Due to the shortage of truck drivers — along with the other factors brought on by the pandemic — trucking companies and recruiters are trying a range of tactics to hire and retain qualified drivers, including increasing pay.
The transportation industry, like most sectors, is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic and a contraction of the economy. However, as the
country gears up to reclaim some semblance of normality, drivers are presented with an opportunity to not only fill the skills shortage gap present in the transport and logistics industry, but to leverage their training and experience to increase their earnings, says Arnoux Maré, Managing Director of Innovative Learning Solutions.
“Professionally trained drivers are in high demand as the industry aims to regain the losses suffered under the various lockdown levels and stifled economy. Drivers who fall into this category have specific skillsets, such as driving in wet conditions, economical driving, heavy goods vehicle braking
and straight reverse and ally docking,” explains Maré.
The Department of Labour published its minimum wages for South Africans who drive as wholesale and retail truck drivers in February 2021. CODE 14 drivers who worked in more populated municipalities could expect to earn no less than R6,083.53 a month. However, this figure is not reflective of what more experienced drivers can earn in South Africa.
Data sourced from salary website Indeed shows that the base salary for a truck driver is closer to R10,324 per month in South Africa, or roughly R124,000 a year, and comparative salary information from PayScale shows that the average pay is slightly lower at R98,225 a year, or R8,185 a month.
The more qualified a driver is, the more efficient they become, and this also extends to their reliability, leading to increased productivity, which positively impacts their employers’ bottom line. This gives them a huge negotiation advantage over their peers without the necessary training.
Innovative Learning Solutions is Africa’s biggest CODE 14 truck driver training and testing centre, with a focus on upskilling drivers to be the best on the road. Candidates are taught and tested on world-class methods of safety and efficiency while mitigating accidents and increasing productivity.
“It is not just the drivers who stand to benefit from having skills that set them apart. Businesses that invest in the development of systems and staff increase their functionality and gain valuable data and insights over the industry and competition.
“As companies seek to trim costs, being leaner and more capable of doing more with less will likely be more commonplace. This includes improving recruitment processes to ensure that drivers not only have the technical know-how required of all drivers, but also the necessary soft skills, such as
communication, motivation and customer services,” concludes Maré. •
