Being a lorry driver is amazing, honest

Lorry driver queues (Image: BBC)

It's hard to ignore the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver shortage crisis at the moment. It was widely acknowledged that lorry drivers - particularly those entering and leaving the UK - would suffer a paperwork overload once Britain no longer became a member of the European Union. But some of us (myself included), who are oblivious to the ins and outs of the supply chain industry, thought the main issue for drivers was going to be around the endless M20 queues around Folkestone and Dover. When I recently visited the Channel Tunnel six weeks ago, I saw the opposite.

Little did we misinformed folk realise was in fact, there aren't enough lorry drivers around full stop. Because of this, we now have a supposed 'fuel shortage', in that, due to the lack of delivery drivers, there isn't enough petrol or diesel in our petrol stations. Speaking to a few people living outside of the UK, they'd watched some of the panic buying online with both amusement and bewilderment.

I won't go too much into the finger pointing as many have cried foul of the media's 'scare mongering', or that the government hadn't done enough to ease the crises, despite bringing in the army to help out and giving qualified drivers abroad temporary visas. If the media and government take the blame, we also cannot rule out Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic contributing to the crisis; in fact, according to sources, there are almost 100,000 HGV driver vacancies in the UK alone, with the figure rising after many Europeans returning to their homelands over the past year. And with the unemployment rate currently at 4.6% - i.e. millions out of work - you'd think that the situation wouldn't be this bad, even when you consider the thousands of healthcare and retail roles up for grabs.

But we are where we are; vacancies aren't being filled and the crises (not just in petrol stations, but supply chain shortages generally) continue to deepen in heavily reliant areas. These more traditional, offline jobs are not reaching the imaginations of our young people, who are instead desperate to be YouTube or TikTok stars. I keep reminding myself of a 2018 statistic that more young people applied to go on ITV's Love Island than applying for a place at either Oxford or Cambridge universities. Meanwhile, another figure shows more young women preferred to be a glamour model than a nurse.

I suppose the above was harsh of me to say. I don't blame young people for their preference - the thought of blood and guts, dealing with grumpy people and cleaning after dark doesn't sound enticing to those looking ahead for the next 40-50 years of their lives, particularly when considering the long hours and a possible lack of social life. Of course, these won't convince young people who, when they could be financially secure in weeks by attracting potentially millions for doing a simple video of their hobby, sitting at home.

To solve this, we need to do two things - promote realism and reverse psychology. The more wannabe YouTube stars there are out there, the more crowded market it becomes. Not everyone is going to 'make it'. While TikTok has been a phenomenon during the global pandemic (the channel was the most downloaded app in 2020), it may only be a matter of time where users will be bored of that the same way some are getting tired of Instagram, which was the go-to platform not so long ago.

And when it comes to reverse psychology, I don't feel enough is being done to highlight the positive aspects of these traditional jobs. It's so easy to say, by being a teacher or lorry driver, you'll be offered excellent benefits and a half decent salary. Particularly young people want more than that, much more. Driving HGVs means travelling to unfamiliar places, adventure and culture; whether you're down a foreign motorway or heading from one local warehouse to another. It's time to change the stereotype - lorry drivers don't have to be driven by white, middle aged men; train well enough and the world is your oyster, regardless of your age, gender or race.

Reverse psychology is working for the NHS of late - the global pandemic has led to more people looking at roles in healthcare, with an increase in vacancy uptake. Certainly, these are baby steps but I don't feel as though putting a positive spin on 'less desirable' jobs are being implemented in key recruitment campaigns. It's so easy to slip into corporate-talk when advertising for vacancies, but if you know it isn't working, employers need to change tact. It isn't the government's fault people don't want to be HGV drivers. The last thing politicians want is another TikTok sensation as social media stars don't necessarily reduce NHS waiting times, or deliver fuel to petrol stations. They could try though, even if just for viewers. They might even enjoy it.