Brexit could bring UK haulage industry to a halt

Haulage companies in the UK need to brace themselves for the impact of Brexit, according to Matt Meszaros, Director of Cargologic.

He warns that the industry will be affected by two major issues. Firstly, it is likely that many cargo shipments will no longer be routed via the UK after Brexit. Secondly, the haulage industry in the UK will face significant staff shortages after Brexit.

Many shipments arrive in the UK for onward transportation to other countries in the European Union. Unless the UK remains within the customs union, Brexit will mean that it is no longer cost effective for goods to be brought into the EU via the UK.

Instead, shipments will be routed into other EU ports, which means that the UK haulage industry will pay a heavy price. According to Matt, thousands of jobs could be lost, and some hauliers could go out of business.

Matt also believes that the haulage industry within the UK is also under threat as recruiting new drivers is not easy.

He said: “Thousands of older drivers are retiring and there are not enough younger drivers joining the industry in the UK. The training and exams for an HGV licence cost in the region of £4,000, which can be prohibitive for individuals or small companies. One solution is to employ qualified HGV drivers from Europe.”

Currently approximately 50% of road haulage drivers working in the UK originate from outside the UK, and Matt believes brexit will make it extremely difficult if not impossible to recruit drivers from Europe, and that this will put UK haulage companies at a disadvantage and make it far harder for them to compete with their counterparts in France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.

He also believes that the UK should seek a Swiss or Norwegian-style deal to provide as much access to the European market as possible.

ENDS

For more information contact Matt Meszaros on 07547 058282 or email matt@cargologic.co.uk

You can also visit http://www.cargologic.co.uk/


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About Cargologic Limited

We provide container haulage from Felixstowe, any shape, any colour, to anywhere within the UK.


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