Driving down recruitment costs, through putting pressure on margins or holding on to quality staff, are currently the chief concerns of employers in the transport and logistics sector. But skills shortages persist due to experienced drivers not re-entering the market following lay-offs as a result of the recession, combined with barriers to entry to the market for younger drivers.

“The pressure on margins in our sector has increased dramatically over the past 18 months as everyone has been forced to reduce costs. Agencies have been struggling to survive as a result and recruiters have been offering financially unviable margins to gain business in the short term,” says James Mallick, operations manager at supply chain recruitment specialists, Top Gear Recruitment.

For Jo Humphries, people and change director for European bus and train operator Arriva’s UK bus division, the emphasis is firmly on retaining rather than recruiting staff: “Our staff retention is good so recruitment volumes are fairly low. Many positions that do arise are managed through our internal talent and succession plans.”

Deborah Parker, HR director at Norbert Dentressangle Transport Services, agrees: “Generally external recruitment has reduced as staff retention across our business is higher. We are also promoting more people internally as they develop their skills.”

However, Parker adds the firm is always on the lookout for good drivers, warehouse operators and operational managers with relevant experience.
Mallick says the sector has also seen a shortage of qualified heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers with the introduction of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), applicable across the European Union since 2008 and aimed at maintaining high driving standards. Holders of HCV licenses before 2008 have until 2014 to get the compulsory 35 hours of periodic training.

To address this, Top Gear has become an accredited CPC training centre and, as such, Mallick says it can guarantee that all its agency drivers will be prepared for the changes and are legally compliant.

And Wayne Clarkson, network development director at DriverHire, says the situation has not been helped due to a reluctance among some drivers to re-enter the industry, with some drivers leaving the profession and others falling into the benefits’ trap.

And it’s not just attracting experienced drivers that remains a concern, Clarkson says, as it is also increasingly difficult to attract younger drivers. “There is the challenge of encouraging new people into the industry and the Catch 22 situation in which many newly qualified drivers find themselves: insurers won’t provide cover so they can’t gain practical experience.”

As well as increased pressure on margins and the prospect of an ever dwindling talent pool, in future, recruiters are also set to encounter an increased administrative burden due to the implementation of the Agency Workers Directive next year, according to Mallick.

“It will create a large administrative burden in terms of having to record more information through ensuring information given by the customer is accurate. In terms of the definition of equal pay, our agency workers could work on five assignments in a week with a different holiday entitlement and we have to manage that entitlement.

“The legislation perceives that agencies abuse temporary workers. I think there are cases of that but I don’t think it is the norm.”

GRAHAM SIMONS [email protected]