Although the minimum gross hourly wage had already increased in France earlier this year, April saw further changes that were significant for the transport industry. As a result of changes in the collective agreement , new rates in the transport of goods have applied from April 1 with regards to highly qualified truck drivers.
While the basic hourly rate is €10.25 (increased from €10.15 in January 2020), in the group defined by French law as 150M (highly qualified truck drivers – group 7) it is from April 1 €10.49 (up from €10.39).
Carriers must also remember that depending on the length of service with a given employer, the amount of the rate increases. This is especially important when registering drivers for work in France. Therefore, it is important to enter the hourly rate for the appropriate group (usually 150M) corresponding to the driver’s work experience in a given company.
Minimum hourly wages for truck drivers in France (in euros)
| Coefficients | When hiring | After 2 years of work | After 5 years of work | After 10 years of work | After 15 years of work |
| 118M, 120M, 128M, 138M | 10.25 | 10.4550 | 10.66 | 10.8650 | 11.07 |
| 150M | 10.49 | 10.6998 | 10.9096 | 11.1194 | 11.3292 |
Increases in Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark
It is also worth pointing out that France is not the only European country that has raised the minimum wage rates for truck drivers this year.
In the case of Germany, there will be an additional increase in the minimum rate this year. On July 1, 2021, the amount per hour will be €9.60 (currently €9.50). Further increases have been planned for January 1, 2022 and July 1, 2022. By next summer, the wage in Germany will increase to €10.45 per hour.
In Denmark, from the beginning of this year, all truckers – also from foreign companies – who perform domestic transport, cabotage and the road part of combined transport, are subject to new regulations on the minimum wage.
Hauliers from outside Denmark who carry out cabotage on its territory must therefore pay drivers a salary for these operations according to Danish hourly wages provided for in the national collective agreement for the transport sector. Currently, it is 164.96 Danish kroner per hour (just over €22).
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