Truck driver shortage disrupts logistics industry
WAREHOUSING & LOGISTICS

Truck driver shortage disrupts logistics industry

The Indian logistics industry is experiencing a significant shortage of long-haul truck drivers. Many drivers are leaving the profession, and numerous young people are not interested in becoming truck drivers.

Fleet operators and industry associations have reported that the truck-to-driver ratio has dropped to an alarmingly low level of about 55:100, compared to 75:100 a few years ago.

Several factors contribute to the high attrition rate and deter many from the younger generation from joining the profession. These factors include low pay scales, harassment by highway authorities and police, adverse weather conditions, accident risks, lack of work benefits, and insufficient hygienic restrooms and night parking facilities.

In addition, a lack of respect for the profession, long periods away from home, and less demanding job options like cab driving are also reasons many drivers, primarily from Tier 2 and 3 cities, do not want to drive heavy trucks.

Balasubramanian A, vice president of TeamLease Services, stated that there are about 6 million trucks actively being used on Indian roads, but the number of drivers is approximately 3.6 million. He noted that the truck-to-driver ratio is currently 1:0.6, whereas it was around 1:1.3 in the 80s and 90s. He added that at least 2 million trucks are not being actively used due to the driver shortage.

Balasubramanian explained that truck drivers spend nearly 20-25 days away from home each month, work in poor conditions, and that more than 50% of them develop some medical condition. He mentioned that they do not receive good pay, with most truck drivers not wanting their children to enter the profession. The average salary for truck drivers is about Rs 20,000-25,000 per month, whereas city cab drivers, who have less strenuous jobs, earn between Rs 20,000-30,000.

Industry officials indicated that the crisis has worsened in the past 2-3 months due to the extreme summer, with many drivers falling ill or not reporting to duty. Abhishek Gupta, General Secretary of the All India Transporters Welfare Association, stated that the driver shortage has been a particular concern this year due to the extreme weather conditions. He added that most regions report drivers returning to their villages for weddings or voting, causing many vehicles to be idle. Gupta noted that the shortage is more acute in the medium and heavy truck segments.

The Indian logistics industry is experiencing a significant shortage of long-haul truck drivers. Many drivers are leaving the profession, and numerous young people are not interested in becoming truck drivers. Fleet operators and industry associations have reported that the truck-to-driver ratio has dropped to an alarmingly low level of about 55:100, compared to 75:100 a few years ago. Several factors contribute to the high attrition rate and deter many from the younger generation from joining the profession. These factors include low pay scales, harassment by highway authorities and police, adverse weather conditions, accident risks, lack of work benefits, and insufficient hygienic restrooms and night parking facilities. In addition, a lack of respect for the profession, long periods away from home, and less demanding job options like cab driving are also reasons many drivers, primarily from Tier 2 and 3 cities, do not want to drive heavy trucks. Balasubramanian A, vice president of TeamLease Services, stated that there are about 6 million trucks actively being used on Indian roads, but the number of drivers is approximately 3.6 million. He noted that the truck-to-driver ratio is currently 1:0.6, whereas it was around 1:1.3 in the 80s and 90s. He added that at least 2 million trucks are not being actively used due to the driver shortage. Balasubramanian explained that truck drivers spend nearly 20-25 days away from home each month, work in poor conditions, and that more than 50% of them develop some medical condition. He mentioned that they do not receive good pay, with most truck drivers not wanting their children to enter the profession. The average salary for truck drivers is about Rs 20,000-25,000 per month, whereas city cab drivers, who have less strenuous jobs, earn between Rs 20,000-30,000. Industry officials indicated that the crisis has worsened in the past 2-3 months due to the extreme summer, with many drivers falling ill or not reporting to duty. Abhishek Gupta, General Secretary of the All India Transporters Welfare Association, stated that the driver shortage has been a particular concern this year due to the extreme weather conditions. He added that most regions report drivers returning to their villages for weddings or voting, causing many vehicles to be idle. Gupta noted that the shortage is more acute in the medium and heavy truck segments.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Vedanta Metal Bazaar Expands to Global Markets

Vedanta Aluminium has expanded its digital e-commerce platform, Vedanta Metal Bazaar, to international markets, enabling overseas customers to order and purchase aluminium products online.The platform will now be available to buyers across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, providing a digital gateway for export transactions with 24x7 access.In FY26, Vedanta Metal Bazaar processed transactions worth nearly $4.1 billion, or over Rs 380 billion, and fulfilled more than 23,000 orders. The platform is also used regularly by more than 550 MSMEs in India alongside large OEM customers.The export ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Ramky Infrastructure Q1 FY27 Revenue Rises 24.3%

Ramky Infrastructure Limited reported a 24.3% year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue from operations to Rs 471.2 crore for Q1 FY27, compared with Rs 3.79 billion in the corresponding quarter of FY26.Standalone revenue from operations rose 27.5% YoY to Rs 4.51 billion from Rs 3.54 billion, while total standalone income increased 35% to Rs 5.32 billion.Consolidated profit before tax stood at Rs 540.9 million during the quarter. The company highlighted a sharp sequential improvement compared with a pre-exceptional loss of Rs 190.1 million in Q4 FY26.Two of the three projects awarded during..

Next Story
Technology

LTTS Launches AgenticIQ AI Platform for Engineering

L&T Technology Services (LTTS) has launched AgenticIQ, an end-to-end agentic AI platform designed for engineering and manufacturing organisations.The platform is aimed at helping enterprises move beyond isolated AI pilots by enabling autonomous, multi-agent workflows across engineering, product development, manufacturing, industrial operations and customer experience.AgenticIQ is built on LTTS’ Engineering Intelligence portfolio and converts existing engineering capabilities into specialised, reusable AI agents. Its planning-first architecture is embedded into engineering and production ..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement