The UK Government is currently consulting with businesses on the question of whether to continue its controversial cabotage relaxation, which allows foreign hauliers to conduct <a href="https://www.trans.info/en/uk-government-says-it-is-set-to-allow-unlimited-cabotage-within-a-2-week-period-258544" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unlimited domestic transportations in Britain over a 14-day period</a>. As part of the the consultation, the Department for Transport has released <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1059077/road-transport-cabotage-consultation-further-flexibilities-during-2022-for-foreign-hauliers.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a fascinating document</a> with data on how the existing cabotage relaxation has impacted transport movements, road safety and driver wages in the UK. 

What new DfT data says about impact of cabotage in the UK

The private company responsible for bin collection in a Surrey district council has prepared plans to recruit refugees in a bid to fill its shortage of bin lorry drivers. 

Refuse collection firm plans to solve bin lorry driver shortage by recruiting refugees

The EU's free roaming scheme will be renewed for another ten years, under plans informally agreed between MEPs and the Slovenian Presidency of the Council on Thursday.

Good news for international truckers as EU free roaming extended for 10 years

Free HGV driver training courses have begun in the UK courtesy of the government's £34m HGV bootcamp scheme. Twenty one colleges and independent firms have been authorised to run bootcamps, many of which are said to be fully booked until spring 2022. 

UK’s £34m HGV bootcamps begin with demand for free courses seemingly high

A Spanish lorry driver who has been transporting fruit to the UK for almost 3 decades has told of how he is now conducting cabotage trips to supermarkets for the first time due to Britain's supply chain troubles. 

Spanish truckers step in to transport fruit to British supermarkets

The MD of Lymm Truckwash believes the UK Government should be doing more to facilitate the construction of lorry parks, maintaining it is not up to hauliers to invest in such facilities.

Lymm Truckwash director frustrated by local councils thwarting HGV facility plans

Harinder Singh, Managing Director of BJS Distribution Storage and Courier, has described the UK Government's HGV driver visa scheme as a “token gesture" and said that  “immigration from countries struggling financially" is the long-term solution to the country's driver shortage problem.

Haulage boss: “immigration from countries struggling financially” is solution to UK driver shortage

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that 127 tanker drivers have successfully applied for positions in the UK via the new visa scheme, which allows 300 foreign drivers with ADR licences to begin working immediately and stay until the end of March 2022. Meanwhile, data from job site Indeed has suggested that the lorry drivers most interested in the scheme are predominantly from Africa and Asia. 

127 tanker drivers granted UK visas; scheme interests drivers from Africa & Asia

<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/09/30/temporary-european-truck-drivers-paid-fifth/?fbclid=IwAR09OD-6BXTEMwnOQgIhsXw5BBxTHePSOv3_1nIaNrLinJsSo6FbOA1iaNA">According to a report in the Daily Telegraph</a>, British retail insiders say higher pay is required in order to attract lorry drivers from abroad to take on temporary work through the UK Government's new visa scheme. 

Report: lorry drivers using visa scheme to be paid up to 20% more

Police officers from the Polish city of Poznan are facing 3 years in prison for false testimonies and abuse of power. The officers are accused of framing an innocent lorry driver in order to explain the damage on the windscreen of an unmarked police BMW.