Driver shortages: impacts on transport companies

The shortage of drivers in road freight transport has ceased to be an isolated problem and now requires continuous attention from transport companies. Difficulty finding professionals can limit fleet use, affect trip scheduling and increase pressure on teams already working in the operation.

When there are not enough drivers for the available vehicles, part of the fleet may remain idle. This makes driver recruitment and retention directly linked to operational capacity, because having roadworthy trucks is not enough if the company cannot fill the necessary schedule.

The situation is not new, but it has become more significant. An aging workforce, competition with other industries seeking the same professional profile and the conditions of the profession, such as long working hours, time away from home and physical strain, make attracting new drivers harder. Renewing the workforce therefore also depends on making the work more sustainable for those already doing it and more attractive to those considering entering the industry.

Added to this is the impact of Brazil's rules on working hours, waiting time and rest. Brazilian Law 13.103/2015 requires professional drivers to comply with driving and rest time rules and establishes an 8-hour working day. Brazil's Federal Supreme Court (STF), in its judgment of ADI 5322, declared 11 provisions of the Truck Drivers' Law unconstitutional. Among them, it struck down the exclusion of waiting time from working hours and overtime calculations, considering that during this period the driver is at the employer's disposal and that this time counts as actual working time. The decision can be consulted on the STF's official page. In practice, schedules need to be organized carefully to avoid turning the labor bottleneck into an employment-law and operational risk.

The cost of an idle fleet

The operational effect is direct: a truck sitting idle for lack of a driver means freight not moved, a customer not served and revenue not earned. While the vehicle remains idle, monthly truck costs such as financing, insurance and depreciation continue, without trip revenue to offset them.

This puts pressure on profitability even when the vehicle is available and fit for use. The lack of professionals can simultaneously affect revenue-generating capacity and the organization of operating costs. Vehicles without drivers also require decisions about schedule reassignment, route priorities and customer service.

This situation can also influence willingness to invest. Before expanding or renewing the fleet, a transport company needs to assess whether it will have enough people to operate the vehicles. Otherwise, the purchase may increase installed capacity without resolving the constraint that prevents the truck from leaving the yard.

Little room to compete for professionals

At the same time, other factors put pressure on profitability and reduce transport companies' room to compete for professionals. Among them are insurance costs, because Brazil's Law 14.599/23 requires insurance coverage for shipments carried out by transport companies, enforcement of Brazil's minimum freight rate and labor costs.

When the operation has little financial room, improving pay and conditions to retain and attract drivers becomes harder. The difficulty increases when the transport company needs to maintain schedules, cover absences, respect rest periods and still compete for professionals with other activities requiring a similar profile. Any measure therefore needs to consider both financial capacity and operational continuity.

One possible response lies in training. If bringing in new people is difficult, developing and retaining those already in the operation may take priority. For the fleet, this means treating training, keeping track of performance, predictable scheduling and working conditions as parts of the availability strategy, rather than isolated human resources actions. Implementation can be gradual, with priorities defined according to bottlenecks observed in daily routines.

Outlook for 2026

For 2026, the most prudent approach is to keep track of professional availability and plan operations without relying on a rapid recovery in supply. Financial costs and employment expenses remain relevant to decisions about retaining and hiring drivers. In this context, predictable scheduling, working conditions and team development can help reduce the transport company's exposure to driver shortages.

Waiting for the market to normalize can prolong fleet idleness. Companies can invest in driver control that considers training, improved conditions, schedule organization and retention as strategic priorities. These measures do not eliminate the shortage on their own, but they can help make better use of the available team and keep the operation running while the industry seeks broader answers to the problem.

Want to keep up with posts like this and other analyses of costs and challenges in freight transport? Subscribe to Prolog's newsletter.