Amid the ongoing HGV driver shortage and supply chain problems in the United Kingdom, the government is set to extend cabotage rules temporarily as part of a series of measures designed primarily to support the pork production industry.

Potentially resulting in thousands of extra HGV deliveries every month, these changes are hoped to provide resilience to the UK’s supply chains. A 7 day consultation launched on 14 October 2021 could see foreign hauliers able to make unlimited journeys over a two-week period before returning home.

Current Cabotage Rules

The proposals recommend the relaxation of current cabotage guidelines in the UK that state that EU hauliers are only allowed to make 2 cabotage trips within a 7 day period. The new rules would see foreign haulage operators coming into the country laden with goods and able to make multiple pick ups and deliveries whilst here.

Although no exact date is given, these temporary rules would come into play towards the end of 2021 for a period of up to 6 months. This should help to secure supply chains over the medium term, complementing the effects of other wider government measures put into place to address HGV driver shortages.

All Types of Goods to Benefit

These changes will mostly benefit those transporting essential food-related goods through the supply chain, although it does also apply to other types of products. Through the improved efficiency of how foreign haulier lorries are used, it’s also thought that the pressures on the global supply chain would be eased.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had this to say on the matter: “The long-term answer to the supply chain issues we’re currently experiencing must be developing a high-skill, high-wage economy here in the UK.

The temporary changes we’re consulting on to cabotage rules will make sure foreign hauliers in the UK can use their time effectively and get more goods moving in the supply chain at a time of high demand.”

A Raft of Existing Measures

This news comes hot on the heels of temporary visas being approved for EU HGV drivers and a series of measures that seek to address the global HGV driver shortage. It has seen the number of available HGV tests almost double when compared to pre-pandemic levels.

There are also positive signs that efforts to encourage new blood into the road haulage industry are starting to take hold, with the government’s Become a Lorry/Bus Driver website enjoying almost 17,000 hits each day and provisional HGV licence application numbers trebling.

An Ongoing Battle That Needs to Be Won

The extension of Cabot rights represents just one of numerous measures being implemented in an attempt to fight a battle that very much needs to be won. Whether enough has changed to turn the tide against empty shelves and port bottlenecks remains to be seen, but it’s still a step in the right direction.

At HGVC, we’re doing our part in this fight by providing industry-leading HGV driver training, with services that are scalable for any size of licence acquisition requirement. If you’d like to know more about what makes us different, take a look around our website, where you’ll find the reasons behind our exceptional pass rates.

Alternatively, if you’d like to discuss your training needs, just give us a call on 0330 818 8888 or click ‘contact us’ and drop us a line. Upon receipt of your enquiry, we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.