AFP•GETTY The industry is reportedly short of nearly 50,000 drivers

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The stuttering road freight industry is drastically short of the number of drivers needed for the festive period, according to the Road Haulage Association (RHA) organisation – which represents more than 8,000 trucking companies. RHA chief executive Richard Burnett warned that experienced drivers are leaving the industry at an alarming rate and cannot be easily replaced. He said: "We are short of between 45,000 and 50,000 drivers and the situation is getting worse. "Thousands of older drivers are leaving the industry and younger people can't afford the £3,000 it costs to get a truck licence.

TWITTER Mr Burnett accused the Government of not doing enough to encourage young people to join the industry

The Government should support a truck driving apprenticeship but are refusing to do so Richard Burnett

Mr Burnett slammed the government's lack of support for lorry drivers, claiming it is not doing enough to encourage young people to join the industry. "The Government could help but won't. "They should support a truck driving apprenticeship but are refusing to do so; even though they are forcing the larger trucking firms to pay the new apprenticeship levy. "As far as the RHA is concerned, that amounts to little more than just a tax on payroll. What young person can find £3,000 without some help? This shortage is grave and presents a real threat to Christmas and to economic growth."

GETTY The Tories have allegedly provided no help despite forcing big firms to pay an apprenticeship levy

More than 85 per cent of everything bought in the UK is carried by a truck at some stage in the supply chain. The road freight industry and its associated warehousing operations employ more than 2.2 million people and are a vital part of the UK economy. Mr Burnett added: "Our industry is the life blood of our economy. The Government can and must do more to help with this driver shortage crisis. Its failure to do so is now posing a real threat to the UK's economic recovery."

GETTY The road freight industry employs more than 2.2 million people

The RHA is undertaking intensive lobbying of MPs this week as part of its first ever National Lorry Week. The industry will also be holding many events across the UK to draw attention to the problem. A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said its Trailblazer programme has seen more than 1,200 employers already helping to design apprenticeship training standards to meet the demands of their workplace. Trailblazers are groups of employers working together to develop an apprenticeship standard for a particular occupation.

The spokesman said: "We are still working closely with the Logistics Trailblazer group and have provided feedback to help them develop their LGV (Large Goods Vehicle) Driver apprenticeship standard." The Government is committed to delivering three million apprenticeship starts by 2020, the spokesman added.