Keeping on truckin': DHL seeks to counter driver shortages

Record ID: 1369216

  • Title: Keeping on truckin': DHL seeks to counter driver shortages
  • Date: 21st December 2018
  • Summary: SEHLEM, GERMANY (DECEMBER 12, 2018) (REUTERS) DHL DRIVER, PATRICK KLANKERT, ENTERING TRUCK DHL LOGO ON TRUCK VARIOUS OF KLANKERT DRIVING TRUCK BACKING UP TO WAREHOUSE KLANKERT GETTING OUT OF TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (German) 27-YEAR-OLD DRIVER HIRED UNDER DHL'S NEW PILOT SCHEME, PATRICK KLANKERT, SAYING: "I don't just drive, I also work regularly in the transshipment warehouse, d
  • Embargoed: 4th January 2019 09:45
  • Keywords: trucking DHL shortage Germany
  • Location: SEHLEM, GERMANY
  • City: SEHLEM, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Economic Events
  • Reuters ID: LVA0019BW1OY5
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Faced with a chronic shortage of truck drivers, logistics firm Deutsche Post DHL Group is trialling a new scheme to get more people behind the wheel so it can keep goods flowing across Europe, especially at peak times like Christmas.
    A lack of drivers is already causing delays and rising costs for businesses in North America and Europe, with consumer goods firm Henkel plus retailers like Walmart; Kohls Corp and TJX all reporting problems.
    DHL Freight is trying to make the job more attractive by offering drivers well-paid contracts, long-term career prospects, more varied work and schedules that allow them to get home to their families in the evening.
    "I don't just drive, I also work regularly in the transshipment warehouse, doing stock duties, which makes it more varied," said Patrick Klankert, a 27-year-old, who is one of 30 drivers DHL has hired under the pilot scheme.
    High staff and transport costs forced the German postal and logistics group to issue a profit warning in June and launch a restructuring programme at its Post - eCommerce - Parcel (PeP) division, which employs 184,000 staff.
    While the deployment of self-driving trucks is likely to alleviate the situation eventually, the International Transport Forum think tank predicts there could be a shortfall of up to 800,000 drivers by 2030 in the United States and Europe.
    DHL Freight usually operates with subcontractors to keep costs down, but that has led to problems in peak seasons when contractors have failed to turn up for shifts, causing knock-on effects for the whole supply chain.
    The dearth of drivers has been exacerbated in DHL's home market Germany by the ending of compulsory military service in 2011 as the army used to train many future truckers.
    There were 195,000 open positions in the German logistics industry in the third quarter, up 19 percent on last year, with a particular demand for drivers of trucks and fork-lifts, according to a survey by private training provider WBS Gruppe.
    DHL has run an advertising campaign to try to attract candidates for the driver scheme and plans to create up to 500 new jobs across Europe if a pilot is a success.
    The drivers are covered by collective wage agreements that guarantees hourly pay of at least 11.74 euros, well above the German minimum wage of 8.84 euros.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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