Female HGV drivers aged 20-29 come out on top at passing their test with almost 68% bossing the practical exam, according to research by Pallet-Track.

Its analysis of government data showed that women in this age category gained the highest practical pass rate in the country every year between 2010 and 2022.

It said that while women make up only a small proportion of HGV drivers, 67.9% of 20-29-year-olds successfully passed their practical test in 2021-2022, compared to 63% of men in the same age category.

The overall pass rate for all drivers taking a practical HGV test in 2021-2022 was 58.7%.

Women made up just 9.1% of test takers in 2021-2022 and government data showed that the gender split of HGV drivers currently in work was 99% male and 1% female – a figure that has not changed since its first inclusion in 2016.

Pallet-Track said the shortfall of drivers in this country would be almost entirely erased if as many women as men across all age groups had taken an HGV test last year, due to their overall higher pass rate of 62.4%

Caroline Green, Pallet-Track chief executive, said the research should be an eye-opener for the industry: “The results of the analysis show that Britain has the talent and skills to overcome any remaining driver shortages and the resources to future proof our workforce.

“However, there are some key changes the logistics industry needs to make if it wants to attract more women into driving roles, starting with driver facilities and bathroom access.

“The majority of truck-stop facilities are woefully inadequate and require major improvements; we welcome the government’s recently announced match funding initiative and hope that this will be a positive step forward for the industry.”

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