Challenges of Driver Shortage in Logistics

In 2024, India’s logistics industry is facing the ever-growing challenges of driver shortage.

While logistics is the backbone of the economy, enabling transportation of goods across the country in all the states, the sector is struggling to recruit and retain drivers.

It’s one of the biggest challenges in the logistics industry that we need to address. Truck drivers, who are crucial to the transportation industry, are becoming scarce due to several factors. We will see all the major factors here in this article.

Reasons for Driver Shortage in Logistics

(a) Low Payscale

One of the primary reasons for the driver shortage in India is low wages or salaries.

Truck drivers in India are often paid less than what the job demands.

For a profession that involves long hours, challenging road conditions, bad roads, and frequent time away from family, the salary simply doesn’t match up. According to the Indian Foundation of Transport Research, truck drivers in India earn between INR 15,000 and INR 20,000 per month, which is quite low when compared to the responsibilities they shoulder.

(b) Poor Working Environment
There are long working hours. Of course, irregular schedules are yet another thing to consider.

Often, they sleep in their trucks or unsafe places, without proper rest.

The lack of sanitation facilities, food options, and basic infrastructure along highways further worsens the situation. Drivers are often treated poorly by others on the road. This gets frustrating for many drivers which adds to the stress and dissatisfaction with the job.

(c) Old Vehicles

Many trucks are too old to drive in these days.

Another contributing factor to the driver shortage is the use of outdated vehicles.

Many companies, especially smaller transport industry, use older trucks that are uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe to drive. This could be too frustrating if the road is bad. For instance, the uphill drive sometimes gets too heavy to ride in old vehicles.

These vehicles lack modern amenities such as air conditioning (which is still rare in the new vehicles), ergonomic comfortable seats, and other features that would make long-distance driving more bearable.

With little to no comfort inside the vehicle, drivers are less interested in working in the profession.

(d) Fewer Facilities During and After Route
Once on the road, drivers face limited access to basic facilities like clean restrooms, proper food, and secure parking areas. As you already know, they park in the petrol pumps with fewer facilities available.

This makes their journey even more difficult. Additionally, once they complete their routes, there is little to no support for their well-being.

These gaps in basic infrastructure make the job even more unattractive.

(e) Negative Perception of the Profession

The profession of truck driving in India carries a negative social stigma.

It’s often seen as a low-status job that involves hard physical labor. It’s a huge problem and needs to be changed. However, there are fewer things you can do here.

(f) Age Factor
The average age of truck drivers in India is rising, with fewer young people entering the profession. Older drivers are beginning to retire, and the younger generation is uninterested in joining due to the challenges mentioned earlier.

So, this is yet another bigger problem that needs to be addressed. Due to the new vlogs uploaded by many truck drivers, some people are still interested in getting the job. However, the age factor is a major concern. So, it becomes harder to get new hires.

(g) Location and Demographics

The geographic preferences of truck drivers also contribute to the shortage.

These days, many drivers prefer to work in specific regions close to their hometowns or regions that offer better infrastructure and facilities. Or, they prefer the cities where they are treated well or the terrain is well. Drivers may avoid certain routes due to safety concerns, bad road conditions, or the lack of amenities. This is one of the biggest problems of uneven distribution of available drivers nationwide.

How to Overcome Driver Shortage in Transportation

(a) Increase Payscale
The easiest solution to this is to increase the scale.

Offering competitive salaries is one of the most straightforward solutions to attract more drivers.

The government and logistics companies need to work together to set a minimum wage standard for truck drivers.

By increasing the pay scale, the industry can attract new talent and make the profession more appealing. If it’s not directly possible to increase the payscale, you can offer compensation for a few jobs that require extra work or simply pay for the overtime. In this way, all of you benefit.

(b) Improve Working Environment

The working environment needs significant improvement. This includes the basic steps of providing rest stops with proper facilities such as clean restrooms, food outlets, and places to rest safely. However, you have limited of other places. So, you can let the drivers make the decisions by themselves.

(c) Give More Respect

The profession of a truck driver needs to be recognized and respected more in Indian society. As a manager, you can always give more respect to the drivers. Usually, the tone is the problem here. So, make sure that you treat them with the utmost respect.

(d) Manage Working Hours
Many truck drivers work long hours with little to no rest. It’s not only unsafe for the drivers but also dangerous for other people as well. So, more numbers of hours are not recommended at all. Instead, you need to set the right cap.

(e) Better Suited Destinations

Giving drivers the option to choose their routes or assigning them destinations that they prefer can help reduce the challenges of driver shortage. It’s only possible if your company is providing services in these companies.

(f) Offer Perks

Offering additional perks such as insurance, healthcare, retirement benefits, and performance bonuses can make the job more appealing.

For example, giving drivers free health checkups, accident insurance, and even education for their children can make a significant difference in retaining them. If it’s not finally possible for you, the best way is to offer them little perks such as discounts on food or safety and security for their family.

(g) Maintain and Improve Truck Interiors

Let’s be honest, some trucks are not worth driving. These are poorly maintained trucks with no proper conditions. Drivers would be more likely to continue if their vehicles were in better condition.

How to Hire More Truck Drivers for Logistics

Here are a few effective strategies for hiring more truck drivers.

(a) Stick Posters and Pamphlets

Stick posters and distribute pamphlets in high-traffic areas to attract potential drivers.

This old-school but effective method helps spread awareness about job openings and is particularly useful in rural areas where many drivers come from.

(b) Referrals Work Best

The referral system is a tried and tested method in the logistics industry. Current drivers can refer their friends or family members to join the profession. You can give them referral bonuses. This will benefit both of them as well as you.

(c) Offer Perks for Longevity

If a driver completes six months or a year of service, they could receive a bonus, healthcare benefits, or other incentives. This not only helps in hiring new drivers but also improves retention.

Conclusion

To conclude, this was all about the rising challenges of driver shortage in the logistics industry. It’s one of the major problems that needs to be addressed. You can always use the given strategies to get the best results and hire more drivers. In this way, you can get more drivers to work for your company. You can always use the mentioned methods to ensure that the drivers don’t leave the job that they have.