Fresh analysis shows that around 100,000 drivers have allowed their Driver Qualification Card (DQC) to lapse in the past year: equivalent to one in six working-age lorry drivers in Britain. Many of those leaving the industry are in their 30s and 40s, raising concerns not only about retirements but about retention among mid-career drivers.
With around 80% of goods and materials in the UK transported by road, the RHA says a shortage on this scale threatens to undermine supply chains and economic growth.
RHA Managing Director Richard Smith called on the Government to make driver recruitment, training and retention a national priority.
“With an ageing workforce and significant numbers of experienced drivers leaving the profession, attracting people into HGV driving has become increasingly urgent,” Smith said.
He urged ministers to reinstate the HGV driver bootcamp scheme, which has been closed nationally, and to reform the flexible skills funding system to make long-term training viable.
“A thriving road freight sector is a key enabler,” he added. “But the goods and materials our economy needs can’t move if we don’t have enough people behind the wheel. Our message is clear: work with us to future-proof the workforce for the next decade and beyond.”
Conditions still driving people out of the cab
The RHA also points to chronic issues that continue to push drivers out of the profession: long working hours, lack of secure parking, and poor roadside facilities.
Although investment in safe parking has increased, progress remains slow. “We’re making headway, but there’s a long way to go,” Smith said.
The RHA’s new 60,000-a-year training target marks a sharp rise from the 40,000 estimated in February, signalling that attrition in the workforce is accelerating.
A European problem, not a British one
Across the Channel, the driver shortage is deepening too. Data from the International Road Transport Union (IRU) show that Europe’s unfilled truck-driver positions rose to around 426,000 in 2024, nearly doubling year on year.
The trend spans every major transport market: Germany, France, Poland and Spain all report difficulties filling vacancies. With one-third of Europe’s drivers expected to retire within a decade, the IRU warns the gap could reach 745,000 by 2028.
Young people remain scarce in the sector—fewer than 5% of European drivers are under 25, and women account for only around 4%. According to industry analysts, these demographics make the shortage “baked in” unless major policy changes follow.
“Drivers are not a cost”
Industry leaders also say the shortage will not ease until working conditions improve and drivers are seen as more than a cost factor.
As Girteka CEO Mindaugas Paulauskas recently phrased,
“Drivers are our most important resource, and their development, comfort and respect are a condition for survival, not a benefit.”
The Lithuanian logistics group argues that the real bottleneck is not a lack of interest in the job, but legal, political and cultural barrier: from visa restrictions to poor roadside infrastructure—that make it harder for the profession to thrive.
Girteka also warns that while EU rules such as the Mobility Package aim to improve conditions, the lack of secure parking and accommodation still prevents drivers from resting safely, forcing companies and drivers into an impossible position between compliance and practicality.
Europe loosens the rules for new entrants
In response to mounting pressure, EU lawmakers have approved reforms to modernise licensing and training. The new rules will allow 18-year-olds to drive trucks, and even 17-year-olds under supervision, with harmonised training standards aimed at improving safety and mobility across borders.
Several countries are also experimenting with publicly funded training schemes and targeted campaigns to attract women and young workers.
Shared challenges, shared solutions
For both Britain and the EU, the symptoms are familiar: rising costs of entry, an ageing workforce, and working conditions that deter new recruits. Analysts say the solution lies in making driving a viable long-term career, through better pay, facilities, and predictable schedules, combined with accessible, funded training pathways.
The RHA hopes that reinstating national training support and overhauling skills funding will help close the gap before it constrains growth.
But the message from both sides of the Channel is the same: without people behind the wheel, Europe’s economy will stall.
