Christopher Johns, 37, from Burwash, Sussex, has been a lorry driver for over ten years and drives long distances in the UK and mainland Europe. Here he talks about what working conditions are like for lorry drivers in the UK and why he feels there may not be a quick solution to the current lorry driver crisis. This is his text as transcribed by Jedidajah Otte.
It always staggers me how truck drivers in the UK are underestimated. We work very hard for very little money. Our wages are long overdue an improvement. A friend’s starting salary at Lidl is the same as many of my trucker friends. I could earn more if I did temporary work, as many others do, but I have a wife and three children and I need job stability. I only earn enough now that I do a lot of jobs outside the UK where the expense allowance is higher.
The difference between how lorry drivers are treated in the UK and the rest of Europe is huge. In the UK we are not looked after. Throughout the country, particularly in the south, the facilities to look after the needs of drivers are inadequate or non-existent.
We can spend one, two, or more weeks away from home. This means we are forced to sleep in tiny rest areas or on the roads of industrial estates, without access to basic amenities. Rest areas for hauliers on major motorways are still not equipped with sufficient parking for large vehicles and lorries are charged around EUR 30 a night for the privilege. The rest of Europe does not charge for parking. In France, for example, the restaurant and bar chain Les Routiers supports truckers by providing showers and free parking. Every time we enter Europe, it’s a relief.
Hard on families
My family has suffered a lot. I would say this is true for many in the industry. My wife has been incredibly supportive of my time away from home, which averages 20 days a month. I have missed so much growing up with my children. I regret that so much.
The British Government should consider showing greater appreciation for those who continue to drive rather than trying to find thousands of new lorry drivers. Extending the working hours for lorry drivers would be madness: there would be horrible accidents. I also believe that the number of EU lorry drivers willing to return will be smaller than some predict. There needs to be a greater emphasis on this work as a skilled trade and not just a driving licence check.
The wage structure must be reviewed. But, first and foremost, conditions in the UK must improve. There is no easy answer to this shortcoming. The situation we are in now was so obvious and predictable. The infrastructure in the UK is so far from where it needs to be. I don’t think things will improve overnight.
Translation by Julian Cnochaert.
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