As Russia began their invasion of the Ukraine in February, the world looked on in horror. No-one can have escaped the tragedy that has unfolded on the daily news, and these actions have been widely condemned. Whilst the human cost of the war is evident, the impact has been felt across numerous industries in ways that you might not expect.

The trucking industry is one which has been hit hard by the war, whilst still recovering from Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and a drastic shortage of drivers. Here, FleetEx, global leaders in the trucking industry, take a look at what the impact on the HGV industry has been.

HGV drivers

The HGV industry has been reeling from a loss of drivers, with an estimated shortage of tens of thousands of men and women. This has been exacerbated by the fact that a number of Ukrainian HGV drivers who have been working in the UK and Europe have now returned home to help fight for their country, have been drafted into the Ukrainian military or want to be with their families. It is not yet clear how many drivers have been affected, but with between 30% and 40% of HGV drivers in Europe coming from Ukraine, it is likely to be significant. In the UK, we have far fewer Ukrainian drivers, so the affect has not been as great. However, with driver numbers taking a hit in the rest of the EU, it is only a matter of time before the knock-on effects are felt here.

This is an understandable change, and many haulage companies have shown their support for these drivers by parking up their lorries and giving them safe haven until they are able to return.

Supply chains

Ukraine and Russia are major global suppliers of metals, food and energy, and with both now in the midst of war and Russia suffering from sanctions, these supply lines are drying up. This not only means less goods to ship, but also the parts to build and repair trucks will be in short supply.

With fewer raw materials and a surge in oil and gas prices, industrial production and manufacture is already starting to slow down in some areas. This is likely to make supply chain issues even worse, and the haulage industry is set to bear the brunt of this.

The combination of increased costs and sanctions are likely to hit a number of different industries, including aerospace, the automotive industry and electronics as materials such as titanium, nickel, cobalt and lithium start to be harder to find whilst demand shows no signs of slowing down.

With sanctions in place and a war to navigate, many haulage companies will find that traditional routes in Europe will have changed. Those who rely on routes to and from Ukraine and Russia will feel the blow first as they start to look for new business.

Fuel costs

We have all seen the prices at the fuel pumps rise dramatically since the war began, and this is set to hit the haulage industry hardest. A massive increase in fuel costs will hamper already tight margins, putting companies under even greater pressure to make ends meet. Inflation has also been driven to the highest level in three decades as a result of soaring energy costs and supply chain disruption, which is likely to squeeze costs even further.

Sadly, this terrible war seems far from over, and it is likely that the costs of it will be far reaching for some time to come. After an already tumultuous couple of years, the HGV industry is set for yet another hard time that shows no signs of easing yet.