There is no question that the recent fuel crisis has shone a light on the vital nature of the HGV driver shortage throughout the UK – and the importance of tackling it sooner rather than later.
As queues continue to form outside petrol stations full of drivers trying to fill their tanks, the impact has been felt on a national scale by organisations large and small. The lack of workers available, and the problems they face in order to distribute goods, has seen several of the ‘big chain suppliers’ warning customers and wider stakeholders about the struggles they face.
Many businesses are exploring alternatives to ensure they have enough products to stock the shelves too – for example, Tesco has even started to import items from Spain by train. And other companies are forecasting challenging months to come, including online electricals retailer AO World which has already seen its growth trajectory severely compromised, as a result.
As a trusted and well-established brand operating within the supply chain, OT Group is increasingly aware of the current economic impacts – and how they’ve been occurring long before the recent fuel crisis, Covid-19 outbreak, or subsequent ‘pingdemic.’
While we’re not experiencing stock concerns at present, we still felt it was important to get ahead of the curve and mitigate any disruption to customers, should the driver shortage crisis continue.
As a result, we have taken the following measures to support you:
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We’ve increased stock settings – by over 50% compared to June – making substantial increases in both the order volume and value we have been placing on our suppliers. - We’re working with our vendor base to stock a second warehouse in Manchester.
- We’ve increased our use of pallet multiples to optimise the efficient use of available transport.
- And we’re now utilising our own haulage partner to collect from suppliers, where possible.
Furthermore, by working more closely with our suppliers we’re able to identify issues before they arise. Armed with this information, we’re resourcing products from other trusted suppliers throughout the distribution channel, where necessary. If a product isn’t available, we’ll always try and offer an alternative to customers.
Although we have these measures in place, we’re not stopping there either. Our Central Inventory team will be increasing stocks on certain lines when stock is made available too. And, in cases where the option is available, we’re arranging a collection from suppliers when they’re struggling to find the transport to deliver.
We’re sure you’ll be keeping a keen eye on the current driver shortage – we are too. That’s why we know it’s important to reassure you that we’re committed to exploring solutions to minimise disruption and we’ll continue to communicate directly with you. We’d also encourage you to keep speaking with your OT Group Account Manager about any concerns you may have.
