Just like it is here in Australia, the chronic shortage of professional truck drivers around the globe is a serious challenge affecting the trucking industry and its consumers. A recent worldwide survey found Australia’s truck driver population is the second oldest in the world.
The Global Truck Driver Shortage Report 2024 recently released by The International Road Transport Union (IRU) looks at driver shortage and demographic changes in 36 countries around the world including Australia for the first time. The report breaks down the extent of the global driver shortage challenge and provides potential solutions for the crisis.
The attractiveness and accessibility of the truck driving profession and solutions being implemented by governments, transport associations and companies to better attract and retain drivers were also included in the report.
“The report from 2024 reaffirms the shortage of truck drivers is a long-term structural issue that persists in all regions,” said Umberto de Pretto, IRU Secretary General.
“Of 5100 trucking firms surveyed in 2024, up to 70 per cent, in some countries, face severe or very severe difficulties in recruiting drivers. The share of truck drivers who are over 55 is 31.6 per cent. Countries with very high percentages of older drivers include Spain at 50 per cent, Australia at 47 per cent, and Italy at 45 per cent.”
Globally, the percentage of unfilled truck driver positions in 2024 was just over 7 per cent, representing 3.6 million unfulfilled truck driver positions. In Australia, that percentage was nearly doubled, at 13 per cent.
There were close to 28,000 unfilled heavy vehicle driver positions in Australia in 2024.
This is a global problem, and the Australian Government must demonstrate national leadership by addressing the local driver shortage and improving road safety.
They need to deliver a Road Freight Workforce Action Plan, including a national Truck Driver Standard, licensing and training reform and a consistent truck driver apprenticeship across all states and territories.
We also need a national heavy vehicle skills hub to provide quality information about training and incentives. We need the introduction of training incentives, licensing and skills training reform, plus the delivery of the key actions outlined in the Industry Skills Australia (ISA) Workforce Plan.
With so many drivers above 55 years old, there is a global demographic time bomb. In Australia we have 47 per cent of trucker drivers over 55, and yet only 5.4 per cent of drivers under 25. In the coming years, retiring drivers will exacerbate the existing driver shortage if they are not replaced.
At a point when the freight task is growing, Australia can expect 21 per cent of its drivers to retire by 2029, according to the IRU analysis.
When trying to fill driver positions due to the shortages, 43 per cent of Australian operators reported severe or very severe difficulty filling driver positions. When asked how difficult it has been to fill driver positions, 35 per cent of those surveyed in Australia said it was more difficult than the previous year.
Recruiting women to come and work in the industry is also a global problem. The report showed 6.4 per cent of operators’ driving workforce in Australia are women, double the 3.2 per cent reported in Europe but lower than the 6.9per cent in the US.
Less than 12 per cent of truck drivers in the world are under 25 and there are only two countries where it’s higher, China at 15 per cent and Uzbekistan with 20 per cent. Those younger drivers surveyed said they were happier in their jobs than older drivers across the board.
Poor rest areas for truck drivers out on the road were mentioned by many of the drivers surveyed, as a reason why there is low driver retention.
Ninety per cent of European truck drivers said that the lack of well-equipped and secure rest areas is the main reason behind the shortage of drivers.
They also listed poor treatment at delivery sites, the negative image of truck drivers, and having to spend long periods of time away from home as other reasons for not staying in the industry. This is particularly significant for women.
- Warren Clark is NatRoad CEO