HGV driver shortage

What do you all think of the current global hgv job shortage?

I keep reading many conflicting reports and information on the cause. Is it true parts of Europe are struggling too, and the USA? I've heard Germany and Poland are especially struggling.

The artificial crisis at the moment in the UK is stupid. Fuel crisis with massive queues at petrol stations and the stations running out of fuel completely. There is no fuel shortage, just the general public panic buying because of some news papers jumping on a story. The story was really just 2 tanker drivers going I'll and 6 garages having to temporarily close. Now due to all the idiots panic buying fuel we have a country of elderly people with their cars parked on their driver for weeks with a full tank and no fuel at stations for people who actually need it.

One garage other said a tanker of fuel would normally last them 3 days. Saturday a new delivery arrived and it later half a day! I'm a few days time everyone will have full tanks and no one will be buying fuel! It's stupid.

I really wanted to now my grass on Saturday. Needed petrol for my lawn mower. So I didn't bother. Could you imagine the looks I would have got filling up a jerry can!

I actually switched over to an electric battery powered Makita chainsaw last week to end the need for petrol, and also the hassle of starting a petrol chainsaw. So glad I did. Now seriously considering doing the same with the mower. My petrol Qualcast is getting old. Makita now make a 36v mower that should do my whole 1/3 care garden on 1.5 charges. Won't have and petrol tools if I do that. Will all run on 18v Makita batteries.

The only issue turn is the car. I would love to switch to a hybrid or electric car just to ditch fuel, but electric cars are stupid money. Even a Kia Nero is £37k second hand. That's just stupid. I could get a top spec second hand Merc or Audi for that. Currently they just funny make economic sense, ever with fuel prices.

No shortage here.

No chance of me swapping out my petrol garden tools either. I'm on a half acre and the thought of pissing around swapping batteries is really not for me (plus I only recently bought a ride on mower)

No shortage here either, only that the price for fuel is the highest it has ever been.

I use a bicycle so no issue for me :).

:doh2:

Originally Posted by J T:
No chance of me swapping out my petrol garden tools either. I'm on a half acre and the thought of pissing around swapping batteries is really not for me (plus I only recently bought a ride on mower)

I thought that a couple of years ago when someone I know said they had swapped to a rechargeable mower. But I've recently changed my mind.

I used to go for petrol garden tools because you always consider them the most powerful and quickest at refueling to keep going.

But I've got a 1/3 acre garden and with 2x 6Ah 18v batteries the 36v Makita lawnmower might actually do thr while thing on a single charge. If not I have 2 3Ah batteries to do the last bit.

I've not bought the most yet, but I'm really impressed with the Makita chainsaw I just bought. More power and torque then my petrol one and easily managed to do enough logs to fill the woodstore by the house. No more hassle buying fuel and mixing it.

There is still something about petrol tools though. That loud engine and all that power. Electric is a bit quiet. 😄

Regarding petrol. It seems the south east and London still have an issue. Must mean there are more idiots down here panic buying then the rest of the country.

I needed diesel yesterday and it took me 2 hours to find any! Every garage was either shut completely as they were out, or they only had petrol. Finally one of the supermarkets had a delivery mid morning so I had to queue up. But as I drive quite far to work each day I did have to fill the tank right up. Should last me 2-3 weeks though, then I'm on holiday for a week. So hopefully the situation should be back to normal by then.

Originally Posted by Harrison:

I've not bought the most yet, but I'm really impressed with the Makita chainsaw I just bought. More power and torque then my petrol one and easily managed to do enough logs to fill the woodstore by the house. No more hassle buying fuel and mixing it.

There is still something about petrol tools though. That loud engine and all that power. Electric is a bit quiet. 😄

Interesting points. I do tend to think of electric tools as expensive; well, the good stuff is.... I once, when I had a tiny garden, had a real cheapo battery whipper snipper (that's a strimmer or 'line trimmer', slang fans) and it was shit.

I wonder how the cost, including purchase and petrol, over the years would compare between the two.

Even my petrol tools are budget stuff really, but they do the job adequately. I don't mind the mixing and filling too much but petrol tools are hot and smelly to use though.

With electric tools the bare tools ( without batteries) are similar prices to petrol tools. The chainsaw was £194, whereas my petrol myhusqvarna chainsaw was about £185 a couple of years ago. The batteries are an initial big investment, but if you pick a good make they normally fit and work with all their tools, so it's a one off purchase, and you can then expand your tools and keep using the same batteries.

I went with Makita when I bought a bundle that included 2 batteries, charger, drill and impact driver. I've then expended my tools but used thr same batteries.

But for thr new chainsaw I've actually bought some third party compatible 6Ah batteries that were far cheaper than the real Makita ones. Will they play as long? No idea, but 1 Makita 5Ah battery is about £60. Whereas 2x 6Ah third party batteries were £54, so I thought I'd take a chance.

Some of the older battery powered tools were underpowered as they used either 10.8V or 18V batteries. What Makita and a couple of others are doing now is making tools that use 2x 18v batteries at once, so you have 36v power and it makes a huge difference. My brush cutter is easily as good as my older petrol one. But these tools have only really reached this point in thr last couple of years.