The global shortage of qualified truck drivers has sent the logistics industry worldwide into a tailspin – so much so that in the UK the army is on standby to ease driver-related fuel supply problems, if necessary.
According to the BBC, up to 150 military tanker drivers will prepare to deliver to forecourts which have run dry because of panic buying amid fears a driver shortage would hit fuel supply.
And while the problem in South Africa may not be as dire for now, it’s a concern, says Arnoux Maré, managing director of driver training company Innovative Learning Solutions (ILS).
“As of 2021, there is a shortage of approximately 3000 truck and bus drivers in the South African transport sector. As a result, many companies are recruiting unskilled and unqualified drivers, placing road users at risk.
“Most concerning, however, is the fact that this shortage means that employers simply cannot allow their pool of drivers any time off. Drivers are required to be behind the wheel every available moment, despite all the safety consequences that follow.”
Further fuelling local shortages is the fact that South Africa appears to be a fertile recruiting ground for the United Kingdom and the US, as they grapple with the same problem.
Since its launch in April 2020, during the height of Covid-19, ILS has trained more than 8000 drivers.
Reports from the UK this week reveal that the UK government is set to issue 5000 temporary visas to make it easier for foreign truck drivers to work in the country.
