{"id":108435,"date":"2026-01-03T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T23:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/?p=108435"},"modified":"2026-01-03T00:15:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T13:15:43","slug":"no-one-wants-to-be-a-truck-driver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/no-one-wants-to-be-a-truck-driver\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s Supply Chain Crisis: Why No One Wants to Be a Truck Driver Anymore"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Australia\u2019s supply chain is under growing pressure as the country faces an alarming shortage of truck drivers. Fewer people are choosing to get behind the wheel, leaving freight companies short-staffed and forcing deliveries to slow down. It\u2019s a problem that\u2019s been brewing for years \u2014 and it\u2019s finally catching up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Truck Drivers in Short Supply<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to industry reports, the driver shortfall is reaching critical levels. Thousands of positions across Australia remain unfilled, particularly in regional and long-haul operations. Many trucking companies say they\u2019ve never seen it this bad, with some deliveries delayed by days and costs rising fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Australian Trucking Association (<a href=\"https:\/\/new.truck.net.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ATA<\/a>) estimates that the average truck driver is now over 50 years old, and more are retiring than entering the industry. Younger Australians are showing little interest in the profession, turned off by the long hours, time away from home, and the physical demands of the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Training costs are also a major barrier. Obtaining a heavy vehicle licence can cost thousands of dollars, making it difficult for newcomers to even get started. The result is a shrinking workforce in an industry that quite literally keeps the country moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Truck driver shortage looms as industry looks to refresh an aging workforce <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oWFCUK8Jhe\">https:\/\/t.co\/oWFCUK8Jhe<\/a> via <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ABCaustralia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@ABCaustralia<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Ben John (@benjohn65) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/benjohn65\/status\/2006930512292802796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 2, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Supply Chain Under Strain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The impact of the shortage is being felt well beyond the transport sector. Supermarkets, manufacturers, and farmers are all facing disruptions as freight capacity tightens, reports <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2026-01-02\/truck-driver-shortage-puts-squeeze-on-australias-supply-chain\/106125908\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ABC News<\/a>. Groceries are taking longer to reach shelves, construction materials are arriving late, and export schedules are becoming harder to maintain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With fewer drivers, freight companies are forced to raise wages and increase rates, pushing up costs for retailers and, eventually, consumers. It\u2019s another piece in the puzzle of rising prices that Australians are feeling at the checkout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why It\u2019s So Hard to Fix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Industry groups have been sounding the alarm for years, calling for changes to licensing, training, and working conditions. But progress has been slow. The job remains demanding and, for many, unattractive compared to other trades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Transport Workers Union (TWU) says part of the solution lies in making truck driving a more stable, respected profession. That means addressing insecure contracts, improving rest facilities, and ensuring drivers are paid fairly for the long hours they spend on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Technology Isn\u2019t the Quick Fix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Automation and driver-assist technologies are often mentioned as long-term solutions, but experts agree that driverless trucks won\u2019t solve the problem any time soon. Australia\u2019s geography \u2014 vast, remote, and rugged \u2014 still demands human oversight, especially in regional areas where technology alone can\u2019t fill the gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Critical Juncture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Trucking carries roughly three-quarters of Australia\u2019s domestic freight, making drivers indispensable to <a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/australias-business-growth-slows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the national economy<\/a>. Without a new generation of workers, the country risks facing long-term disruptions that could affect everything from food supply to exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For now, the people who keep Australia\u2019s goods on the move are stretched thin, doing more with less. And unless something changes soon, the nation\u2019s supply chain \u2014 already under strain \u2014 could find itself running on empty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Australia faces a growing shortage of truck drivers, raising concerns about delivery delays and the strain on the nation\u2019s already stretched supply chain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":108436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108435"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108437,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108435\/revisions\/108437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}