In November’s figure of the month, we look at truck driver jobs and what’s behind “44%”. Hint: it’s related to demand.
Driver shortages are everywhere, with no end in sight as demand for road transport is on the rise. On top of that, the truck driver profession has an ageing population.
Essentially, there are not enough drivers to meet demand; and not enough new drivers join the profession every year to make up for those who retire.
As things stand, driver shortages are forecasted to increase significantly in the coming years, posing a severe threat to the stability and continuity of mobility and supply chains.
Accessing the profession can be challenging. First, you must be 21 in many countries to even start your training and get licenced. What are you going to do between the ages of 18 and 21? Pursue other opportunities? Most likely.
Second, high licence and training costs make entering the profession an expensive endeavour. Financial support from governments and/or transport operators is needed to mitigate licence costs.
The sector needs to attract new truck drivers by structurally addressing the root causes of the shortage.
Besides financial support to cover qualification costs, the focus needs to be on improving working conditions for men and women, lowering and harmonising the minimum driving age, and offering conversion opportunities to other professionals. Otherwise, the industry won’t be able to meet future demand.
In Europe, the number of open truck driver positions increased by 44% between January and September 2022.
November’s figure of the month is based on IRU’s upcoming Intelligence Briefing reports on the truck and bus/coach driver professions in Europe. The reports include data on Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden.