Welcome to our latest issue of Export & Freight, keeping you informed of what’s happening across all sectors of the industry in what continues to be turbulent waters for many. It seems that ‘staying afloat’ is the name of the game as we enter the busy Xmas period and look forward to an uncertain New Year.
But here’s a suggestion that we can really rally behind. It comes from Logistics UK’s Chief Executive David Wells. He is calling for a ‘Year of Logistics’ to highlight the importance of the industry to the wider public as we learn that 96% of UK logistics businesses are now reporting problems recruiting HGV drivers.
We’ve been speaking at length to David, as you will read in this issue.
He tells us, “We have recently suggested to the Secretary of State for Transport there should be a ‘year of logistics’ encouraging members throughout the UK to promote opportunities in the industry and raise awareness of our sector as a whole.” It would be great for our industry if that suggestion was taken onboard, but perhaps we shouldn’t hold our breath.
Meanwhile, we can’t ignore what’s been happening in Glasgow in recent weeks as it has a direct impact on our industry, too. The Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as COP26, heard that decarbonisation remains a key priority for both the government and the logistics industry.
With a transition to electric vehicles already underway, there’s clearly still much to do if we are to meet the deadline for becoming carbon neutral by 2050, not least overcoming the challenge of creating a ‘fit for purpose’ charging infrastructure. Again, we are not holding our breath.
Nonetheless, despite all the uncertainty of going forward, there are still a lot of positives to report from our industry, as you will be able to read over the next 80 plus pages.
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for the Nov-Dec 2021 issue of Export and Freight Magazine.
