Hiring prospects are more positive in the transport sector than the national average in the UK.

According to the latest Employment Outlook Survey from Manpower, companies looking to hire in the first quarter of 2014, minus those which do not, resulted in a balance of plus seven per cent. This was more than the average reading of plus five per cent for the country. 

The firm believes a large part of this growth comes from home deliveries, as the demand for local drivers has risen. Many of these will often use their own vehicle.

Manpower's senior director of logistics Simon Edwards said: "The growth in online shopping is one of the key drivers of the sector's optimism, with category B and 7.5 tonne drivers increasingly sought after."

However, he also warns of a skills gap in the industry, with companies struggling to fill certain positions. Specifically, there is a shortage of category one and two drivers, which includes specialist licenses for the likes of lorries and ADR certificate holders, needed to carry dangerous goods on road.