Government to take measures to ease fuel supply chain pressures

Measures to ease supply issues Photo John Horton

The Government is taking measures to help ease supply chain pressures and spikes in localised demand for fuel, including the approval to put on standby a pool of military drivers and extension to specific HGV licences.

British Army tanker drivers will be brought to a state of readiness in order to be deployed if required to deliver fuel to where it is needed most and to provide reassurance that fuel supplies remain strong. The military drivers will receive specialised training before deploying, enabling them to work with industry to address the supply chain pressures.

The Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) request was issued by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng on Monday.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “While the fuel industry expects demand will return to its normal levels in the coming days, it’s right that we take this sensible, precautionary step.

“The UK continues to have strong supplies of fuel, however we are aware of supply chain issues at fuel station forecourts and are taking steps to ease these as a matter of priority.

“If required, the deployment of military personnel will provide the supply chain with additional capacity as a temporary measure to help ease pressures caused by spikes in localised demand for fuel.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has authorised an extension to ADR driver licences, which allow drivers to transport goods, such as fuel.

The measure will apply to licences expiring between 27 September 2021 and 31 December 2021, and extend their validity until 31 January 2022.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Even though the current network of tanker drivers is capable of delivering all the fuel we need – we have taken the additional step of asking the army to help plug the gap, whilst new HGV drivers come on stream thanks to all the other measures we’ve already taken.

“Extending ADR licences will further help ease any pressures on fuel drivers by removing the need for refresher training courses and ensuring they can keep providing their vital service on our roads.”

The announcement follows a joint statement issued by the fuel industry confirming that fuel supplies at UK refineries and terminals remain high as well as encouraging the public to continue to purchase fuel as normal.

Over the weekend the Businesses Secretary took the decision to enact the Downstream Oil Protocol to relax competition rules to make it easier for industry to share information. This will help the sector to prioritise the delivery of fuel to the parts of the country and strategic locations that are most in need.

Currently supply issues in Thanet have resulted in the cancellation of matches for Margate and Ramsgate football clubs and continuing queues at isle forecourts.

70 Comments

  1. I cannot understand why the Army are just on standby.
    Why cannot the Army make deliveries at night whilst most people are Zzzzzzzzzzing.
    Forecourt owners and fuel companies have all increased prices over the past few days thus paying for the additional time a forecourt manager has to be on site.. Tanker drivers and garage managers and owners know potentially in advance when a delivery is expected. Modern technology allows for text messages to be sent in advance or even when a tanker is 1 hour away so the site owner/manager doesn’t have to be on site all night.

    Blame the media for the situation we are in. There were sufficient drivers before this situation arose and there will be after.

    Regretfully I have to say I am alright Jack. I have an EV so I can charge over night at home whilst I am Zzzzzzing

    • Don’t forget your electricity charges are rising making the expensive electric vehicle more unviable in the present climate

  2. The problem stems from the Lockdown! Many tanker, and HGV drivers stopped working, and thousands of EU drivers returned back home, as they were made unwelcome here! Now there is the perfect storm! I know of an HGV driver in his late 50’s who said he has given up driving, and he knows of many more people doing the same! Its not just the pay, its the poor conditions, having to sleep in a truck, unable to keep clean, urinating into plastic bottles, its no wonder women drivers aren’t interested in the job! And I suggest you car and van owners, make sure you lock your petrol caps, there are cases reported of people stealing fuel by syphoning it off! My cousin Bill was caught doing this during the Suez crisis in 1956, when petrol was rationed for a time, and he got fined £5.00 a lot of money then, probably about £100,00 today!

      • Quite right Mark! Johnson is a fly by night, blustering, chancer! He has built a career on trying to be a mini me poor mans Trump! Every time you see him blustering he is trying to think of an answer to con people, without getting caught! It doesn’t work, remember the £350 million painted on his bus, when he was swanning around the UK, that said the UK would save if we left the EU, yeah right!

        Johnson was informed there was a massive loss of HGV, and Tanker drivers last June so it was reported, but we all knew that well before then, when stores started to have empty shelves! So what did the great chancer do? What he always does when something unpleasant happens, he ignored it! Johnson has always trusted that he could get out of scrapes on a wing and a prayer, but its stopped working for him now! Now he is trying to say the lack of fuel is down to people panic buying, NO IT’s NOT! Its down to HGV and Tanker drivers getting alternative jobs, with better pay, and conditions! So, don’t blame the public for something this incompetent Tory government should have fixed long ago!

  3. R, you don’t want to boast about having an electric car with the lack of investment in power stations and closing the coal fired ones down its only a matter of time before we have power cuts with no wind no windmills turning. Still it will please Boris and the Green Party for us all to not to move sitting in the dark.

  4. You can’t tell me that within less than a week we have such a shortage of hgv and tanker drivers to the sum of hundred thousand drivers. This was known about ages ago so I’m afraid the government has caused this problem and also may be shortage of food for Christmas another difficult Christmas time if its not sorted out and on top of all the difficulties most people and families are facing shame on people involved with this mess again. And also because of lack of supply drivers not fuel but some garages have put there fuel prices up what’s government going to do about this money making process in the time of hard times.

  5. It is predicted that the government will not be able to operate past Christmas time, as they thrive on b*ll shit. There will no longer be enough drivers available to deliver it for them.

  6. My shout, kind of know a few european hgv drivers. They begin their week exporting freight to Uk their units have extra diesel tanks (long range). They stay in uk mon-fri trunking your internet purchase point to point and on friday evening they export cargo to europe.
    Hey sounds great but in the uk they are paid per mile (tacho), no other payments, they sleep/eat/wash in their cabs and take welfare breaks in our lay bys or pee into plastic bottles.

    So its a c-rap job !

    Other consideration is european hgv drivers and general labourers can move around europe with their ID card previously UK allowed them to enter Uk with their ID card (passport) in a few days they will need a paper book passport (not a plastic european ID card) to enter UK (unless our woke gov has changed its own rules)

    Love the UK but not those in command.

    Military intervention needs to be paid for, its not free. Seen it all before.
    Others will have opinions and disagreements.

    Remainers are not helping out.

    • Why should remainers help out?

      This situation, the mess this country is in and the mess that is to come is entirely caused by those that voted leave, so you reap what you so. If those that voted leave took responsibility for there actions, held there hands up and admitted they have destroyed the UK as an economy for nothing then maybe the ‘remainers might help out’. I am yet to see one benefit from leaving the EU, yet I have seen many negatives, nationally and in personal and business life.

  7. Like all lies eventually the truth comes out in one way or other this is one of the ways. Brexit as the biggest Con from the Con-seratives. I look forward to the next general election to watch the results.

  8. A poor response from the Conservatives. The number of army drivers is tiny. And only 5,000 HGV drivers are planned to come from the EU.
    Not sure anybody from eastern Europe will bother taking those jobs. The Pound has fallen so low recently that there is very little benefit working in the UK compared to Poland or Hungary, say.
    Why take a job in this country, sleeping in the cab and using any layby or scrap of empty land as a parking area and toilet?
    Facilities are so much better on the Continent.
    I am old enough to remember the lorry drivers strike in the ’70s. What a howl of outrage from the tabloid Press! So many fanciful stories about how they were greedy, overpaid etc.
    So there was little progress on pay or conditions.
    Eventually, something has got to give. The drivers have been voting with their feet. Retiring, emigrating, getting another job.
    Add on the effects of Brexit, making it not worthwhile for EU drivers to face the miserable hostility to anybody who is different (also known as “British patriotism”) and we arrive at a point where petrol is not getting to the garages and food is slow getting to the supermarkets. (Assuming it has even left the farm, given the shortage of farm staff).

    This should have been predicted? Well, maybe, but our newspapers were full of fantasies about how great it would be outside the EU. No room for reality. Reality has a habit of rearing up and biting you in the bum, even though you might want to ignore it.

    • Brexit is well and truly to blame for many of our woes.
      The EU was a major trading partner. We lost them. To be replaced with … what? Certainly not a trade deal with the USA.
      Financial and manufacturing business are moving … to Europe .. because that’s where the trade is.
      We were promised £350,000,000 a week for the NHS. Where is it?
      We were promised control of our borders. Our seas and our fish. Our cattle and sheep.
      But we’re “Great” Britain again, and we’ve got back our Sovereignty, and pounds, shillings and ounces, so that’s all right.

        • What a nice person you seem to be Keith. The only person who is a disgrace Keith is you for how you conduct yourself on here.

          Phyllis pointed out what Boris and his chums promised of Brexit, now that it is all proven to be lies and you are reminded of those lies and that you fell for them, your response is to call Phyllis a loser and a disgrace to the country. Phyllis has pointed out the truth and the reality of the situation we are now in.

          You really do show yourself up acting like a child here, typical of Pro-Brexit voters now the reality is starting to bite and you realise you were pretty much a Turkey that voted for Christmas.

          • RL much nicer than you I do not go around calling people liars gammon or turkey because they disagree with me at least I am not chicken to hide behind initials, you do and I take it you are aware that calling some one gammon is hate speech keep on and I will inform the police of your behaviour business man or not the child is you RL a name calling child now it must be past your bed time you are up late for some one your age don’t forget teddy

      • Phyllis whatever you say answer me this if UK is as bad as you’d have us believe why have approx 2.5-5million EU nationals applied to stay here? perhaps not so bad after all aye? and please do not say it’s because of their work or families here they know where they are better off unlike you,now merkle has gone the EU is finished another reason for them to stay

    • You keep lapping up what Sky and the Daily Mail tell you. The rest of the EU have nowhere near as bad a situation as the UK, why would that be?

      You can live in denial all you want but the reality is, is that Brexit is destroying the country and nothing that was promised is happening, it is going to get a lot worse too.

      We have no trade deals that are worth the paper they are written on, no free movement to work and our old trading partner the EU is taking all the trade, the UK will end up one of the most impoverished countries in the western world because of some short sighted people that bought a load of lies, and are too ignorant to see it.

      • RL as I have said USA and Australia are suffering too is that down to Brexit too? what is it with the name calling every time some one disagrees with you?you belong in the playground let alone being in business

        • Get a life Keith, you clearly have anger issues and should stay well clear from any sort of debate as you clearly can’t cope with anyone who has a different opinion or points out reality to you. You just try and shout people down as you have no idea what you are talking about. Keep reading that right wing propaganda and pretend everything is great!

          Oh yeah the country is really on the up since Brexit isn’t it……..open your eyes!

          Enjoy your GAMMON for dinner!

          • RL you are pathetic what age are you six , seven? you are not intelligent enough to be any older calling me gammon really? that is hate language says a lot about you doesn’t it?now I would appreciate it if you would get lost

          • RL you are full on pathetic you are as sad loser who needs to get help with your attitude towards people it is not me that has the problem you are narked because Brexit didn’t go your way my chosen political party doesn’t always do what I expect them to but I do not call people liars turkey or gammon that is you RL YOU

          • Keith, as I said, you clearly have anger issues. The only person name calling as usual is yourself, do you even read what you write to others and how insulting you are? I don’t have an attitude towards anyone, I just don’t like bullies which you quite clearly are and am more than happy to call you out for it. It is yourself that seems to completely loose the plot at anyone who has a different opinion to yourself, look how you spoke to Marva and Phyllis, is that acceptable to you? If you think it is you need to take a long hard look at yourself.

            I didn’t call you a Turkey, it is a well known saying, here is an explanation of it for you, it sums up Brexit pretty well I feel…….. Turkeys voting for Christmas is an English idiom used as a metaphor for a situation in which a choice made is clearly against one’s self-interest.

            For the record Brexit didn’t even go the way the people voted for Brexit wanted, hence why the country is now in the position it is in and industries are quite literally going bankrupt.

          • RL you are the bully that kept on at my wife now you are trying it with me that whole first paragraph is what I have said to you you are only repeating my comment you are the bully mate and if I recall my wife thought that you must be a real delight to your mother again you are a nasty bully who uses hate speech towards people you are insulting oh and a referendum loser get over it bully boy I have no time for people like you.

          • Keith don’t call me ‘mate’ I would never associate with someone like you.

            If you have no time why are you on here at 11:30pm writing another post when at 10pm you said you had, had enough for today and were pulling the plug? I didn’t keep on at your wife, she and you keep on at myself and others you both even reply to your own posts and keep venting. You are classic bullies, dish it out put can’t cope when it is served back.

            Now as you and your wife say, I am shutting you down!

  9. RL remain voters lost 17.4 million voted to leave it is what happens in a democracy you have depressed me enough for today so I am doing what I normally do and pulling the plug on your sorry little ass

    • I don’t think Keith Peeling is a real person. I think the writer is Lesley Peeling.

      Ideally, the awful Peeling postings should be ignored, but they are so rude to individuals that this is hard to do.

      • That’s the problem Marva, the ‘Peelings’ seem to think they are above anyone else and free to speak to people in a disgusting way. Yet when they are treated how they treat others they can’t cope and cry wolf!

        You are right people like them are best ignored, but when they are such bullies it is hard to not confront it. They remind me of The Twits.

    • 17.4 million people may have voted to leave but the rest of UK’s adult population didn’t. Either they voted to stay in the EU or they didn’t vote at all.

    • And what a disaster it’s turned out to be.
      Fuel shortages. Our fishermen and farmers sold down the river. Crops rotting in the fields. Pigs slaughtered and dumped. No super deal with the USA – in fact Joe Biden couldn’t wait to get rid of Johnson.

      Perhaps you would list half a dozen benefits of leaving the EU (other than taking back control of our borders, regaining our Sovereignty, and making Britain “Great” again?(

      • Reply to Mr. Peeling- not that posting, an earlier one (not forgetting ones on previous comment threads).

        • Marva I asked why are you replying to my comments if you think I do not exist?if the question is too hard for you just call me names it will all be in my favour when I decide to take action against you, now, I have lost count of the number of times I have asked you to stop answering my comments and now for the last time I am asking you again to stop

          • If you post comments on a public forum, then you can expect replies. Indeed, trolls do their best to ellicit replies.
            If you want to be able to control how people respond to your comments, then run your own blog, like Ian Driver does, and positively vet all comments.

            If you expect polite responses here, then set the tone accordingly.

  10. Come on folks, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, wether good, bad, right or wrong, and everybody is entitled to disagree.
    But, there is no need to argue if another person has a different opinion to yours.

    If you are not happy, just leave it, no need to reply to them.

  11. What’s the use of a comment thread if we’re not supposed to discuss or put forward a variety of arguments?

  12. harassment Marva Rees harassment you did it with Lesley and now you are doing it to me and better still it is all here on this site I have asked you stop but you keep on and on like a dripping bloody tap and again when are you replying to some on who does not according to you exist, no answer having asked twice so it must be too hard for you

    • Obviously, someone is writing comments under the name “Keith Peeling”, so that is who I’m replying to.

  13. Andrew I would not come on here if I did not expect replies, but I WILL NOT stand for being called stupid, a liar a turkey or gammon by some jumped up little business man who thinks he is better than me and if you are honest you wouldn’t either and why should I run my own blog I am entitled just as much as every one else to post my comments on here if you do not like them do not read them and that goes for every one of you on here you do not have to reply can you wonder at me being angry when people troll me insult me and try to generally rubbish me and why should I tone down my replies? O K for me to be rubbished but not for me to do the same in future don’t any one reply that way I will not upset any one of the fairies on here good night

  14. The headline says “Government to take measures to ease fuel supply chain pressures” (if I might make so bold as to go back on topic).
    Well, what has the government actually done so far, other than to enter into discussions with people and to “closely monitor” the situation.

  15. if I may be so bold as to go back to a topic only on the 30th of last month the ONS reported that Brexit is not solely to blame for the situation we are now in , they included hauliers for not recruiting and training more drivers said drivers giving up work either to retire or change jobs, covid restrictions, lockdowns, drivers returning home to Europe and lastly workers at DVLA who are still working from home and unable to process applications for would be HGV drivers and last but not least blame the pathetic panic buyers for the shortage of anything this comes from the ONS not me. although you lot would not believe it if you were in charge so people, less of the name calling and try to get on with what has happened you are like a lot of other people/countries can’t stand Britain but quite happy to take every thing it has to offer but trash it every chance you get you make me ashamed to be British there are losers in every aspect of life most get over the fact they lost but not you remainers. enough said ta ta

    • Nope. The reason we have too few drivers is that post Brexit, 1000’s of European drivers, who for years had happily been driving trucks delivering fuel and commodities, have been booted out of Britain.
      Incidentally (and I’ve asked this question many, many times) apart from our Sovereignty, taking back control of our borders and making Britain “Great” again: what *has* Brexit done for us?
      Go on. Tell me. No one else has.

      • Andrew I am not here to educate you or any one else for that matter if you all want to believe that Brexit has brought the UK down you believe it just do not moan to me about it I am entitled to make a comment and no remainer will make me think otherwise the negativity from you all explains why you are losers you have all been led by the EU with rings in your noses for too long. ta ta

        • Just for once, educate me:
          “Incidentally (and I’ve asked this question many, many times) apart from our Sovereignty, taking back control of our borders and making Britain “Great” again: what *has* Brexit done for us?
          Go on. Tell me. No one else has.”
          Please.

  16. Brexit has been impartial in its effects- it’s screwed a lot of things up for practically everybody in Britain. I.e., pretty much everybody in Britain has lost.

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