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Europe must improve driver training
Page 12
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THE ROAD HAULAGE sector in Europe needs to better train its drivers so that they can deal with the increasing demands of their work, a new report has concluded. The study from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, a Dublin-based EU agency, says that drivers' tasks have widened and diversified to include work traditionally carried out by ware
house and stock personnel, with drivers being "increasingly the client's sole contact with the transport organisation".
As a result, drivers often need social skills that were not required before and, with international transport growing, they need to understand different languages and cultures, the report says. Despite this, and the new tele communications technology
required, "the sector does not seem to have developed a training culture," the report adds, calling for the industry "to tackle the variable levels of training and qualifications from one [EU] member state to another... to ensure greater mobility and employment". The association of the haulage profession with "poor working conditions, low wages and a problematic work-life balance", espe
cially for international drivers, is behind widespread recruitment difficulties it argues.
"The present shortage of qualified personnel is a real challenge," it adds.
Other difficulties identified are increasing traffic congestion faced by drivers and stress caused by ever more demanding customers wanting "precision, speed and flexibility" in deliveries.