Empty supermarket shelves and no gas in the gas stations. The shortage of truck drivers is clearly noticeable in Great Britain – but not only British haulage companies are struggling with it. “Great Britain is simply a look into the future,” said the chairman of the Federal Association of Freight Transport, Logistics and Disposal (BGL), Dirk Engelhardt. In Germany, up to 80,000 drivers are currently missing.
Every year in this country, 30,000 truck drivers also retire – and that with annual numbers between 13,000 and 17,000, Engelhardt said. The shortage of drivers is therefore steadily increasing. A BGL survey of around 4500 truck drivers revealed three main reasons. “The first is obvious, that’s the reward,” said Engelhardt. Second, the industry’s bad reputation is problematic. And thirdly, the general conditions of the job are often difficult to bear: The poor predictability of traffic, the incompatibility of family and work and the lack of parking spaces make the job unattractive for many. According to Engelhardt, there is a shortage of 40,000 truck parking spaces in Germany and more than 100,000 in Europe.
In 2020, truck drivers earned an average of 14.21 euros an hour, according to the Federal Statistical Office. In the economy as a whole, the average gross hourly earnings for skilled workers was 19.97 euros, for semi-skilled workers 16.02 euros. According to this, truck drivers received an average of 2623 euros gross per month; Employees with comparable training and professional experience, on the other hand, earned 3,286 euros. (Agencies)
