Fewer and older drivers. The risk that the market will "empty out" when the generation of drivers in their 50s retires continues to grow, because there are not enough new professionals to fill in the gap.

This is according to figures from the Department for Transport and the latest surveys, which shows that although the number of transport companies has fallen over the past year, the need to find new recruits has not subsided.

THE NUMBERS

In Italy today there are just over a million hauliers, but, according to estimates by associations and companies in the sector, there are between 15,000 and 20,000 missing. A situation that is likely to worsen due to the average age of workers.

According to the Ministry of Transport, in fact, in Italy 45.8% of drivers with a CQC are over 50 years old, compared to 0.4% who are under 24 and 18.1% who are under 40.

In this context, generational turnover cannot be "equal", because there is a lack of young drivers to replace the outgoing "veterans".

There are still very few women entering the profession, only 1.6% of hauliers.

And even in Europe the scenario is not very different: according to the IRU (International Road Transport Union), in 2021 companies expect a shortage of drivers equal to 17% of the total number of staff needed.

REASONS

It is difficult to identify a single reason why young people today do not approach the profession spontaneously. The high cost of training, from driver's licence to CQC, is certainly one reason, but according to the IRU survey, the gap between the age of graduation (18) and the age at which you can sit behind the wheel of a truck (21) should not be underestimated.

Finally, an idea of the truck driver's profession that is often still stereotyped, the fear of facing great hardships or becoming part of a context without rules, does not help.

For this reason, the key parties in the sector - institutions, associations, manufacturers, transport companies - are fighting so that the true essence of the profession emerges, challenging, of course, but also well regulated and rewarding for those who know how to fully understand its potential and are working to push for the creation of regulations increasingly open to introducing young people into the world of road transport.

THE INITIATIVE

At Transpotec Logitec, young people interested in becoming truck drivers will be at the centre of Trucker School, an initiative conceived especially for them: the event will offer 15 young people free access to courses to obtain their driving and CPC licences, necessary to enter the world of work. In conjunction with the event, contracting companies will support the initiative by ensuring that newly identified drivers are hired once they have obtained the necessary certificates. A symbolic contribution, but above all a clear signal to show how the meeting between supply and demand of drivers is possible and how the work of a truck driver can still represent a "dream" for many young people.