u/HGVguideUK

There are probably many small tips experienced drivers pick up over the years that sat-nav doesn’t really teach.

One of mine would be to look for clues in the settlement itself.

Some British place names still give clues about the landscape or history:

• -chester / -caster / -cester — often linked to Roman forts or settlements: Chester, Doncaster, Leicester.
• -ford — historically a river crossing: Oxford, Stafford, Hereford.
• -mouth — often where a river meets the sea: Exmouth, Teignmouth, Tynemouth.
• -by — common in areas of Viking settlement, particularly northern and eastern England: Derby, Whitby, Grimsby.
• -bridge — settlements that developed around crossings.
• -dale / -combe — valleys.
• -bourne / burn — streams or watercourses.

It obviously won’t tell you exactly where a place is, but it can give you another clue when building a mental picture of the country.

What small tip, pattern or bit of road knowledge would you pass on to a new driver?

Fun fact I read in a book recently.

A lot of towns ending in -chester, -cester or -caster can trace their names back to Roman forts or settlements.

• Manchester
• Cirencester
• Dorchester
• Colchester
• Leicester
• Lancaster
• Towcester
• Chichester
• Worcester
• Gloucester
• Winchester
• Chester

I have probably driven through most of these without ever thinking about it.

Any other Roman legacies around Britain that you know of?

I've been mulling this over for a while and I'm genuinely interested in whether I'm missing something.

One thing I've noticed over the years is that drivers seem to spot changes in the economy before most people. We feel the ups and downs long before they make the news.

The only problem is the industry seems to change direction with all the urgency of me trying to reverse into a services bay on my first week after passing my Class 1.

Everyone still talks about a driver shortage, but I'm starting to wonder if we're asking the wrong question.

The latest figures still show around a quarter of haulage companies reporting driver vacancies, yet we're nowhere near the panic we saw in 2021.

So is it really a shortage of drivers?

Or is it a shortage of experienced drivers who actually want to stay in the industry?

Most people I've worked with haven't packed it in because they suddenly stopped enjoying driving. They've left because of unpredictable hours, poor planning, nights out becoming expected, lack of decent facilities, missing family time, or because they can earn similar money elsewhere with far less hassle.

That got me thinking.

Freight demand changes constantly. One month everyone's crying out for drivers, the next month work goes quiet. Customers win and lose contracts, volumes fluctuate, and haulage companies have to adapt.

Yet our employment model hasn't really changed.

We either employ another full-time driver and carry that fixed cost, or we ring an agency when we're short.

What if the driver shortage isn't actually the problem anymore?

What if the real problem is that we've built an employment model that's too rigid for an industry where demand changes every week?

Is there another way?

Imagine if experienced drivers could publish their genuine availability weeks in advance.

Companies could see that availability and reserve it before they actually needed it, instead of making emergency agency calls the night before.

Drivers could choose exactly what suits them. Operators could build relationships with trusted professionals instead of different agency drivers every week.

Smaller haulage firms might have more confidence bidding for larger contracts because they could plan extra driving capacity without immediately committing to another full-time wage. They'd have more flexibility to grow when demand is there, without carrying unnecessary costs when it isn't.

I'm not talking about turning the clock back to before IR35.

I'm wondering whether technology could support a more flexible workforce that works within today's rules—keeping more of the relationship between the operator and the driver instead of relying on a third party whenever demand changes.

Maybe the future of haulage isn't finding more drivers.

Maybe it's making better use of the experienced drivers and vehicles we already have.

I've probably overlooked something obvious, and that's exactly why I'm posting this.

Interested to hear from drivers, planners, transport managers and operators.

What am I missing?

Would a model like this solve a problem, or does the industry already have the right answer and I'm simply not seeing it?

Quick question...

Outside of CPC and licence training, have you ever paid for anything extra to help you in the job?

I’ve personally paid for things myself because I’ve found it can help with progression in the industry, as well as giving you a bit more of an edge on paper and in the workplace.

I don’t mean compulsory training.

I mean things like tachograph help, drivers’ hours, WTD, ADR, transport manager CPC, compliance guides, job advice, coaching, guidance, or anything that helps you understand the job better.

I’m curious if others do the same, or whether most people only bother if the company pays for it.

Where do you draw the line between something being worth paying for and something you wouldn’t bother with?