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Date Published: 14/10/2021
ARCHIVED - UK truck driver crisis threatens Spain
Rising costs and decreasing salaries make trucking in Spain an unattractive option for many professionals
In recent weeks the United Kingdom has suffered from a serious shortage of carriers that has left hundreds of petrol stations without fuel and the entire country on the brink of a supply shortage. With rising costs, lower wages and the complications of crossing borders following Brexit, many truckers are of the opinion that Spain could soon follow suit.
Although prices for transport services have changed little since the global crisis of 2008, the situation for drivers has become almost unsustainable since the beginning of the year, when expenses began to skyrocket due to post-pandemic inflation. The price of insurance has dramatically increased compared to last year, and petrol and diesel costs continue to soar past record highs.
“The sector is becoming less attractive, in recent years, probably since before the crisis it has been losing profit margin”, explained Javier San Martin, professor of logistics at the OBS Business School.
And increased costs aren’t the only challenge, as a new technology that could cause a world revolution in the sector is only just over the horizon. According to Mr Martin, autonomous trucks are the wave of the future and will lead to countless hauliers losing their jobs. It is not yet clear when these driverless vehicles will be legislated in the EU, but everything points towards them coming on stream between 2026 and 2030.
With the UK upping salaries in an effort to attract more truckers, both self-employed drivers – around a third of the fleet in Spain – and those employed by small companies have seen their profit margins dwindle away. Faced with this situation, the sector is having serious problems attracting new truckers as the older drivers begin to retire, something which the experts believe could lead Spain to a crisis similar to the one in the UK sooner rather than later.
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