'If I could retire at this minute, I would do' driver says

This morning, the T&A spoke to lorry drivers who were taking a well-earned break at the Hartshead Moor services, between junction 25 for Brighouse and junction 26 at Chain Bar.

Robert Scorer, 60, who has been a HGV driver for the past 40 years, said his days consist of 12-to-15-hour shifts, cooped in his cab as he tries to get his job done.

Robert was just about to get a coffee at the Hartshead Moor.

When asked about the HGV driver crisis, he spoke in the wider context about the facilities faced by drivers at service areas up and down the country.

Speaking generally about conditions across the UK, he said: “We aren’t going to get more drivers if the conditions and facilities are this bad.

“The whole attitude of the country is terrible at this point.

“Nobody thinks about anyone else.

“If we ask to use the bathroom, they say no and when you get to the ones for lorry drivers, they aren’t clean.

“You don’t even want to think about the showers.

“I’m 60, I’ve been doing this since I was 21 and I’ve had it up to here with it.

“The conditions have got worse, and the long hours are extremely tough.

“It’s a job nobody wants to do anymore.

“If I could retire right this minute I would do.”

Hartshead moor

Robert starts his day at 4:30 am and with winter approaching he’s going to be driving in the dark for up to 15 hours.

“You’ve got to be careful not to get stopped by the police because the fines are through the roof.

“And then drivers just cut you up.”

The petrol situation hasn’t affected lorry drivers as severely due to the fact they can fill up at their yard but when jobs have taken longer than expected, they have also had to wait in line.

The biggest issue HGV drivers face in petrol crisis is the queuing up to get into service stations for their break.

They may not need petrol but accessing break areas has been just as difficult.

It is considered that there is a shortage of 100,000 HGV drivers in the UK.

Many feel that Brexit is the issue, alongside the pandemic.

Chris Carter, another HGV driver who was passing through Hartshead Moor today, told the T&A: “People need to stop panic buying.

“It will only make the situation worse.

“We need to fuel up as well and our job is reliant on us being able to get around.”

“If we stop, then there will be even more of a panic considering what we’re lugging around the country.”

The petrol station when asked about the situation regarding fuel refused to comment.