As part of the campaign, Robert Goodwill MP attended an event held at Westminster, to lobby parliamentarians to highlight the role of the logistics industry in keeping our supply chains moving. Issues including the HGV driver shortage and other challenges affecting the sector were also discussed.
The logistics industry plays a massive part in our everyday lives, but its efficiency and success – more than 85% of all goods bought in the UK get from A to B on the back of a lorry – is often overlooked. The RHA’s month-long national campaign in the lead up to National Lorry Week is promoting careers in logistics and road transport and will shine the spotlight on the vital role the industry has to play in each of our everyday lives.
During the month-long campaign, the RHA will showcase success stories and will hear from drivers to champion logistics as an innovative, inclusive and sustainable industry full of amazing opportunities. The tour will see the RHA visiting cities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, meeting with MPs, lorry drivers and operators to discuss the issues facing the industry and attending schools and colleges, to promote careers in the industry to the next generation.
Mr Goodwill said:
“The UKs logistics industry is the lifeblood of the nation’s economy. Just look around you. Everything you see has at some point been handled by logistics professionals – from producer, to warehouse operative, to distributor, to delivery driver and, in most cases, to store shelf. We’re already feeling the impact of the 100,000 driver shortage, and with Christmas just around the corner, it’s likely we’ll face even greater challenges. It’s therefore essential that we are doing everything we possibly can to keep this industry afloat and help it maintain its vital role in our everyday lives – for the future, not just for the short term.
There are so many fantastic career opportunities in logistics and our aim for National Lorry Week is that it showcases just how diverse and exciting those opportunities are.”
