Due to the shortage of truck drivers - along with the other factors brought on by the pandemic - trucking companies are doing everything they can to hire and retain qualified drivers.
To combat the shortage, trucking companies and recruiters are trying a range of tactics, including increasing pay.
Arnoux Maré, managing director at
Innovative Learning Solutions discusses the opportunity truck drivers
are presented with to fill in the skills shortage gap in the transport
and logistics industry and increase their earnings by leveraging their
training and experience.
The transportation industry like most
sectors is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic and a
contraction of the economy. However, as the country gears up to reclaim
some semblance of normality, drivers are presented with an opportunity
to not only fill the skills shortage gap present in the transport and
logistics industry but can leverage their training and experience to
increase their earnings
"Professionally trained drivers are in
high demand as the industry aims to regain the losses suffered under the
various lockdown levels and stifled economy. Drivers which fall in this
category have specific skillsets such as, driving in wet conditions;
economical driving; heavy goods vehicle braking; straight reverse and
ally docking," explains Maré.
The Department of Labour published
its minimum wages for South Africans who drive as wholesale and retail
truck drivers, in February 2021. Code 14 drivers who worked in more
populated municipalities could expect to earn no less than R 6,083.53 a
month. However, this figure is not reflective of what more experienced
drivers can earn in South Africa.
Data sourced from salary
website Indeed shows that the base salary for a truck driver is closer
to R10,324 per month in South Africa – or roughly R124,000 a year and
comparative salary information from PayScale shows that the average pay
is slightly lower at R98,225 a year, or R8,185 a month.
Upskilling drivers
The more qualified a driver is the better efficient they become, this also extends to their reliability leading to increased productivity which positively impacts their employers’ bottom line, offering them a huge negotiation advantage over their peers without the necessary training.
"It
is not just the drivers who stand to benefit from having skills that
set them apart. Businesses that invest in the development of systems and
staff, increase their functionality and gain valuable data and insights
over the industry and competition.
"As companies also seek to
trim costs, being leaner and more capable of doing more with less will
likely be more commonplace. This includes improving recruitment
processes to ensure drivers beyond the technical know-how required of
all drivers also have necessary soft skills such as communication,
motivation and customer services," concludes Maré.
