Due to a lack of truck drivers, supply problems continue in Britain

Due to a lack of truck drivers, people in Britain have to prepare for fewer food and alcoholic beverages at Christmas time. "The truck driver shortage has already left some gaps on the shelves and the situation could worsen in the run-up to Christmas," said Andrew Opie of the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Retailers would give preference to groceries and other traditional Christmas products. It currently takes two to three days to get fresh food from the ports to the supermarkets, said the head of the Cold Chain Federation, Shane Brennan. Delivery on the same day or the next day at the latest is normal. For frozen food, this range has grown from two to three to five to six days. The industry association of alcohol producers Wine & Spirit Association (WSTA) reported that some members now needed 15 instead of 2 to 3 days to complete orders. "We are already experiencing significant delays in delivery times for wine and spirits," said WSTA boss Miles Beale. "That drives up costs and limits the range of products available to UK consumers." Arrival times of drivers and vehicles are becoming increasingly unpredictable, the association wrote in an open letter to Transport Minister Grant Shapps. This leads to goods not being ready on time or waiting a long time to be picked up. Now business losses threatened. In addition, costs rose: Freight companies had increased delivery charges by seven percent in order to raise salaries for drivers. This is particularly overwhelming for smaller companies. Brennan of the Cold Chain Association confirmed that the industry needs to prioritize product delivery. "It's not about bottlenecks, it's about simplification," he told a parliamentary committee in London. Reaches and quantities played a role here. It is about "strategically" reducing some products so that the things that are expected are also on the shelves. BRC expert Opie called on consumers to be considerate. They shouldn't change your shopping behavior. The UK has long been desperately looking for truck drivers. According to the Road Haulage Association, there is a shortage of up to 100,000 workers. The problem is also big in other countries like Germany. But because of strict immigration rules since Brexit, the UK has been hit harder. The government made up to 4,700 special visas available to foreign drivers in the fall. How many applications there are, but it did not want to say when asked. In its open letter, the WSTA called for the temporary visa exemptions to be significantly extended to at least one year.