The situation is similar in Great Britain, Germany and Poland. Transport is getting more expensive and will the prices will continue to rise.
According to data from the General Directorate of Road Traffic in Spain (DGT), about 253 thousand drivers had a C and C + E driving license last year. Almost 32 thousand of them were aged 60-64, 40 thousand belonged to the 55-59 age group, and approx. 42 thousand ranged between 50-54 years old. A total of 72 percent of drivers are people over 50 years of age.
Spain is not an exception in Europe – all transport powers in the EU are struggling with similar problems.
Germany
In Germany, the problem of a lack of staff in transport has been growing for years. Young drivers are missing, the elders will soon retire. German transport unions are sounding the alarm.
In the next 15 years, 2/3 of drivers will retire” – says Markus Olligschläger from the DSLV association.
Out of 1.5 million drivers who had a driver card in 2016, over one million are over 45 years of age.
According to Dirk Engelhardt, a former head of BGL (Federal Transport and Logistics Association), the current situation in the industry may also be the result of an abolishment of the duty of military service. The Bundeswehr had previously trained 15 thousand truck drivers annually.
Great Britain
Shortage of staff in the British transport industry is growing at a rate of 50 drivers a day – informs The Sun. Currently, the average age of a British trucker is 55 years. In 2015, when it averaged 53 years, 13 percent of drivers were over 60 and only 2 percent of employees were under 25 years of age.
In the UK, as in other European countries, there is a shortage of volunteers who could boost the industry and replace retiring truckers. The main reasons for the lack of interest of the driver’s profession include high costs of obtaining qualifications and difficult working conditions.
According to The Sun, British carriers currently rely on around 60 thousand foreign drivers to maintain their fleet and activity at the current level. However, countries in the East of Europe are struggling with the same problem as the British.
Poland
There is a shortage of a 100 thousand drivers in Poland – shows the report „Drivers’ labor market in Poland” prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers in cooperation with the Employers’ Union „Transport and Logistics Poland”. This professional group is characterized by a high average age – the largest share is for drivers aged 45-50.
At the same time, the amount of professional driving licenses issued every year is decreasing. In 2006, it amounted to around 300 thousand while in 2011 only up to 48 thousand.
Almost 20 percent of transport companies feel a constant shortage of drivers. In turn, as much as 60 percent of companies have periodic problems with finding an employee. Given that the demand for transport services is growing, the number of vacant posts will also increase. This has already happened in Western Europe and will inevitably lead to higher freight rates.
Private initiatives are being created on the market, such as the TransJobs platform or the Polish Road Transport Institute, which help companies recruit drivers and train young people who want to start working in this profession. However, this is still not enough to meet the needs of the industry.
No drivers equal price increases
The West has already begun to feel staff shortages in the transport sector. Rates for transport services have already increased throughout Europe. Further enterprises from the industry inform about increases at the level of 4-4,5 percent. Speaking of Hermes Germany and GO! Express & Logistics have decided to raise prices for their clients primarily with a view to investing in employees.
Photo: Trans.INFO