German transport company Vp TPA Mobile Straßen has unveiled a fleet of trucks designed to offer drivers an “unprecedented level” of comfort. Each vehicle is equipped with its own bathroom featuring a shower, toilet and sink.
In a social media post, the company described the vehicles as “mobile homes on wheels”, highlighting the trucks’ high-tech cabs with modern steering wheels and digital control systems.
While such amenities remain rare in European long-haul transport, the idea directly addresses one of the sector’s long-standing issues: the shortage of proper roadside facilities for drivers. The introduction of fully self-contained cabs could therefore represent a step towards improving drivers’ working conditions and attracting new recruits to the profession.
Trans.INFO has contacted Vp TPA Mobile Straßen for more details about the truck model, specifications and deployment plans.
Competition shifts to driver comfort and perks
While wage levels remain central, hauliers are increasingly turning to creative employee perks to retain staff and attract new recruits. Many of these incentives aim to make the job less stressful and more comfortable on the road.
For example, Polish logistics firm BATIM has rewarded long-serving drivers with company cars for private use, recognising loyalty and tenure. Meanwhile, another Polish operator, TSL Silesia, made headlines by giving brand-new BMWs to its top freight forwarders, while drivers received cash bonuses instead – a move intended to boost morale across different departments.
Other companies have invested directly in driver wellbeing through better cab equipment, secure parking subscriptions, or predictable shift schedules. Partnerships with roadside micro-hotels, such as Roatel in Germany, offer drivers guaranteed rest facilities with proper sanitation: a major concern across Europe.
Creative perks that actually sway drivers
When drivers choose between offers, practical quality-of-life benefits tend to matter more than slogans. Across Europe, companies are experimenting with ways to make long-haul life safer, cleaner and more predictable — and, in doing so, to retain their most valuable resource.
- Guaranteed home time and predictable shifts – German operators, including those under DHL Group, increasingly advertise fixed schedules such as 38.5-hour weeks or three-shift systems, promising drivers that they “always know when they’ll be home.”
- Company-paid access to safe, certified parking – Some fleets now cover the cost of parking in ESPORG-certified facilities, which offer lighting, CCTV, showers and food. According to the IRU, such measures directly support driver safety and retention.
- Housing support near depots – Certain German firms have offered company flats or housing allowances to help drivers relocating from abroad, as previously reported by Trans.INFO.
- Pet-friendly or rider policies – Allowing drivers to travel with a pet or partner, common in the United States, is slowly gaining ground in Europe.
- Meaningful performance bonuses – Rather than one-off sign-on payments, some companies reward safe or fuel-efficient driving, aligning incentives over the long term.
- Modern cab equipment that solves daily pain points – Beyond attention-grabbing ideas like onboard bathrooms, drivers value features such as secure storage, large fridges, improved HVAC, insulation and quality mattresses — all contributing to better rest.
- Training and career pathways – Paid CPC or ADR training and structured development routes not only attract younger drivers but also give experienced ones a reason to stay.
Europe’s driver shortage remains acute
Across Europe, transport companies continue to face chronic staff shortages. According to IRU, around 426,000 driver positions remained unfilled in 2024, despite weaker freight volumes. The problem is structural rather than cyclical — fewer than 5% of EU truck drivers are under 25, while a large proportion of the current workforce is approaching retirement age.
In Germany, industry associations estimate a deficit of 100,000–120,000 professional drivers, with roughly 30,000 retiring each year and only half that number entering the profession. The shortage has prompted both policymakers and hauliers to explore ways of improving the job’s image and everyday working conditions.
Efforts at EU level include investment in safe and secure parking areas, simplified training pathways, and initiatives to attract younger drivers and more women to the sector.
According to Trans.INFO, the UK’s driver shortage persists despite post-Brexit recruitment efforts and a record number of HGV test passes in 2023. Industry associations report that while the acute crisis seen in 2021 has eased, the workforce remains significantly older, with around one-third of UK truck drivers aged over 55. Employers continue to struggle with high turnover, long working hours, and limited rest facilities. Recruitment from abroad has become more complicated since Brexit, leaving many hauliers dependent on agency labour and training initiatives to fill the gap.
In Italy, the government has introduced €2,500 driver training vouchers to encourage new entrants into the profession, Trans.INFO reported. The scheme, open to residents aged 18–29, is designed to help fund the cost of obtaining a C or CE licence. However, sector representatives warn that bureaucracy and the perception of poor working conditions remain major obstacles. Employers are also calling for better training support and more efforts to attract women to the job.
Meanwhile, in Poland, the sector faces what hauliers describe as a “deepening crisis”. According to Trans.INFO, thousands of small transport firms have already suspended operations amid a combination of high operating costs, reduced freight demand, and driver shortages. Rising insurance and credit costs have also forced many carriers to scale down fleets or leave the market entirely. The driver gap, estimated in the tens of thousands, continues to weigh heavily on the industry’s ability to recover.
Beyond wages: redefining the job’s appeal
Whether through company housing, better parking access or trucks with private bathrooms, hauliers across Europe are experimenting with ways to make driving a more dignified and sustainable profession.
While no single perk can solve the shortage alone, each small improvement helps reshape how the job is seen — not as a hardship, but as a skilled, essential career worth choosing.
