By Victor Jack

LONDON (Reuters) – For Tom Reddy, it was the disgusting conditions that convinced him to quit as a British trucker, with few toilets and even fewer showers forcing drivers into desperate solutions at the side of the road.

Reddy (36), is one of many to stop driving after 15 year. He is not the only one to leave an industry struggling to maintain Britain’s gas stations, shops, and factories.

People smugglers have targeted trucks for migrants entering Britain. Thieves are trying to steal petrol while the drivers rest.

After Brexit, which saw many European workers leave the EU and the outbreak of pandemics that engulfed testing and training, the industry claims it requires another 100,000 drivers. Many drivers believe the problem is more serious than this, as new hires are being discouraged by hostile working conditions and 15-hour work days.

Reddy explained to Reuters that if there is an orange drink (Irn Bru) lying around on the floor, or bags hanging from the tree at a layby you’ll know the contents.”

“It is pretty dark. This is not a career for young people.

For years, the haulage industry warned that workers are being put off by deteriorating working conditions. However, this problem came to an end when oil and retail companies announced they didn’t have enough drivers to run their operations.

One driver claimed that his hourly pay has increased from 14 to 18 pounds, and he also receives a small retainer bonus.

To attract former truck drivers to return to their jobs, the government is also granting temporary visas to 5,000 overseas truck drivers.

George Eustice (environment minister) said that more needs to be done in order to attract younger workers to the sector. He also suggested that more drivers would allow for more flexibility and work more efficiently.

Simon Record realized how difficult his job was after being placed on furlough in the middle of the pandemic. The 600km drive (370 mile) required for daily work often began at 3:00 a.m.

The 42-year old said that he was enjoying his family time, which helped him see the reality of what he does for a living.

Bob Beech is a Wiltshire-based 65 year old trucker. He has been traveling for 45+ years and said that he’s faced thieves trying to take his fuel, as well as people smugglers. His clients also penalised him for not being on time or forced him to wait long to load.

His words were a scathing attack on a critical sector of society. “People have had enough of being forced to work double the usual working hours for very little pay and having their lives ruined by society.”

It’s like living in a parallel universe, where your real identity is not being recognized.”