Global Driver Shortage Report 2025 - Truck, bus and coach

29 Jun 2026

Global Driver Shortage Report 2025

This IRU Intelligence Briefing is the only global, annually updated analysis of the professional driver shortage across both road freight and passenger transport. Covering 18 markets and two transport sectors, it combines hard data, demographic trends, regulatory overviews, and direct operator sentiment to uncover the scale, causes and solutions to one of road transport's most pressing challenges.

It found that the 2025 driver shortage exceeded every previous reading - even as freight demand softened - confirming a clear structural break from the economic cycle. Bus and coach operators in Germany and Spain mirror this pattern, with recruitment difficulty matching that of trucking despite lower headline vacancy rates.

The report offers detailed breakdowns across regions including Europe, Australia, Uzbekistan, China, Mexico and Brazil.

It also advances solutions and best practices from the ground, offering firsthand insights into the systemic reforms needed to address a challenge that is structural, not cyclical.

Price EUR 390

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Who is it for?

Analysts and consultants

Analysts & consultants

  • Assessing whether labour shortages are structural or cyclical
  • Looking to build robust long-term market forecasts using verified workforce data
  • Supporting clients with evidence drawn directly from transport operators
Procurement and CSR managers

Procurement & CSR managers

  • Evaluating workforce-related risks across transport supply chains
  • Supporting ESG and workforce sustainability strategies with credible evidence
  • Looking to understand how demographic and regulatory trends may affect supplier resilience
Fleet and HR managers

Fleet & HR managers

  • Preparing for workforce renewal as experienced drivers retire
  • Looking to identify recruitment and retention strategies that deliver measurable results
  • Strengthening long-term workforce planning and resilience
Public authorities and national associations

Public authorities & national associations

  • Designing workforce policies based on robust labour-market evidence
  • Distinguishing structural challenges from shortterm market fluctuations
  • Looking to identify proven approaches to strengthen skills, recruitment and workforce development

What is it for?

Quantify workforce exposure

Quantify workforce exposure
Benchmark driver shortages across markets, company sizes and transport segments using verified operator data.

Prepare for the 2030 retirement wave

Prepare for the 2030 retirement wave
Identify where replacement pressure will be greatest and which markets face the highest long-term workforce risk.

Understand what drives retention

Understand what drives retention
Move beyond wages by analysing the operational, infrastructure and lifestyle factors influencing recruitment and retention.

Unlock new talent pools

Unlock new talent pools
Build evidence-based strategies to attract women, younger entrants and other underrepresented groups.

Assess supply chain resilience

Assess supply chain resilience
Understand how driver shortages could affect transport capacity before they disrupt operations.

Learn from proven initiatives

Learn from proven initiatives
Explore successful recruitment and retention strategies from governments, associations and leading transport operators.

Prepare for future workforce challenges

Prepare for future workforce challenges
Understand how demographic trends, regulation and market developments will shape the availability of professional drivers.

Gain the full analysis, country-level data and practical insights to support workforce planning and strategic decision-making.

Full 98-page briefing contents:

  • Chap 1: Introduction
  • Chap 2: Truck driver shortage in 2025
  • Chap 3: Recruitment difficulty and its causes
  • Chap 4: Impact on businesses and transport capacity
  • Chap 5: Profile of current truck driver workforce
  • Chap 6: Truck driver retirement exposure through 2030
  • Chap 7: Bus and coach driver shortage in 2025
  • Chap 8: The shortage tops bus and coach operators too
  • Chap 9: Recruitment difficulty and its causes
  • Chap 10: Impact of driver shortage on bus and coach companies
  • Chap 11: Profile of current bus and coach driver workforce
  • Chap 12: Conclusion
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