A company which supplies food to care homes and restaurants says it is taking "drastic action" to try to get round the shortage of UK lorry drivers.

The boss of Country Range said the group was buying smaller vans in the face of "significant" problems caused by a lack of qualified HGV drivers.

Managing director Coral Rose said the issue was "going to get worse" as schools and offices return to normal.

Industry warnings about the impact of driver shortages have been increasing.

On Wednesday, both Tesco and Iceland said there could be some shortages on the shelves in the run up to the key Christmas trading period.

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A combination of Covid, Brexit and other factors has meant there are not enough drivers to meet demand.

The Road Haulage Association estimates there is now a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers in the UK, out of a pre-pandemic total of about 600,000.

That number included tens of thousands of drivers from EU member states who were living and working in the UK. Even before Covid, the estimated shortage was about 60,000 drivers.

'Increased pressure'

Country Range is a group of 12 wholesalers supplying food and non-food items to schools, care homes, hotels, restaurants and small shops.

Ms Rose said the shortage of drivers had affected both the supply of products from manufacturers to its warehouses and also from its warehouses to its customers.

more drivers. There could be some increased resource in that area as well and that would help."

Why Choose a Career in Logistics?

Mantra Learning aim to help limit the impact of the national shortage throughout the logistic sector.

Logistics was one of the biggest growth sectors in 2020, with annual salaries increasing by 2.6%. Employment rates in warehousing are at an all-time high. The recent pandemic has highlighted to the nation just how crucial these key workers are, which is why this is one of the most stable careers out there.

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