5th International IRU Academy Seminar on Driver Shortage Figures for Discussion… Driver Employment, Migration of Drivers and Traffic Flows, Salaries, Public Perception, Driver Shortages Amsterdam, 27 September 2007 Menno Menist Managing Director, NEA, The Netherlands 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Driver Shortages World-wide shortage of (professional) drivers – quantity World-wide shortage of qualified (professional) drivers – quality Regional shortages of (professional) drivers (caused by driver migration) 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Question Is driver shortage more a problem in certain types of companies than in others? Foreign owned versus domestic owned Specialised transport versus general transport 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Main cause for driver shortages Change of the profession of driver in the last 20 years From ‘steering the wheel’ from ‘A to B’ towards a responsible manager of an expensive vehicle and its load and an ambassador of its company 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Quick Survey on Shortage of Professional Drivers Quick Survey carried out by IRU / NEA based on questionnaire in August / September Response from more than 15 countries: Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland FYROM, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, UK 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Results Survey 1 There is a structural shortage of professional drivers, in particular in international freight transport The shortage varies in the different countries between 5-15% of the total number of active professional drivers There is a strong need for qualified professional drivers 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Question Is there one ton less transported because of the shortage? 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Results Survey 2 Estimated shortages The Netherlands 5,000 Norway 4,500 Belgium 3,000 Lithuania 2,500 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Shortages will increase… Drivers will not be allowed to drive more than 48 hours per week when implementing the EU regulation on driving times and rest periods (Regulation (EC) 561/2006) If they drive nowadays 53 hours per week on average these shortages will increase with much more than 10%... 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Reasons for Driver Shortages Results Survey 3 Reasons for Driver Shortages 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Reasons for Driver Shortages Results Survey 4 Reasons for Driver Shortages Western Europe 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Reasons for Driver Shortages Results Survey 5 Reasons for Driver Shortages Eastern Europe 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Some proposed solutions 1 Improve the image of the road transport industry and professional drivers (Belgium, Germany) Better matching supply and demand of professional drivers (Belgium) Increase education capacity (Germany, Norway) Government and road transport industry to prepare appropriate educational programmes (Poland) Young driver schemes (UK) Company sponsorship through higher education in exchange for holiday working (UK) 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Some proposed solutions 2 Use occasional drivers (UK) Higher salary (Germany, Norway) Better organisation and planning of transport so that drivers can live a normal life (Norway) Training Fund to be established by Social Partners (Hungary) Financial aid to pay initial training (The Netherlands) Promotion of Social Dialogue on this issue (Belarus) 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Some proposed solutions 3 Facilitating contracting foreign drivers (Lithuania) Train and bring more women to the profession of driver (Estonia) 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Some proposed solutions 4 In Western Europe transport companies have hired drivers from other countries For example in the Netherlands an increasing number of foreign drivers are working for Dutch companies. Those foreign drivers are recruited from former Eastern Europe countries but also from Germany 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Some proposed solutions 5 “Zij-instroom” side influx Older employees who are no longer employable in other professions can be trained to be a driver. For example in the Netherlands former postmen are being trained to be drivers “Eigen rijders” own drivers Own drivers can make more hours and kms. For the time being own drivers are not regulated through the 48-hour working time rule 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Changes in profession Changes in the profession are related with: Responsibilities to do with vehicle, cargo, public roads, clients Control and checks Administration IT and communication 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Professional Driver Responsibilities Managing an expensive vehicle with hi-tech components Be responsible for cargo and / or passengers Contributing to more road safety 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Professional Driver Controls and Checks The driver controls / checks: Right product Right quantities Right qualities Right packing Right place delivery Right time delivery 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Professional Driver Administration Drivers have to administer forms, documents, licenses, permits, etc. related with: him/herself vehicle cargo others 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Professional Driver Communication Drivers have: to operate on-board computers to be able to make print-outs of data from the digital tachograph to operate route planning systems to know how to handle other forms of telecommunication 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

New legal requirements … The change of the contents of the profession of a truck or bus / coach driver has resulted in new legal requirements: Social legislation; working time directive; driving time and rest periods; analogue and digital tachograph Extensive training requirements both for the driving license as well as for the Certificate of Professional Competence for Drivers 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

CPC for Drivers Training requirements for the Certificate of Professional Competence for drivers are new for most EU countries (Council Directive 2003/59) It previously only existed in France and The Netherlands Cooperation between NEA and IRU Academy in the creation of an IRU Academy CPC Driver Programme Pilot Institutes: i.e. ECOS (Bosnia & Herzegovina), FPT (Argentina), Trucknowledgy (India) & Westland Groep (The Netherlands) 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

How to address shortages? Real profession needs real education leading to a real career Training of youngsters in vocational training centres (public education; in co-operation with road transport industry) Upgrade knowledge, skills and attitude of existing drivers (with support from labour offices) 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Question Is this the future? Less drivers  less quality of new drivers  less “sex appeal”  less new drivers ? ? 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

How to attract trainees? How to guarantee that enough youngsters will choose the profession of driver? Mix of salary; responsibility; social labour conditions; image improving by promotion Integrate labour offices in this strategy! 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Need for Social Dialogue Public – Private Partners should work together ! Government: timely implementation of legislation Road transport industry and employer’s organisations: qualified staff; remuneration Transport Workers Federations and Trade Unions: labour agreement, work conditions All SHOULD EDUCATE & INFORM ! 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

Need for strategy … Development of a Strategy for making the profession of driver attractive again by the Public – Private Partners Government Road transport industry (including IRU and its Academy) Transport workers organisations (including ITF) 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007

5th International IRU Academy Seminar on Driver Shortage 2007 IRU Academy Seminar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2007