Overview
- About 30,000 to 35,000 drivers retire each year while only 15,000 to 20,000 new drivers enter the workforce, according to BGL.
- Transport companies report parking trucks, canceling orders, and skipping tenders due to staff shortages and higher personnel costs.
- Roughly 80% of goods in Germany move by road, and rail offers little near‑term relief given limited capacity and inflexible routes.
- The sector does not expect autonomous trucks to replace drivers soon because human oversight and legal responsibility remain essential.
- BGL notes heavy reliance on foreign drivers and warns that a regional geopolitical shock could pull many back to their home countries and deepen the shortage.