Mexico’s trucking trade is going through a rising driver scarcity, with 14% of economic driver positions sitting vacant as fleet operators battle to recruit new staff, in response to a brand new survey by the Worldwide Street Transport Union (IRU).
The 14% emptiness fee is the second highest among the many 18 markets surveyed, trailing solely Uzbekistan at 15%, and exceeds the worldwide common emptiness fee of 11%.
The findings spotlight mounting workforce pressures in a rustic that depends closely on trucking to maneuver home freight and help cross-border commerce with the U.S.
The report discovered that recruitment difficulties have worsened in practically each market since 2021, suggesting driver shortages have develop into a structural situation reasonably than one tied to freight cycles or financial slowdowns.
Geneva, Switzerland-based IRU is a world transportation group with members in 75 nations that represents the pursuits of bus, coach, taxi and truck operators.
In Mexico, IRU mentioned structural labor constraints and underdeveloped coaching pathways proceed to maintain emptiness charges elevated.
The survey discovered that 44% of Mexican trucking firms ranked the motive force scarcity as their largest operational problem, forward of considerations concerning the economic system, decarbonization and digitalization.
Mexico’s Nationwide Chamber of Cargo Transportation estimates that roughly 90,000 vehicles are at the moment sitting idle as a result of carriers can’t discover sufficient certified drivers. With out extra workforce initiatives, that determine may climb above 108,000 vehicles by 2028, in response to trade estimates cited within the report.
Trucking strikes about 81% of Mexico’s land cargo and 57% of its home freight, making driver availability important to producers, retailers and exporters that rely upon highway transportation.
International scarcity reaches 2.9 million drivers
Worldwide, IRU estimates there are roughly 2.9 million unfilled truck driver positions throughout 18 main freight markets, equal to 11% of the trade’s workforce. Europe reported a 13% emptiness fee, whereas Australia stood at 12%, Brazil at 11% and China at 10%.
IRU Secretary Common Umberto de Pretto mentioned the scarcity has developed right into a structural downside affecting freight capability and provide chain reliability.
“Regardless of vital trade efforts, the scarcity of drivers has deepened as a important structural situation for the highway transport trade,” de Pretto mentioned in a assertion. “Driver recruitment is immediately affecting transport capability, enterprise development and provide chain reliability.”
Chart: IRU 2025 truck driver emptiness charges
MarketDriver emptiness rateMexico14%
|
Uzbekistan15% |
|
Europe13% |
|
Australia12% |
|
Brazil11% |
|
International average11% |
|
China |
The publish Mexico’s trucking labor crunch intensifies, IRU warns appeared first on FreightWaves.
