The shortage of international truck drivers is already a cause that is affecting the transport sector. It is established that there are more than fifteen thousand truck driver positions requested by companies that have yet to be filled.
There are several reasons for this, but among them we could highlight several. One of them is the difficult working situation that lorry drivers have to endure, since according to their collective bargaining agreement, they are paid according to the kilometres travelled and not according to the number of hours they spend in the lorry, which means overtime and night work. In addition to this, there are also the poor conditions that in some cases are found in rest areas and loading and unloading areas in Spain.
Another reason to highlight is that the sector is ageing, the average age of truck drivers is around 47 years old. Very few vacancies are being filled by young people because they do not find the work attractive and their low purchasing power does not help them to get started in the transport sector due to the initial investment involved.
The poor training of hauliers is another major cause of the driver shortage. Knowing the profession and the regulations, having operational skills that enable them to operate in the various European markets helps them to keep customers satisfied.
Finally, the rising price of oil is an additional burden on the costs of transport companies and therefore directly affects the sector. The price goes up and transport services with customers go down, so it affects carriers.
