Susie Jones
Wiadomości i aktualizacje • 2 min read

Kierowcy samochodów ciężarowych kwestionują termin "niedobór kierowców"

Utworzony: 15.08.2024

Aktualizacja: 16.08.2024

W dniu 11 kwietnia 2024 r. DfT rozpoczął konsultacje w sprawie środków mających na celu złagodzenie niedoboru kierowców. Konsultacje mają na celu umożliwienie danej osobie przystąpienia do egzaminu teoretycznego i egzaminu z manewrów terenowych przed uzyskaniem tymczasowych uprawnień do kierowania pojazdami ciężarowymi.

Od czasu Covid-19 i Brexitu branża odnotowała spadek liczby kierowców samochodów ciężarowych. Pandemia opóźniła 30 000 testów dla nowych kierowców, a Brexit mocno uderzył w firmy flotowe - wielu europejskich kierowców ciężarówek opuściło Wielką Brytanię.

Raport SNAP z 2023 r. sugeruje, że sektor ten może osiągnąć "punkt krytyczny" (https://snapacc.com/tipping-point/) w ciągu najbliższych 10-15 lat. Ponieważ branża szybko się zmienia, zamówienia online są jednym z najszybciej rosnących wymagań - w połączeniu ze starzejącą się siłą roboczą potrzeby branży przerosną niedobór wykwalifikowanych kierowców.

Co myślą kierowcy ciężarówek?

W mediach społecznościowych SNAP poprosił kierowców o wyrażenie swoich opinii na temat propozycji przedstawionej przez DfT. Wielu kierowców nie skomentowało programu, jednak 72,5% zakwestionowało termin "niedobór kierowców", określając go jako sianie paniki.

Zamiast tego stwierdzili, że następujące czynniki powodują, że doświadczeni kierowcy odchodzą z branży i, w związku z tym, odstraszają nowych kandydatów:

Płace

Spośród 72,5%, 28% zasugerowało, że niskie wynagrodzenie było czynnikiem odstraszającym. Kierowcy na stronach mediów społecznościowych SNAP sugerowali, że mogą zarobić więcej w innych zawodach:

*Mam prawo jazdy HGV, ale nie chcę z niego korzystać. Obecnie zarabiam więcej za godzinę jako instruktor jazdy. To wcale nie jest niedobór kierowców".

*"Płać kierowcom więcej pieniędzy i zapewnij im lepsze udogodnienia".

Istnieją błędne przekonania dotyczące wynagrodzeń kierowców ciężarówek w Wielkiej Brytanii - panuje opinia, że kierowcy ciężarówek zarabiają więcej niż przeciętny pracownik. Według [National Careers] (https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/large-goods-vehicle-driver), średnia pensja kierowcy ciężarówki w Wielkiej Brytanii wynosi od 22 000 do 40 000 funtów - przy czym doświadczeni kierowcy zarabiają najwięcej.

Obiekty

Obiekty również zostały poddane analizie przez wiele osób - 20% obwiniało niskie standardy za odpychanie wykwalifikowanych kierowców. Standard udogodnień na postojach dla ciężarówek w Wielkiej Brytanii został poddany wnikliwej analizie przez osoby z branży, a wiele z nich stwierdziło, że nie są one warte swojej ceny.

DfT podjęło znaczące działania dzięki 6 milionom funtów [HGV Parking and Driver Welfare grant scheme] (https://www.smmt.co.uk/2024/05/first-class-facilities-truckstops-to-be-upgraded-with-16-5m-funding/#:~:text=Under%20the%20plans%2C%2038%20truckstops,significantly%20upgrade%20facilities%20for%20drivers.) - wspieranym przez kolejne 10,5 miliona funtów od branży. Program zainwestuje w 38 postojów dla ciężarówek w całej Anglii, aby zmodernizować udogodnienia dla kierowców, w tym nowe prysznice i restauracje, a także poprawić bezpieczeństwo.

Oprócz zmodernizowanych udogodnień, program ma nadzieję stworzyć około 430 nowych miejsc parkingowych dla samochodów ciężarowych, co spowoduje zmniejszenie liczby miejsc postojowych i zapełnienie miejsc wczesnym wieczorem.

Brak pracy

Podobnie, 20% kierowców wyjaśniło, że posiada prawo jazdy, ale nie może znaleźć pracy. Według Office for National Statistics (ONS), w Wielkiej Brytanii jest ponad 183 000 miejsc pracy dla kierowców samochodów ciężarowych. Mimo to każdy region ma inne możliwości zatrudnienia, co skutkuje nierównym popytem w całej Wielkiej Brytanii. Wielu kierowców podzieliło się swoimi doświadczeniami związanymi z trudnościami w znalezieniu pracy:

*"Mam klasę pierwszą od siedmiu miesięcy i nie mogę znaleźć pracy. Chciałbym wiedzieć, gdzie jest niedobór."

*Jaki niedobór? Nie ma zbyt wiele pracy do wzięcia."

Certyfikat kompetencji zawodowych kierowcy

10% osób, które ani nie zgodziły się, ani nie zgodziły się z terminem "niedobór kierowców", stwierdziło, że Certyfikat kompetencji zawodowych kierowcy (CPC) odegrał kluczową rolę w zmniejszeniu liczby kierowców samochodów ciężarowych.

Wprowadzony w 2009 roku CPC ma na celu poprawę bezpieczeństwa na drodze, profesjonalizmu i świadomości ekologicznej - zapewnia również, że kierowcy są na bieżąco ze wszystkimi wymogami zdrowotnymi, bezpieczeństwa i prawnymi. Wyniki konsultacji dotyczących przeglądu polityki CPC wykazały, że [47%] (https://www.hgvtraining.co.uk/hgv-training/what-is-cpc/#:~:text=It%20was%20brought%20in%20to,1000%20for%20driving%20without%20it) kierowców HGV stwierdziło, że jest ona nieskuteczna lub bardzo nieskuteczna. Jeden z kierowców skomentował to w mediach społecznościowych SNAP:

*"Pozbądź się CPC, a wezmę zmiany. Nie płacę za 35 godzin pracy, ucząc się robić to, co wcześniej robiłem przez lata każdego dnia."

Rząd przedstawił szereg zmian w CPC w celu zwiększenia elastyczności podczas odnawiania i przywracania kwalifikacji. Wśród zmian w długości kursu, rząd opracuje więcej podstawowych treści kursu wraz z Agencją Standardów Kierowców i Pojazdów.

Czynniki zewnętrzne, takie jak Brexit i COVID-19, w połączeniu z kwestiami związanymi z branżą, znacząco wpłynęły na wskaźniki zatrudnienia w sektorze transportowym. W stale ewoluującym środowisku branża musi nadal wprowadzać zmiany tam, gdzie jest to konieczne, aby przyciągnąć i zatrzymać więcej kierowców.

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