Saturday, December 11th, 2021
Hurdle in heavy traffic
Compulsory vaccinations could lead to a lack of drivers
Up to 80,000 truck drivers are already missing in Germany. With the introduction of a general compulsory vaccination, this number could increase even further, warns the logistics industry. Thousands of Eastern European drivers could no longer enter the country if they were only vaccinated with the Sputnik vaccine, which is not recognized in the EU.
The transport industry warns against a premature introduction of a general vaccination requirement in Germany. In case of doubt, this could lead to thousands of drivers coming from abroad being refused entry to Germany because they have been vaccinated with vaccines such as Sputnik, said Frank Huster, General Manager of the Federal Association of Forwarding and Logistics. The substance is not recognized in the EU.
Due to the acute driver shortage, cargo space is already too tight. “Before compulsory vaccination, we have to clarify open questions in advance.” This includes, for example, whether unvaccinated drivers from abroad can also be offered a vaccination in Germany in order to motivate them to vaccinate. There are currently talks between the industry and the responsible ministries. “We are not specifically against a compulsory vaccination,” emphasized Huster. “But there is great concern that we will lose more staff.”
According to the Federal Association of Freight Transport, Logistics and Disposal (BGL), there is a shortage of 60,000 to 80,000 truck drivers in Germany, and the gap is growing by 15,000 every year. Not enough staff can be recruited from the eastern EU states, because tens of thousands of drivers are also missing there, said board spokesman Dirk Engelhardt. Many drivers opt for better-paying jobs in industry, where work and family can be more easily reconciled than in a truck driver job. The BGL advocates a state vaccination requirement.
Drivers encounter different regulations every day
The transport and logistics industry had already warned of delivery problems when the 3G rule was introduced, as some drivers are not vaccinated. According to the 3G rule, employers can only grant employees access to companies if they have been vaccinated, recovered or tested. The associations feared that truck drivers, especially from abroad, would no longer be able to access the factory premises of the logistics centers.
At this point, however, the situation relaxed, said Huster: An interpretation of the rules had been agreed with the responsible ministries, according to which the contactless transfer of goods does not require 3G controls. This means that access to the industrial and commercial customers’ premises is still possible.
According to a survey by the BGL among a good 10,000 participants, around 28 percent of drivers are not vaccinated or have received Sputnik in their Eastern European home countries. However, tests are much more difficult to organize in the everyday life of drivers with changing loading and unloading stations than in fixed industrial companies, said board spokesman Dirk Engelhardt. “Some drivers go to five or six stations a day and encounter changing regulations such as 3G, 2G or 2Gplus there.”
Pilot project: test sites at truck stops
The BGL represents around 7000 companies that are involved in road transport. He sees 3G as a hurdle in everyday logistics. “The submission of corona tests is a big problem for truck drivers who are often on the road for several days and cannot simply drive to test centers in city centers with their trucks and semitrailers,” said Engelhardt. 3G, along with a shortage of drivers and delivery bottlenecks, is putting even more pressure on the supply chains. As a consequence, the industry itself has taken initiatives. In Hesse, for example, there is a pilot project in which doctors train employees from the transport industry so that they can test truck drivers at truck stops. This concept is to be rolled out nationwide, said Engelhardt.
What the industry lacks, however, is the right to issue test certificates for drivers itself. In view of the driver shortage, Engelhardt campaigned for higher wages in the industry, which consumers would ultimately have to pay. There is also a lack of recognition for truck drivers. “Nobody likes heavy traffic, but the drivers only transport what we consume – be it groceries to restaurants and supermarkets or packages from online shopping.”