THOUSANDS of lorry drivers in Hampshire are bracing themselves for a huge shake-up in their hours.

The introduction of the sweeping EU Road Transport Directive in less than a fortnight is widely expected to cost the haulage industry £1 billion in compliance and worsen Britain's growing HGV recruitment crisis.

In one case, supermarket giant Tesco, which has a major distribution centre at Nursling, Southampton, had to draft in Polish drivers to cover a shortage.

From April 4, the number of hours lorry drivers can work will be capped at 48 hours a week - down 14 hours from a current average of 62 hours a week.

The directive will have a big impact in and around Southampton and Eastleigh due to the sheer amount of cargo generated by the region's container port.

Industry experts say smaller hauliers may find it harder to cope with adapting to the new rules than big rivals, raising the possibility of contracts being ripped up due to unrealistic delivery times.

Some drivers may also be reluctant to load or unload their vehicles, or even maintain or clean them, as that counts as working time.

Relief drivers may also have to be taken along, eating away at profit.

It is understood that scores of haulage firms in Hampshire have already been carefully preparing for the law, which was due to take effect from tomorrow but was postponed for 13 days for technical reasons.

Bob Terris, the influential boss of Southampton based transport and warehousing group Meachers, outlined the impact at a conference in Birmingham.

He said: "We will need 'real time' information regarding our drivers' availability and this will involve IT and staff costs and make a traffic operator's job even more difficult.

"The key to success in accommodating the directive will be to deliver a flexible and positive approach to communicating with and educating both the workforce and customers alike."

According to figures, the UK has 310,000 HGV drivers, some 12,000 less than it needs. Skills for Logistics, a support body for the freight sector, claims the driver shortage could reach 46,000 within a year under the directive.

The Freight Transport Association stressed that the directive does have some built-in flexibility.

A spokesman said drivers stuck behind the wheel during turnaround delays at Southampton port would not be hit, for example. But once they start driving again, they will add up working time on the tachograph.