Fast food giant McDonalds has run out of milkshake at its restaurants in England, Scotland and Wales. Some supply chain issues are affecting the availability of a small number of items on their menu.
Other products affected include some bottled drinks, which are currently temporarily unavailable in 1,250 outlets across the UK.
The problems occurred because of low stock distribution caused by the ongoing issue of HGV driver shortages.
Many companies in the UK are experiencing a crisis in their supplies due to not having enough lorry drivers. The Road Haulage Association estimated a shortfall of over 100,000 drivers in the UK earlier this month. Before the pandemic there was a total of around 600,000 drivers.
The issue is not helped by the fact that about 30,000 HGV driving tests could not happen last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The industry body add that the “historic” shortage in drivers is made worse by changes to rules following Brexit. Meanwhile, the increasing numbers of people self-isolating after notifications from the NHS Covid app is also taking its toll.
In a bid to tackle the problem, Tesco is offering lorry drivers a £1,000 bonus for joining while the industry suffers a chronic shortage. Meanwhile, Morrisons is working on a scheme to train their staff to become lorry drivers. Other companies are also offering similar incentives to drivers after supply chain disruptions caused a shortage in products.
Driver shortage woes
Other leading businesses, across different sectors, are also reporting problems as a result of driver shortages. Food chain Nando’s was forced to close around 50 restaurants last week after it ran out of chicken. While KFC also announced unavailability of some menu items due to recent supply chain issues. Dairy giant Arla reduced milk deliveries to supermarkets because of a driver shortage, while sweet manufacturer Haribo also reported problems. Oil giant BP had to close a “handful” of UK sites too because there was not enough petrol and diesel delivered.
A spokesman for McDonald’s says: “Like most retailers, we are currently experiencing some supply chain issues, impacting the availability of a small number of products. Bottled drinks and milkshakes are temporarily unavailable in restaurants across England, Scotland and Wales”. They apologise for the inconvenience, and thank customers for their “continued patience”. The firm are working hard to return items back to the menu as soon as they possibly can.
Meanwhile, business groups representing the retail and transport sectors are calling for the government to reverse its decision. They want them to grant drivers from the EU temporary work visas.
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