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EU trucker training rule, low investment blamed for UK box truck shortage
THE UK is facing a container truck shortage that is disrupting supply chains, which one forwarder says is the worst he has ever known.
"Some shipping lines and truckers are advising they are fully booked for the next two weeks and every day we have shipping lines and truckers say they can't cover jobs already booked," he said.
Big box trucker Maritime Transport blamed the new EU rule requiring drivers to have training certificates. Starting this month, heavy goods vehicle drivers must obtain a Certificate of Professional Competence that takes 35 hours of training to get.
Many older drivers have opted to retire rather than take the course. Maritime Transport said the new rule compounded an underlying due to underinvestment.
Meanwhile, recent months have brought a surge in container volumes. The latest figures from Container Trades Statistics show that in July inbound boxes to the UK from Asia increased 13 per cent on-year, reported Lloyd's List.
Maritime Transport recently acquired the UK's fourth-largest container trucker, Roadways Container Logistics, and some have suggested that this has reduced the industry's flexibility to meet growth in demand.
But a company spokesman said: "In the last 12 months alone we have purchased 550 trucks and 1,000 trailers, 800 of which were skeletal trailers for containers."
"Some shipping lines and truckers are advising they are fully booked for the next two weeks and every day we have shipping lines and truckers say they can't cover jobs already booked," he said.
Big box trucker Maritime Transport blamed the new EU rule requiring drivers to have training certificates. Starting this month, heavy goods vehicle drivers must obtain a Certificate of Professional Competence that takes 35 hours of training to get.
Many older drivers have opted to retire rather than take the course. Maritime Transport said the new rule compounded an underlying due to underinvestment.
Meanwhile, recent months have brought a surge in container volumes. The latest figures from Container Trades Statistics show that in July inbound boxes to the UK from Asia increased 13 per cent on-year, reported Lloyd's List.
Maritime Transport recently acquired the UK's fourth-largest container trucker, Roadways Container Logistics, and some have suggested that this has reduced the industry's flexibility to meet growth in demand.
But a company spokesman said: "In the last 12 months alone we have purchased 550 trucks and 1,000 trailers, 800 of which were skeletal trailers for containers."
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