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Ramón Valdivia, Executive Vice President of IRU member ASTIC and IRU Presidential Executive member.
Spain is facing a shortage of drivers – and it’s likely to get worse if current trends continue. We asked Ramón Valdivia, Executive Vice President of IRU member ASTIC and IRU Presidential Executive member, what is being – and should be – done in response.
The shortage of drivers is a global issue, with millions of unfilled bus, coach and truck driver positions threatening the stability and continuity of mobility and supply chains.
Ramón Valdivia discusses the situation in Spain.
How bad is Spain’s driver shortage?
Spain is missing many thousands of bus and truck drivers. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. More than 70% of truck drivers are over 50 years old. The average age of bus drivers is 49.
If current trends do not change dramatically within the next five years, we risk losing a third of our total workforce in the coming years.
On the other hand, under 3% of Spain’s bus and coach drivers are below 25 years of age, while the youth unemployment rate is over 30%, the highest in the European Union.
In my opinion, it’s a very strong indication that younger generations do not have the same interest in the profession as before. Reversing this situation is not easy. It will take at least one generation, but we can’t give up.
What has Spain done in response?
In 2020, after intense lobbying and collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Spain lowered the minimum driving age for truck drivers from 21 to 18, and for bus and coach from 22 and 21. That’s an improvement, at least on the goods side. For the passenger sector, it’s really not enough.
These are just the first steps, making the profession more attractive to younger generations will take time. Many other aspects need to be tackled.
What other measure has Spain taken?
In March 2022, the Spanish government also approved a new legislation banning the practice of drivers loading and unloading trucks over 7.5 tonnes.
The legislation also compensates, and rightly so, transport operators whose drivers have to wait for over an hour at distribution centres. Read more
Source: IRU
