Logistics companies are raising container truck drivers' salaries to 30-50 million VND (depending on position) per month, nearly double what it was last year, but they are still finding it difficult to recruit suitable candidates.
Hoang, who has worked as a container truck driver for 10 years, has been repeatedly offered a job back by his old company, with a monthly income ranging from 30 million to 40 million VND. But he still refuses.
"I'd rather work as a ride-hailing driver; the income might be lower, but I have more control over my time and can go home to my family in the evenings. Driving a container truck means constantly worrying about accidents; just one violation can cost me a whole month's salary," he said.
In contrast to Hoang, Phuong (45 years old, from Quang Ngai) still wants to continue working as a truck driver after more than 20 years behind the wheel. However, since April, the company where he works has stopped assigning him to drive container trucks because he has reached the age limit according to internal regulations. Despite being offered a different position, he decided to quit.
"If I could still drive in the same position, I would return immediately. I'm still healthy and experienced enough; it's just that the company stipulates that container truck drivers must be under 45 years old," he shared.
One driver voluntarily left the profession, while another wanted to continue but no longer had the opportunity to drive. These two contrasting stories reflect the reality many businesses are facing: it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit container truck drivers despite continuously rising salaries.
Ms. Dang Minh Phuong, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Logistics and Port Association (HLA), said that last year her company only needed to pay about 25 million VND per month to recruit container truck drivers. Since the beginning of this year, many companies, including hers, have raised salaries to 45-50 million VND and run recruitment advertisements on multiple channels, but still cannot find people. "Business owners are competing with each other for drivers," she said.
The race to raise wages hasn't helped businesses solve their workforce problem. Instead, many companies have been forced to downsize due to a shortage of drivers.
Mr. Dang Van Hue, Director of An Hue Trading and Service Co., Ltd., said that the company used to own about 60-70 tractor trucks but now only has about 30 left. Despite the halving in size, the company currently only has 8 drivers, leaving most of its vehicles idle since after Tet (Lunar New Year).
"Businesses are now at a standstill. They can't even close down. Tractor-trailer trucks cost billions of dong each, but now nobody wants to buy them," he said.
According to Mr. Hue, the driver shortage has been ongoing for many years. The company has repeatedly increased salaries to over 30 million VND per month, but still cannot recruit enough people. This prevents them from fully utilizing their fleet while still having to bear depreciation costs, loan interest, maintenance, and many other fixed expenses. Customer demand for transportation remains, but the company is hesitant to accept many contracts due to the lack of drivers.
Not only transportation companies, but also export businesses are facing the problem of driver shortages when trying to take control of their logistics.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, General Director of Vina T&T, said that previously, the company mainly hired logistics companies to transport export goods. However, relying on partners often meant the company couldn't proactively plan deliveries, especially during peak seasons. Therefore, the company decided to invest in its own fleet of container trucks and hire its own drivers to better control the entire transportation chain.
This year, despite paying container truck drivers around 40 million VND per month, businesses are still frequently facing recruitment difficulties. According to Mr. Tung, the export transportation chain extends from the raw material source, packaging factory, irradiation facility to the seaport. A shortage of trucks or a delay in one step can cause the entire shipment to miss its scheduled vessel and incur additional costs.
According to businesses, raising wages only addresses the symptom of the labor shortage. What they lack is a supply of drivers with FC-class driving licenses, given their aging workforce and the lack of a successor generation.
Besides the demanding nature of frequently traveling long distances, being away from family, and being responsible for high-value shipments, one of the biggest concerns for many drivers today is the risk from increasingly stricter regulations and penalties.
Many drivers say that since Decree 168 came into effect, the pressure of working has increased significantly as many violations are subject to a point deduction mechanism. Each driver's license has 12 points, and drivers will not be allowed to continue driving if all points are deducted. Fines have also increased considerably, reaching up to 50 million VND for some violations, causing many drivers to consider leaving the profession due to the higher risk of losing income and their driver's license. Just one violation can result in a fine equivalent to a whole month's income, increasing pressure and leading many to choose to leave the profession or not pursue it at all.
From the association's perspective, Ms. Dang Minh Phuong stated that logistics costs now exceed 20% of product prices, higher than the previous 17-18%. Besides geopolitical fluctuations, fuel prices, and inconsistent infrastructure, the shortage of drivers is causing labor costs to continue escalating, adding further pressure on transportation, manufacturing, and export businesses.
According to businesses, simply increasing wages is not enough to solve the problem of container truck driver shortages. It is essential to promptly address obstacles in training and testing for Class FC driver's licenses to supplement the workforce in the industry. Simultaneously, investment in rest stops, depots, and improved working conditions is needed to reduce pressure on drivers. In addition, many businesses have requested a review of regulations in transportation operations to ensure both traffic safety and driver confidence. With improved human resources, businesses can expand their fleets, proactively manage transportation, and gradually reduce logistics costs.
Source: VNExpress
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