Tesco struggling to hire HGV drivers despite improving pay
Tesco has issued a warning to the government, suggesting that there could be shortages across the country leading to empty shelves as a result of a shortage in HGV drivers.
“Our concern is that the pictures of empty shelves will get 10 times worse by Christmas and then we’ll get panic buying,” Andrew Woolfenden, Tesco’s head of distribution and fulfilment in the UK, told a Cabinet Office meeting.
This is despite Tesco improving its remuneration packages for drivers, offering bonuses worth £1,000.
The FTSE 100 company is facing a surplus of 800 drivers, according to Woolfenden, confirming that Tesco had struggled to hire new drivers over recent months.
“There won’t be the same level of choice as there has been in the past,” the Co-op chief executive, Steve Murrells, said, as he warned of oncoming price increases and supply issues.
Murrells believes shoppers will be able to get what they need, but said that some product lines would be limited.
A Tesco spokesperson added: “We have good availability, with deliveries arriving at our stores and distribution centres across the UK every day. While the industry-wide shortage of HGV drivers has led to some distribution challenges, we’re working hard to address these and to plan for the months ahead, so that customers can get everything they need.”
The Tesco share price is down by 0.41% on Thursday.