The organisation, which recruits, trains and places new drivers into permanent jobs surveyed 140 drivers and asked them the number of hours they worked per week, how much they earn and when they were thinking of retiring.

According to the results of the survey, the average driver is 42, has been working in the job for 15 years and earns £425 a week. 10% of drivers are thinking of leaving the profession within the next four years. If these statistics taken together and then the RTD's restriction of hours is included; the workforce would have to increase by 43,165 (or 8.4%) just to fill existing jobs.

Further analysis shows the cost of employing extra drivers could exceed £1.7bn over four years and could add up to 2.5% to total distribution costs.

Chris Philp, co-managing director at Clearstone said, "The industry faces a double whammy at the time of the Directive's implementation: the current shortage of drivers will be almost doubled at a stroke. The problem is compounded because the number of drivers entering the industry has been declining rapidly over the last ten years, whilst more are planning to retire.

Our figures are the most recent attempt to calculate how much extra will need to be spent on labour to keep the current number of lorries on the road. This presumes we can find new drivers in the first place, so the industry needs to start marketing a career as a driver to the public, or goods simply aren't going to get from A to B."