That was one of the main conclusions of the webinar “To Be or Not to Be for European Carriers: How to Retain and Acquire Drivers in Times of Crisis”, hosted by Trans.INFO and the European Road Transport Institute (EITD). The discussion focused on driver retention, working conditions and practical steps carriers can take to keep experienced staff.
Survey results presented during the event, collected in December 2025 by the Truckers Life Foundation, point to a clear contrast. More than 60% of drivers say they like the profession, citing independence, the enjoyment of driving and pride in their work. At the same time, 64% would not recommend the job to young people or even to their own family members, and more than half say they regularly think about changing careers.
Magdalena Szaroleta, managing director at MCG Logistics, argued that it is not the driving itself that pushes people away.
The real issue isn’t the job, but the conditions that come with it. Of course, pay matters a lot. But it’s only one piece of the puzzle
In her view, equally important are reliable scheduling, earlier route planning, respectful treatment from dispatchers and customers, modern equipment and—more and more often—work-life balance.
What drivers need most is a predictable schedule, a solid planning process, advance notice of routes, and respectful treatment from office staff, customers and partners. Relationships and communication between people make a huge difference
Pay still matters, but it is no longer the top factor
Florence Le Guyader of the International Road Transport Union (IRU) presented similar conclusions based on research among drivers in France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. In that research, salary ranked only fourth among the reasons drivers chose to remain in the profession.
The main reason drivers stay is not pay. Freedom and independence are far more important
Drivers, she said, still value time on the road. What undermines job satisfaction is the wider reality of the role: weeks away from home, stress, poor working conditions and increasing difficulty reconciling work with personal life.
A truck driver doesn’t work nine to five. They can spend weeks on the road. That’s exactly why the sector is becoming less attractive to new workers
Le Guyader added that expectations among younger drivers are changing.
We see younger drivers looking not only at pay, but above all at the chance to get home every day. Work-life balance has become almost more important than salary
The Truckers Life Foundation survey data supports that assessment. While inadequate pay remains the most frequently cited reason for considering leaving the profession (68% of respondents), drivers also point to long periods away from home, stress and difficult working conditions.
Carriers participating in the webinar echoed the same message. Francisco Garcia, CEO of Spanish company Exportcargo, argued that loyalty cannot be built through pay rises alone.
We shouldn’t focus only on increasing wages. We have to look at the whole package: good planning, the ability to get home quickly, improving productivity and working with customers
Drivers need support when problems arise
A key part of the webinar focused on loading and unloading. Many transport companies assume they have limited influence over what happens at customer warehouses. The research presented suggested that employer support in these situations can materially affect satisfaction.
Among drivers who felt supported by their employer when issues arose at loading bays, 76% reported being satisfied with their job. Among those who were left to deal with problems on their own, satisfaction fell to 44%.
Even if a carrier cannot shorten a five-hour wait for unloading, it can still intervene by raising the issue with the customer, staying in contact with the driver, providing language support, or making it clear that the matter is being actively addressed.
Drivers need to know that if there are abuses or excessively long waiting times, the company will support them
Loyalty is built in everyday operations
Speakers also stressed that “respect” is reflected in company culture: how office staff communicate with drivers and how problems are handled in practice.
At MCG Logistics, Szaroleta said the team meets regularly with drivers, collects feedback and adjusts internal processes accordingly—an approach she believes has a direct impact on retention.
Organisational culture is the most important element. It’s communication, relationships and how we solve drivers’ problems day to day. Drivers feel it every single day
She added that this approach is backed by operational measures. The company has introduced 14 different working systems to better match drivers’ needs, invests in a modern fleet, and encourages experienced employees to mentor new drivers.
Szaroleta also argued that the strongest recruitment channel is not advertising.
The most effective way to recruit is through recommendations
Retention cannot be solved by pay alone
Across the webinar, a consistent message emerged: competitive pay remains a necessary baseline, but it does not, by itself, secure loyalty.
Companies that retain drivers more effectively tend to offer predictable planning, clear communication, fast responses when issues arise, and a working environment in which the driver is treated as a partner rather than an interchangeable part of the supply chain.
As the discussion highlighted, whether a driver stays often depends on the sum of everyday experiences—from route planning and time at home to relationships with managers and the sense that the employer will step in when problems occur.
If we want the younger generation to choose this profession, higher pay alone won’t be enough. We need to create a job that today’s drivers would recommend to their own children. That will be the real measure of a company’s success
