Drivers desperately needed in Germany

“Drivers desperately needed”. This headline made the rounds in mid-January when the Federal Statistical Office published figures on the proportion of baby boomers in Germany. Whether bus and truck drivers, gardeners or bricklayers: the shortage of skilled workers in many professions in Germany is likely to worsen as the baby boomer generation, which is experiencing high birth rates, retires.

In 2023, almost half of bus and tram drivers (44 percent) were at least 55 years old, as the Federal Statistical Office calculated based on the results of the microcensus. An above-average number of people aged 55 and over also drive trucks, with a share of 39 percent (source: destatis) see also our specific article on this.

In June 2012, around 540,000 professional drivers were registered in Germany, of which around 9,000 were women. According to the Federal Employment Agency, the number of professional drivers (freight transport/trucks) in Germany who were subject to social insurance contributions was 572,248 at the end of 2019, which is already a significant increase.

According to the Federal Association of Freight Transport, Logistics and Disposal, there is a shortage of 120,000 drivers. The trend is rising. Every year, 30,000 drivers would retire, with only 15,000 more being added (source: Frankfurter Rundshau).

In the new Skilled Immigration Act, the regulation on professional drivers was revised again in 2022, see Make it in Germany

Initial figures are available on how many of these visas have already been issued: In 2022 there were 1,851 visas, in 2023 only 837 and by the end of August 2024 604. This is according to a response from the federal government to a minor inquiry from the CDU/CSU. Most of these visas went to drivers from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

There are always small projects that start here. For example, the news magazine Der Spiegel reported on the recruitment of bus drivers from Kenya (see: Busfahrer au Kenia Sollen den deutschen Nahverkehr retten). This example also illustrates how difficult it is to recruit even a handful of drivers from abroad.

The Way Forward

Why is the interest here so low or the numbers so small? Here are a few main reasons:

  1. Too long: Pre-qualification abroad for long-distance transport in Europe or Germany is time-consuming, especially if German language skills are also to be taught (which is not necessary under residency law, but certainly makes sense)
  2. Too expensive: If the EU/EEA driving license or the (accelerated) basic qualification or both components are missing beforehand, this must be done within 15 months in Germany. These measures and examinations are very expensive, many companies shy away from the costs
  3. In German: The training measures and examinations usually have to be taken in German. Many experienced drivers who have a driving license and experience in their home country and are not interested in spending a long time in Germany shy away from this effort
  4. Too high: future employees who are 45 years old or older must receive a minimum salary for employment in Germany or provide proof of sufficient pension provision acquired to date. This minimum salary will be 53,130 euros (4,427.50 euros/month) in 2025. This is too expensive for many employers.

The median salary for the profession of “professional driver” in the occupational category “professional drivers (goods transport/trucks) – professionally oriented activities” is 2,930 euros, according to Berufenet of the employment agency. The lower quantile is 2,523 euros and the upper quantile is 3,446 euros.

In principle, it would not be a problem to recruit many drivers from Asia or Africa in addition to Eastern Europe. The median salary is certainly attractive for these applicants. All of these applicants have professional experience. Anyone who has ever been in the overcrowded metropolises of potential countries of origin knows what traffic chaos there is. And these drivers have to know how to help themselves because the quality of the vehicles often lags far behind the fleets in Germany. This would certainly be an approach or a necessity for further training.

Professional drivers are also sought in Poland, as well as in Lithuania and Latvia. There are already a number of programs running here to recruit drivers from India. They advertise that with an average salary of 3,000 euros/month for a Polish driver, the cost of living in Germany is significantly lower. As a rule, exams can also be taken in foreign languages ​​there.

Poland is also a member of the EU. And yet the details of recruiting professional drivers who receive an EU driving license there are different – i.e. easier and cheaper – than in Germany.

Conversely, this means that either the shortage of skilled workers is not yet serious enough (and high prices and wages are accepted) or the administrative hurdles are too high. Time for a Triple Win project for professional drivers?