UK HGV driver shortage and vacancies
UK HGV driver vacancies and delivery disruptions from the Department for Transport quarterly HGV business survey.
| Indicator | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | Q4-2023 | Q3-2023 | Q2-2023 | Q1-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacancies — Yes | 616 | 580 | 687 | 567 | 528 | 497 | 619 | 500 | 430 | 374 | 495 | 514 | 490 | |
| Vacancies — No | 1,679 | 1,571 | 1,450 | 1,482 | 1,563 | 1,476 | 1,496 | 1,492 | 1,762 | 1,622 | 1,595 | 1,642 | 1,732 | |
| Vacancies — Do not know | 129 | 91 | 115 | 101 | 110 | 94 | 111 | 109 | 99 | 99 | 96 | 100 | 92 | |
| Vacancies — Total number of responses | 2,424 | 2,242 | 2,252 | 2,150 | 2,201 | 2,067 | 2,226 | 2,101 | 2,291 | 2,095 | 2,186 | 2,256 | 2,314 | |
| Vacancies — Yes (%) | 25 | 26 | 31 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 24 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 23 | 21 | |
| Vacancies — No (%) | 69 | 70 | 64 | 69 | 71 | 71 | 67 | 71 | 77 | 77 | 73 | 73 | 75 | |
| Vacancies — Do not know (%) | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Better pay or benefits elsewhere | 227 | 245 | 284 | 232 | 177 | 186 | 222 | 176 | 145 | 152 | 210 | 232 | 203 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Require more drivers to take on new work | 158 | 151 | 179 | 157 | 141 | 127 | 175 | 152 | 105 | 110 | 142 | 132 | 133 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Existing drivers leaving industry | 235 | 222 | 259 | 202 | 172 | 179 | 205 | 155 | 138 | 148 | 156 | 194 | 152 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Driver retirement | 217 | 190 | 198 | 173 | 164 | 169 | 187 | 168 | 152 | 127 | 137 | 172 | 151 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — New drivers not entering profession | 137 | 145 | 152 | 118 | 88 | 93 | 110 | 68 | 56 | 64 | 99 | 86 | 99 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Lack of European drivers | 0 | 44 | 62 | 41 | 44 | 37 | 45 | 35 | 22 | 35 | 58 | 58 | 44 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Working hours or conditions | 121 | 129 | 134 | 120 | 88 | 95 | 99 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 84 | 93 | 81 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Off-payroll (IR35) rule change | 0 | 26 | 33 | 15 | 17 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 11 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 22 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Unavailable HGV driving tests | 5 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 16 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — COVID-19 related | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 16 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Other | 49 | 42 | 53 | 47 | 52 | 46 | 71 | 56 | 60 | 28 | 43 | 36 | 44 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Number of responses with vacancies | 616 | 580 | 687 | 567 | 528 | 497 | 619 | 500 | 430 | 374 | 495 | 514 | 490 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Better pay or benefits elsewhere (%) | 37 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 34 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 41 | 42 | 45 | 41 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Require more drivers to take on new work (%) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 27 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Existing drivers leaving industry (%) | 38 | 38 | 38 | 36 | 33 | 36 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 40 | 32 | 38 | 31 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Driver retirement (%) | 35 | 33 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 34 | 30 | 34 | 35 | 34 | 28 | 33 | 31 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — New drivers not entering profession (%) | 22 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 20 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Lack of European drivers (%) | 0 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 9 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Working hours or conditions (%) | 20 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Off-payroll (IR35) rule change (%) | 0 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Unavailable HGV driving tests (%) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — COVID-19 related (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
| Reasons for vacancies — Other (%) | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | |
| Missed deliveries — Yes | 114 | 135 | 160 | 133 | 72 | 100 | 117 | 80 | 49 | 62 | 89 | 88 | 68 | |
| Missed deliveries — No | 343 | 268 | 298 | 263 | 305 | 255 | 311 | 270 | 271 | 192 | 259 | 259 | 296 | |
| Missed deliveries — No by changing suppliers or by finding alternative solutions | 89 | 98 | 139 | 91 | 85 | 86 | 117 | 83 | 56 | 62 | 82 | 100 | 67 | |
| Missed deliveries — Do not know | 62 | 72 | 74 | 68 | 53 | 42 | 61 | 56 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 45 | 44 | |
| Missed deliveries — No response | 8 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 22 | 22 | 15 | |
| Missed deliveries — Number of responses with vacancies | 616 | 580 | 687 | 567 | 528 | 497 | 619 | 500 | 430 | 374 | 495 | 514 | 490 | |
| Missed deliveries — Yes (%) | 19 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 14 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | |
| Missed deliveries — No (%) | 56 | 46 | 43 | 46 | 58 | 51 | 50 | 54 | 63 | 51 | 52 | 50 | 60 | |
| Missed deliveries — No by changing suppliers or by finding alternative solutions (%) | 14 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 14 | |
| Missed deliveries — Do not know (%) | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | |
| Missed deliveries — No response (%) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |
| Survey response quality — Responses | 3,241 | 2,950 | 3,039 | 2,991 | 3,039 | 2,852 | 3,105 | 2,888 | 3,207 | 2,868 | 2,978 | 3,027 | 3,386 | |
| Survey response quality — Duplicates | 523 | 437 | 534 | 542 | 572 | 506 | 559 | 509 | 576 | 504 | 506 | 508 | 733 | |
| Survey response quality — Incomplete response | 485 | 418 | 416 | 474 | 460 | 465 | 529 | 446 | 530 | 452 | 453 | 402 | 614 | |
| Survey response quality — Valid responses | 2,424 | 2,242 | 2,252 | 2,150 | 2,201 | 2,067 | 2,226 | 2,101 | 2,291 | 2,095 | 2,186 | 2,256 | 2,314 |
Latest reading
Vacancies — Yes stood at 616 Responses in Q1 2026. That is +6.2% from Q4 2025 and +16.7% from a year earlier. The series on this page is quarterly and runs from Q4 2021 to Q1 2026. Source: GOV.UK official statistics.
- Latest
- 616 Responses
- Q1 2026
- vs previous period
- +6.2%
- Q4 2025
- vs a year earlier
- +16.7%
About this data
UK HGV driver vacancies and delivery disruptions from the Department for Transport quarterly HGV business survey. Counts are survey responses, not population totals, with conditional questions using different denominators and multiple-choice reasons. The table includes responses and published percentages without recalculating them, covering the whole United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
- What do the UK HGV driver vacancy statistics measure?
- The dataset records quarterly business survey responses on UK heavy goods vehicle driver vacancies, delivery disruptions, missed deliveries, and the primary reasons cited for unfilled driver roles.
- How far back do UK HGV driver vacancy survey records go?
- Official quarterly statistics on UK HGV driver vacancies and delivery disruptions compiled from Department for Transport survey responses begin in 2021.
- What reasons are monitored for UK HGV driver shortages?
- Reported reasons include driver retirement, pay or benefits elsewhere, lack of European drivers, unavailable driving tests, working conditions, and off-payroll IR35 rule changes.
- Are the figures in this UK HGV driver table population totals?
- No, the table reports raw survey response counts and published response percentages from surveyed transport businesses across the United Kingdom rather than grossed-up national totals.
