disrupting the UK’s food supply.
Over half of British hauliers believe their business has been negatively impacted by fewer exports going into Europe due to the ongoing changes. As a knock-on effect, haulage companies who specialise in exporting and importing goods have lost business because of Brexit’s impact. In fact, the report suggests that 63% of hauliers are now doing fewer exports to the EU.
Drivers are also experiencing large waits at the border, with over 80% of the key workers reporting that border checks and paperwork are increasingly slowing down the process. With full border checks coming into full effect on January 1st 2022, the waiting times could potentially worsen the crisis.
As a result of the declining imports and exports, some UK markets have seen an opportunity to fill and are selling more goods. This has increased the workload of some hauliers that only operate in the UK by 25%. However, Brexit has also caused many overseas drivers to pack up and return home which has carried terrible implications for a country already in desperate need of 100,000 drivers. Companies must now adapt to a larger workload with fewer drivers. Some hauliers have reported they are turning down jobs because they do not have enough professionally trained drivers.
Has Brexit affected your operations?
If you are a haulier that is struggling with the rise in workload and administration since Brexit, then HaulTech can help you with the multi-award-winning Transport Management System, which can slash your administration duplication by up to 80% allowing you to do the work in 60% of the time. To learn more, contact the team today by clicking here, calling 01782 662244 or saying hello@haultech.co.uk.
