Technology and job security sees fall in owner-driver numbers

摘要

The past two decades have seen a gradual decline in the number of owner-drivers, according to Mark Griffiths (right), MD at Blackburn-based Renault Truck dealer JDS Truck and Van. Griffiths said that in his 17 years in the industry a combination of factors have combined to accelerate the trend, including the growth of bigger transport operations with more buying power and more sophisticated vehicles. Another factor has been one-man operations struggling to obtain finance after the recession, he said. "There has been a move to ever-larger general haulage and warehousing companies. In times gone by, an owner-operator could maintain their own vehicle if they chose to, but trucks today are too complicated and laden with technology to allow that to happen."