UK economic crisis could be the worst, warns Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

The haulage industry says the UK is short as many as 100,000 truckers, due to a perfect storm of factors including the coronavirus pandemic, an aging workforce and an exodus of foreign workers following Britain's departure from the European Union last year.

Post-Brexit immigration rules mean EU citizens can no longer live and work visa-free in Britain, as they could when the UK was a member of the bloc. Several countries, including the United States and Germany, also are experiencing a shortage of truck drivers. But the problem has been especially visible in Britain, where it has contributed to empty supermarket shelves and shuttered gas pumps.

The government blamed the petrol supply problems on panic buying, and urged people not to hoard fuel. The government announced it is temporarily suspending competition laws so fuel firms can share information and target areas where supply is running low. It is also bringing in military driving examiners to help clear a backlog of new truckers awaiting tests.

After weeks of mounting pressure over shortages, the UK's Conservative government announced Saturday that it will issue thousands of emergency visas to foreign truck drivers to help prevent a Christmas without turkey or toys for many British families. The government said it would issue 5,000 three-month visas for truck drivers starting in October, and another 5,500 for poultry workers.