World News Truckie shortage ‘crisis’ to hurt strained supply chain Blog

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Australian shoppers could soon face empty supermarket shelves as a shortage of truck drivers threatens the country’s supply chains.

According to the National Road Transport Association, around 26,000 additional drivers are needed to fill the gaps in the trucking industry as the sector faces shortages across all company sizes and types.

With demand for road freight transport in New South Wales expected to increase by 57 per cent by 2040, the association’s chief executive, Warren Clark, called on the national cabinet to act immediately.

“This is not just a crisis for the trucking industry, it is a crisis for the entire economy,” he said on Wednesday.

“The supply chain is the backbone of our economy and without enough drivers the entire system is at risk.”

According to a survey by the International Road Transport Union, almost half of all drivers are over 55 years old. This could exacerbate the problem of job losses as these workers reach retirement age.

In addition, the proportion of young people and women in this sector is very low: only 5.3 percent of truck drivers are under 25 and 6.5 percent are female.

Incentives are needed to make the industry more attractive to these underrepresented populations while encouraging those already in the industry to continue their careers, Clark said.

This could include funding training programmes, creating new career entry opportunities in the trucking profession, improving access to apprenticeships and improving overall working conditions by treating truck drivers with respect at customer depots and delivery locations.

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