Polish hauliers complain about shortage of drivers
Polish road freight carriers have orders but not enough drivers, the Puls Biznesu (PB) daily wrote on Monday.
The PB quoted data showing that Polish road transport companies are still lacking about 120,000 professional drivers and the number may grow to 150,000 by 2030.
"The government looks at unemployment statistics rather than the actual situation on the market, and remains silent," the newspaper commented.
Piotr Magdziak of the haulier company MagTrans told the newspaper: "It is mainly smaller firms that are closing down, as their operations were heavily reliant on just a few drivers. When they lose staff, they often lose the ability to continue operating."
The condition of the sector as a whole has been improving, but this may look good only on paper, Magdziak continued.
"The transport market looks relatively healthy today, but not because customers are shipping more goods. It is simply that there are fewer hauliers and fewer drivers on the market. In many companies, as much as 20 percent of the fleet is idle due to staff shortages," he said.
Andrzej Szymanski of the Dartom company said the shortages are not an effect of the economic situation, but of social and demographic changes.
"The average age of a professional driver in Poland is currently around 45, and drivers under the age of 25 account for just 3 percent of the total number of professional drivers," he told the PB.
The declining number of transport companies is one sign of the changes. According to data from the General Inspectorate of Road Transport, the number of companies holding an EU licence has fallen by around 500 this year. (PAP)
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