The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) is calling on operators to highlight the issues they’re having in recruiting and retaining truck drivers.
By taking part in a global driver shortage survey, NatRoad said operators will help show the scale of Australia’s truck driver crisis and help the association call for government action.
The annual Global Driver Shortage Survey is conducted by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) – the United Nations-affiliated body representing road transport. NatRoad partnered with IRU last year to include Australian operators in the survey for the first time in 2024.
This year’s survey can be found here and closes on September 30.
NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said data gathered by the survey is critical to highlight the extent of the local crisis, developing solutions and advocating for reforms at all levels of government.
“This is a huge issue affecting road transport operators around the world, and it’s vital we continue to capture the situation in Australia and show the problem isn’t going away on its own,” Clark said.
“Participating in the 2025 survey will give us the evidence we need to push for change on behalf of Australia’s road transport industry, especially given Australia’s total domestic freight task is projected to grow by 26 percent by 2050.
“Findings from the 2024 survey showed the stark reality of the problem we in the road transport industry have known about for a long time. I urge operators to take part in the 2025 survey to ensure the latest local information is included.”
Key data on the situation in Australia captured in the 2024 survey included:
- Over 28,000 unfilled driver positions, a figure projected to reach 78,000 by 2029.
- Nearly half (49 per cent) of Australian trucking businesses experienced severe or very severe difficulty filling driver positions.
- Close to half (47 per cent) of all Australian drivers are now over the age of 55, and only 5.2 per cent of the driver workforce is under 25, and
- just 6.5 per cent of truck drivers in Australia are women, despite women making up almost half
(48 per cent) of Australia’s working population.
“The future of Australia’s road freight industry depends on our ability to address this crisis and continue to produce safe, skilled and professional truck drivers, while also providing an attractive and rewarding career path for young people wanting to be part of the industry,” Clark said.
Would you go do a job that will take your weeks wages for a genuine mistake?
Would you do a job that penalises you for working harder? How about trying to sleep when you’re not tired because a government issued piece of paper says you have to?
Instead of making a cash cow out of drivers, how about realistic fines? How about actually training people to drive instead of training them to get a licence? How about an apprenticeship?
People outside the industry don’t understand what it takes to get a truck from A to B. And don’t care on the whole. The amount of companies closing their doors because they can’t make money thanks to rate cutting is incredible.
Aim at making it a career opportunity for people, instead of scaring them away.
The NHVR isn’t making a difference to the safety, but it sure is putting a dent in people’s bottom line thanks to untrained and ill informed employees.
Until it is run by people with knowledge, I sadly can’t see it getting any better any time soon.
Australia should consider getting drivers from Zambia . At this moment when South Africa is chasing away foreign drivers, Australia should take advantage of the situation. Zambia has a lot of good long distance drivers.
there is a driver shortage in the transport industry because wages are shit for the hours worked most transport companies push the driver to meet deadlines and that showers and rest stops even to a good tasting healthy meal is few and far between people don’t realise interstate truck drivers are paid on cents per kilometre not a hourly rate so that means if the wheels aren’t turning the driver isn’t earning a wage there’s a lot of transport companies out there not doing the right thing by the driver until this is rectified nothing will change in the industry
Personal opinions here but been on both sides and is the best i can surmise.
Long haul and over night runs are no longer enticing for the pay or conditions.
Many want to be able to leave in the morning and come home at night. The other issue is licencing costs, be it car or truck, every state gouges on pricing.
25 years ago Qld Main Roads had this issue with equipment transport drivers only wanting day trips, they just made many little depots so the freight got there in comparable time by making small hops.
This isn’t practical for all freight though I stayed on longer once adopted.
Hi, I’m a semi retired truck driver with over 40 years experience,
I have Linehauled around NZ, Australia and America,
I was last in Australia in 2008 and worked for Bunker transport in Perth,
I would be interested in coming back to Australia for a year or so driving but I’m not keen on the idea of sitting all my licenses again, if it were possible to transfer our NZ licenses to Australian and start driving I’m sure you would get a lot of kiwis coming over.
Regards
Allen
maybe if truck companies did some training and gave someone a go they would have driver’s and paid a bit better every job advertised is 5 years experience. how to get experience if no one gives anyone a chance 🤔