Gosport recruitment firm puts out an urgent plea for delivery drivers - as country faces a drastic driver shortage

PRESENTS might go undelivered this festive season due to a driver shortage that is already acute, that’s teh warning from a recruitment firm.
Lee Gamble, managing director of Berry RecruitmentLee Gamble, managing director of Berry Recruitment
Lee Gamble, managing director of Berry Recruitment

Berry Recruitment, a supplier of temporary workers with a branch in Gosport, has said the situation is worsening.

It estimates that demand is running at 30 per cent above supply and that figure could well increase in the last quarter of the year.

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The combination of far more online ordering and fewer European workers has created a perfect storm.

Recent figures have shown the retail sector growing, with online sales nearly 50 per cent higher than in February.

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There is also a shortage of other blue-collar workers for jobs such as packing, food production, order picking in supermarkets, production line staff and industrial operatives.

Lee Gamble, managing director of Berry Recruitment, which works from almost 40 locations across England and Wales, said: ‘The situation is the same across the country.

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‘The lockdown has led to far more people ordering online. Many who had never used the internet for shopping are now converts, and more businesses are selling online.

‘This has created a huge extra demand for all classes of driver, from HGV to local delivery drivers.

‘What has exacerbated the situation is the lack of European workers. When lockdown looked likely many of them returned home.’

Lee said they expected to see retail and hospitality workers who have lost their jobs looking for jobs like delivery driving, but that has not happened.

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He said: ‘We don’t know why these people are not coming forward – possibly some have decided to wait for the new year before they start looking for work.

‘The reality is that if people don’t do their internet shopping early their Christmas presents might well not arrive in time.

‘The positives are that there are a lot of jobs out there, albeit possibly not the ones people ideally want.

‘The shortage is such that I am advising our clients to hang on to their temporary workers even if there is not enough work for them – because when they do need them there might not be any.

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‘There is a shortage across all blue-collar roles and anyone looking for work should be able to find it.’

Berry Recruitment is part of Berry Recruitment Group, which includes Wild Recruitment and Wild Berry Associates.

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