The Irish Road Hauliers Association (IRHA) has warned that the current shortage of lorry drivers will affect the movement of agricultural products and supplies.

“One of the main milk processors in the southwest is looking at implementing a new system for its drivers to help ease the shortage,” IRHA president Eugene Drennan has told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“Something will have to change before spring of next year especially for agriculture when hauling is at its busiest.”

Poor conditions

The IRHA has said the lorry driver shortage has been building gradually all year and comes on the back of a number of factors.

“Many eastern European drivers returned to their home countries and have left a huge gap in labour supply.

“Working conditions have come under the spotlight and many are facing challenges recruiting drivers,” Drennan continued.

“Dublin Port is a nightmare to work with. Tachograph laws in the UK need to be eased to give more flexibility to the driver also.

“A lot of the new regulations as a result of Brexit are putting drivers off. It’s declaration after declaration. They want complete control, establishing what’s moving where, when and how. All these declarations are very repetitive on the drivers.”

The UK’s road haulage association has said it is short 60,000 lorry drivers to meet the increased demand and keep supply chains moving.

In some cases, the shortage of drivers has been so acute that the slow delivery of popular consumers foods such as Haribo sweets from its German plant to Britain has hit the headlines.

There have been calls for the UK army to be drafted to help keep supply chains moving, while supermarkets and haulage companies have hiked up drivers’ wages to keep them on the road.