The Road Haulage Association estimates that the sector needs around 40,000 new drivers annually to meet demand and replace people leaving an ageing workforce.
The figure, originally published in the RHA’s 2025 report Lorry drivers – the vital link, does not mean that Britain currently has 200,000 unfilled HGV vacancies. It represents the number of new recruits the association believes will be required over five years to prevent future shortages.
However, attracting people into training is only part of the challenge. Once drivers have qualified, many reportedly struggle to secure the experience demanded by employers.
The experience catch-22
Recruitment insurance provider Kingsbridge has highlighted what it describes as a persistent contradiction within the market.
Many HGV job advertisements require applicants to have between six and 12 months of commercial driving experience. Employers may also ask for previous experience of particular vehicles, routes or types of transport.
That can leave newly qualified drivers in a familiar catch-22: they need experience to obtain a job, but cannot gain that experience without first being hired.
The problem can affect even applicants for local or regional Class 2 positions, according to Kingsbridge.
This means the industry could be paying to attract and train new entrants without providing enough opportunities for them to take their first step into professional driving.
Insurance may add another barrier
Employers’ reluctance is not necessarily based solely on operational concerns.
Newly qualified drivers can result in higher insurance premiums or excesses, while some may not be covered under an operator’s existing policy. For smaller hauliers working with narrow margins, the additional cost can make employing an inexperienced driver difficult to justify.
Kingsbridge advises operators and recruiters to discuss individual applicants with their insurer rather than automatically excluding newly qualified drivers. Nevertheless, its observations were published in a sponsored article and were not supported by new market-wide data on how many drivers are being refused work for insurance reasons.
Safety and compliance also remain important considerations. Bringing inexperienced drivers into the industry requires proper assessments, induction, mentoring and monitoring, particularly when they are placed in temporary or agency roles.
The question is therefore not simply whether operators should relax their recruitment standards, but whether the industry can create supervised routes through which new drivers can build experience safely.
Recruitment alone will not solve the shortage
In July, the RHA renewed its call for a coordinated strategy to attract, train and retain drivers.
Its proposals include simpler funded routes into training, targeted programmes and skills bootcamps, closer cooperation with schools and colleges, and improved roadside facilities and working conditions.
The association also wants skills and workforce planning incorporated into a national freight plan.
Retention may be just as important as recruitment. Unpredictable hours, night work, poor facilities and working conditions can push experienced drivers out of the sector, leaving employers searching for replacements while qualified newcomers remain on the sidelines.
The apparent contradiction therefore reflects a more complicated labour problem. Britain may need tens of thousands of new HGV drivers over the coming years, but training more people will achieve little unless operators, insurers and training providers also help them bridge the gap between passing the test and securing their first driving job.
