The chronic global shortage of professional truck, bus, coach and taxi drivers is accelerating and affecting millions of road transport workers, employers and services.
IRU, the global road transport employers' association, representing more than 3,5 million road transport operators, and ITF, the International Transport Workers' Federation, representing 18,5 million transport workers, today launched a three-point plan to solve the driver shortage.
The new approach aims to reduce driver shortages and imbalances in the transport market, ensure decent working conditions and standards for drivers working outside their home country, and simplify and enforce rules for workers and employers.
“The driver shortage is quickly getting out of hand. Balancing global labor supply and demand through simple measures to facilitate legal immigration and end the exploitation of non-resident drivers is one way to solve the problem, support decent work and vital road transport services to keep moving.”
The plan outlines action for the UN, national governments and industry:
- UN and international organizations – develop a global framework with clear guidelines to protect non-resident drivers; improve driving conditions and increase social cohesion; and harmonization of qualification standards and cross-border recognition.
- National governments – amend and enforce labor immigration procedures to protect non-resident drivers, reduce bureaucracy to facilitate legal immigration for current and potential drivers; promote the recognition of qualifications from third countries through bilateral agreements; invest in and improve enforcement of road transport laws and regulations; and subsidizing domestic training and integration programs.
- Road hauliers – develop operational integration programs for non-resident drivers to receive the same conditions as their domestic employees; and support training, skills management and certification processes.
ITF Secretary General Stephen Cotton said: “Governments, transport employers and the multinational customers of transport must work with unions to create decent work to end the driver shortage. Road transport will only be able to attract and retain drivers if it is based on cooperation between all stakeholders and rights holders to ensure decent work, fundamental labor rights and genuine social protection.”
The plan aims to better balance national labor pools – between those with a surplus and those with a shortage of driver talent – to export from one country to another without difficulty. It should not override existing national initiatives or harm safety standards or working conditions.
The chronic global shortage of professional truck, bus, coach and taxi drivers is accelerating and affecting millions of road transport workers, employers and services. In 2022, approximately 11% of driver positions were unfilled. With up to a third of drivers retiring within the next three years in many countries, unfilled driver positions could more than double by 2026.
Governments, unions and operators are taking multiple actions, but it is not enough. Other solutions include subsidizing licensing and training costs, building safer and more secure parking areas with better facilities, encouraging more women and young people into the profession, and improving the treatment of drivers and improving the understanding of the profession, said Mr IRU.
