When recruitment budgets are under pressure, it’s understandable that businesses question whether using a recruitment agency is worth the cost. A £5,000–£8,000 fee can feel significant, particularly in an industry where margins are tight and productivity is closely monitored. But in HGV technician recruitment, the real cost is rarely the hire itself. More often, it’s the cost of not recruiting soon enough.
Across the commercial vehicle sector, we regularly see businesses delay hiring decisions to manage spend, only to absorb far greater and often hidden costs over time.
Short-staffed workshops don’t stand still
When an HGV technician role goes unfilled, the workload doesn’t disappear. It is redistributed across the existing team.
Against a backdrop where 76% of UK employers report difficulty recruiting technical roles, many workshops are already operating under pressure. Fewer technicians means jobs take longer, planned maintenance slips, and reactive work increases.
Over time, this reduces workshop output and limits how much work a business can realistically take on, which directly impacts revenue.
The SLA risk few businesses budget for
Many commercial vehicle businesses operate under strict SLAs, particularly in logistics, contract maintenance and fleet support.
When technician numbers fall:
- turnaround times slip
- servicing schedules are delayed
- breakdown response times increase
With UK vacancies standing at approximately 729,000 in late 2025, and candidate movement remaining limited, even short-term understaffing can put SLA compliance at risk.
The cost of missed SLAs, penalties, strained client relationships, and lost future contracts is rarely factored into decisions to delay recruitment, yet it can be substantial.
Burnout is a cost that appears later
Another hidden cost of leaving roles unfilled is burnout.
When experienced technicians are repeatedly asked to cover vacancies, work longer hours, or absorb additional workload, fatigue builds quickly. Absence rates rise, morale drops, and in some cases, valued technicians start to look elsewhere.
At that point, the business isn’t just recruiting for one vacancy; it’s managing compounding risk in an already tight labour market.
What a vacancy really costs in practice
To understand the real financial impact of delaying recruitment, it helps to look at what an HGV technician typically contributes in a functioning workshop. Our estimates place annual revenue from a highly skilled technician as anything from £150,000 – £300,000, making unfilled vacancies a huge issue.
Based on real-world data from within the commercial vehicle sector, a single HGV technician can generate around £3,800 in gross profit per week, once labour output and parts contribution are considered.
When that role remains vacant, the cost escalates quickly.
Over a six-week vacancy, a business can expect to lose:
- approximately £23,000 in gross profit
- around £11,600–£15,400 in net profit
And that’s before factoring in overtime costs, delayed jobs, management time spent firefighting, or the impact on customer satisfaction.
When compared to a typical HGV technician recruitment fee of £5,500–£8,000, the financial argument becomes clear. Leaving a role vacant for even a relatively short period often costs significantly more than filling it quickly.
In many cases, the most expensive decision is waiting.
A more balanced view of agency fees
At Kemp Recruitment, we understand the position employers are in and why recruitment agency fees are often viewed with caution.
That’s why we don’t ask businesses to take on unnecessary risk. There are no upfront fees; our fee is only payable once a successful candidate is in place. If we don’t deliver the right hire, there is nothing to pay.
We also offer a rebate period, providing additional protection should a placement not work out as expected. This ensures businesses are not simply paying for a CV, but for a recruitment solution that stands behind the hire.
In a market where lost productivity, downtime and burnout can quietly cost far more than a recruitment fee, this approach allows employers to move forward with confidence.
HGV technician recruitment is a commercial decision
In the HGV and commercial vehicle sector, recruitment is not just an HR activity; it’s a commercial decision. Timely hiring protects revenue, safeguards customer relationships and helps retain skilled technicians. Delaying recruitment may feel cautious, but it often introduces risk and hidden costs that far outweigh the perceived savings.
The most successful businesses don’t ask, “How much does recruitment cost?”
They ask, “What is it costing us to wait?”
Looking Ahead
With ongoing shortages of experienced HGV technicians across the UK, waiting for the “perfect time” to recruit is rarely a winning strategy. Demand continues to outpace supply, and the longer a role remains vacant, the more pressure it places on the wider business.
In many cases, investing in the right hire at the right time isn’t an added cost; it’s risk management.
If you’re a business looking to secure skilled talent or a candidate seeking a new role, Kemp Recruitment is here to help. Call us on 0330 440 2323 to discuss your needs or explore our latest roles here.
Sources
- 76% of employers struggle to recruit for key technical roles
Institution of Engineering and Technology – UK Engineering and Technology Skills Survey 2025
76% of employers report difficulty recruiting for key roles.
https://www.theiet.org/media/press-releases/press-releases-2025/press-releases-2025-october-december/6-october-2025-latest-uk-engineering-and-technology-skills-stats-2025 - UK labour market vacancies and unemployed per vacancy
Office for National Statistics – Vacancies and jobs in the UK: December 2025
Total estimated vacancies at ~729,000 and around 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/jobsandvacanciesintheuk/december2025
3. Vacancies and unemployment context in late 2025
Office for National Statistics – Vacancies and jobs in the UK: December 2025 (PDF)
Number of unemployed people per vacancy at 2.5 in August-October 2025.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/jobsandvacanciesintheuk/december2025/pdf
