Poland facing transport driver shortage

As many as eight in ten Polish transport companies lack drivers from time to time, with 20 percent of these firms facing chronic shortages, according to a report by PwC. Mateusz Walewski, a spokesperson for PwC, indicated that the shortage is leading to some trucking companies having to refuse orders. Mr. Walewski pointed to a high level of workload and “low wages” as possible reasons for the gap. Maciej Wronski, president of an association of transport drivers, said in the report that he believed it was necessary that more young people be encouraged to take up driving careers, and also that an improvement in working conditions would help ease the crisis. There are currently approximately 100,000 professional drivers working in Poland, with drivers earning, on average, less than PLN 6,000 monthly (gross), according to the report. The report also said that, for prospective employees, the average time spent looking for a job as a truck driver was just five days.