Digitalisation in the fight against driver shortage

Empty shelves, full waste bins and problems on public transport, it’s not just the pandemic, Brexit and conflicts that are to blame. There is a shortage of drivers. In Germany there is currently a driver short-fall between 60 - 80 thousand, and this figure is rising. Around 35% of professional drivers are aged over 55 and 30,000 retire every year. There are only about half as many new entrants to the profession. Currently 70% of freight transport in Germany is covered by lorries, with increasing volumes of freight and waste. If we include cases of illness, in some regions there is no collection for weeks at a time.

But how can this trend, which is also fuelled by a lack of recognition, the abolition of compulsory military service, the raising of the minimum age for a CE driving licence and a general dissatisfaction among drivers, be stopped? Reciprocal poaching only shifts the problems in the short term. Finding employees in other EU countries is also proving difficult.

Associations such as the VCI or the BDE with the Kreislaufhelden initiative have presented how just a few measures could counteract this loss. Digitalisation is always at the heart of the debate. Starting with education and training and extending into everyday life. What could this look like in concrete terms? Digitalisation can relieve dispatchers and drivers of paperwork, telephone calls, supplements, errands and serious complaints. Reducing these unpleasant chores and any communication problems also relieves employees of a lot of time. A good digital infrastructure helps new drivers who are unfamiliar with certain locations or face language problems get off to a good start. A more pleasant working environment can help attract drivers to companies in the short term and back to the industry in the long term.