Australia is facing a truck driver shortage, a daunting economic prospect as the vast majority of goods in the country are transported over the road.
At present, trucks move around 75 per cent of (non-bulk) domestic freight, an amount which is expected to double by 2030, according to a survey conducted by Volvo Group in 2016.
But while the demand is rapidly swelling, the number of people behind the wheel is rapidly declining.
According to the Australian Industry Skills Transport and Logistics Skills Forecast 2019, over 80 per cent of employers reported experiencing a skills shortage in the last twelve months.
Middle aged man holding steering wheel. Source: AAP
What is causing the driver shortage?
Peter Anderson, the Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Transport Association (VTA) told SBS Punjabi that the driver shortage has been a looming problem for a number of years and has been impacting the industry for decades.
According to Mr Anderson, the shortage is due to a number of factors primarily:
- Industry Image and public understanding of the road freight industry.
- The professional structure of the training and education of drivers.
- Low levels of remuneration
- High levels of working hours.
The problem is particularly acute in the state of Victoria which is at present facing a shortage of over 3,000 drivers owing to population growth, unprecedented construction and proliferation of online shopping.
Truck driver, Amar Singh posing with a truck. Source: SBS
Opportunity for migrants and foreign workers?
32-year-old Gurpreet Singh who is been driving a truck in Victoria for over five years says trucking used to be the preferred choice of employment for many newly- arrived migrants from India.
“When we arrived some ten years ago, trucking offered a successful career path. One definitely had to pull long hours, but in the end, it paid well, and so was totally worth the hustle,” Mr Singh told SBS Punjabi.
Truck driving, in fact, emerged as the second most common job that Punjabi speakers in Australia were pursuing after automobile driving, according to the data collected in the 2016 Census.
“What locals wouldn't do, Punjabis and foreign workers would readily pick up. But things have changed over the years,” said Mr Gurpeet Singh.
“Part of the problem is the negative image of the industry. It is no longer considered a cool or a safe job amongst youngsters. And there is no denying the fact that it is indeed a hard life on the road,” he added.
Compounding the issue are industry regulations that prohibit young people from driving heavy vehicles on the roads such as B-Doubles which requires drivers to be of 25 years, something that industry experts believe needs to be changed.
“Another reason for the shortage is the inability of the licensing system to allow young people to enter the industry trained, competent and able to gain employment. We hope to address this through our review of licensing laws,” said Mr Anderson.
What can be done to tackle the problem?
The VTA proposes that an enhanced licencing standard and awareness about the industry would go a long way in curtailing the shortage and increasing hiring opportunities.
“Education, training and an improved system of qualification are what the industry is screaming out for and what people such as the VTA are trying to achieve. There must be stronger education about all road users, their individual dynamics and what a new driver should be trained to expect on the road form other road users,” said Mr Anderson.
