Focus brought up this issue today in the business section.
What the experts say is that across the sixteen German states....there is a general shortage of 45,00 truck-driver positions.
Several reasons are given for this. It's an attractive job. Pay in the past has been not that great. You have to plan rest periods throughout the day, with sleep periods....which conflicts often with the schedule demand. Drivers are often forced to help unload because store-fronts are minimum-manned. Then you toss on the limited parking spaces at rest-stop around the country.
Where does this lead onto? Well....the experts also hint that it's getting close to the point where deliveries will take longer, and some shelves will be minimum-stocked. You might actually arrive at some store with the hopes of buying two cases of your favorite beer, and discover it's out of stock, and it might be five days before the delivery takes place.
What needs to happen? There's probably five or six things that need to occur:
1. Talking a fair number of the logistical companies into some migrant/immigrant-training deal, where they get a trucker license and training...with a guaranteed contract for two or three years.
2. Putting up expanded space on the autobahn for Sunday rest episodes....maybe with some mini-hut operation for the truckers (washers, wi-fi, small-market, etc).
3. Require store-fronts to have people on hand to unload.
4. Set up a minimum wage and maximum work-week for the long-haul truckers.
As for this getting fixed? Everyone will grumble about this for another year or two, and then some emergency comes up which forces the government to take measures to resolve this.
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