Take These (Supply) Chains from My Heart

[Jdsk]

It's National Lorry Week.

Letter to the Prime Minister:
https://www.rha.uk.net/Portals/0/News/L ... 5171936513

Concludes:

It is our collective view that there has never been a more challenging time for the UK haulage industry. We urge you to act urgently and decisively or risk further damage to not only our businesses and livelihoods, but the UK’s integrated and finely balanced supply chains.

Put simply, we will not be able to build back better and recover from the pandemic without a thriving haulage industry and we urge you to take the necessary action to ensure that we can continue to play our essential role underpinning the UK economy, both now and in the future.

Jonathan

[reohn2]

In case anyone missed it:- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... u#comments

[reohn2]

More Tory lies:- https://youtu.be/I0i5ix_y1WM

[Jdsk]

NAO report: "The UK border: Post UK-EU transition period":
https://www.nao.org.uk/report/the-uk-bo ... on-period/
includes:
"The current overall operating model for the EU–GB border is not sustainable, and much more work is needed to put in place a stable operating model that eliminates any risk of WTO challenge from trading partners, does not require any temporary supports, and has clarity and ease of use for border users."

FT coverage: "Delayed UK border checks increase risk of smuggling and trade disputes":
https://www.ft.com/content/1c0474cc-332 ... pe=nongift

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

Passports:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-594 ... medium=RSS

"A delivery company has apologised amid reports that people are facing lengthy delays receiving their passports and some have had to cancel travel plans in the run-up to Christmas.
"TNT, which is owned by FedEx, has an exclusive contract to deliver travel documents for the UK Passport Office.
"But there are reports of delivery dates being delayed multiple times, with some people still waiting after a month rather than the standard two days.
"Passports have also been lost."

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

Pigs being culled and carcasses discarded:
https://www.farminguk.com/news/16-000-p ... 59424.html

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

Alcohol for Christmas:
https://www.wsta.co.uk/archives/press-r ... age-crisis

“There is mounting concern amongst our membership that unless urgent action is taken, we will fall deeper into delivery chaos. 49 member companies have put their name to our letter calling on the Transport Secretary to extend the temporary visa scheme and improve transport routes.
"We are already seeing major delays on wine and spirit delivery times which is pushing up costs and limiting the range of products available to UK consumers. Government needs to be doing all it can to ensure British business is not operating with one hand tied behind its back over the festive season and beyond.”

Jonathan

PS: Also discussed here:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=148927

[Jdsk]

Gammon:
https://www.politicshome.com/news/artic ... cher-visas

Jonathan

NB restraint from political stereotyping! ; - )

[Jdsk]

"A coalition of leading food and farming businesses is warning the UK faces a deepening food supply chain crisis unless government takes urgent and meaningful action to fix the structural issues facing the industry."
https://www.nfuonline.com/media-centre/ ... ty-summit/

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

Ever wondered about what happened after the HGV flurry earlier this year?

Trucks, trainers and testing, including some numbers:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59591799

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

Care workers

"UK migration advisers call for care workers to be fast-tracked for visas":
https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... -committee

Jonathan

[PH]

Ever wondered about what happened after the HGV flurry earlier this year?
Trucks, trainers and testing, including some numbers:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59591799
Jonathan

I'm working in a transport office two nights a week for the winter, can't wait for the contract to end and ignoring any suggestion of extending it.
It's chaos and getting worse, this is for a central trunking depot for one of the major logistics firms that has built a reputation, and many millions, on the ability to be more efficient than anyone else. It's out of control, the whole logistics industry is based on running close to capacity, the knock on effect of being one driver short can be that ten loads run at a loss. I'm frequently having empty trailers moved across the country, because the loads are out of sequence and they're not where needed, that was unheard of a couple of years ago. Contracts have all been renegotiated, otherwise penalty clauses would have bankrupted all the major players, it's well above my pay grade to see such contracts, they must in some way spread the losses.
There's no doubt that Brexit has made it worse, but it'd be wrong to assume it's the only problem. The supply chain issues are international, what Brexit has done is move the UK down the priority list.
I have no idea what the solution is, I don't think anyone does, we're certainly not on any road to it. I don't think the scale of the problem has even been generally understood.

[[XAP]Bob]

Brexit isn't the only factor, but it's not nearly as bad in the single market (including NI, but obviously excluding britain).

It is a major factor, and one which is on top of the other factors.

[Jdsk]

Ever wondered about what happened after the HGV flurry earlier this year?
Trucks, trainers and testing, including some numbers:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59591799
Jonathan

I'm working in a transport office two nights a week for the winter, can't wait for the contract to end and ignoring any suggestion of extending it.
It's chaos and getting worse, this is for a central trunking depot for one of the major logistics firms that has built a reputation, and many millions, on the ability to be more efficient than anyone else. It's out of control, the whole logistics industry is based on running close to capacity, the knock on effect of being one driver short can be that ten loads run at a loss. I'm frequently having empty trailers moved across the country, because the loads are out of sequence and they're not where needed, that was unheard of a couple of years ago. Contracts have all been renegotiated, otherwise penalty clauses would have bankrupted all the major players, it's well above my pay grade to see such contracts, they must in some way spread the losses.
There's no doubt that Brexit has made it worse, but it'd be wrong to assume it's the only problem. The supply chain issues are international, what Brexit has done is move the UK down the priority list.
I have no idea what the solution is, I don't think anyone does, we're certainly not on any road to it. I don't think the scale of the problem has even been generally understood.

Very interesting. Thankyou.

The costs of this are now becoming apparent. For example yesterday's inflation figures, and many analysts are putting supply chain problems high on their list of causes.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflatio ... vember2021

Jonathan

[[XAP]Bob]

And this shortage despite us doing less trade than at any time since the early 1980s