Short answer: The IRU's 2026 report puts Europe's truck-driver shortage at 13%, about 502,000 unfilled positions, with around 660,500 drivers due to retire by 2030. Germany lists professional drivers as a shortage occupation. Non-EU drivers can help, but EU licence and qualification requirements apply in each country, so verified candidates and documents matter.
How big is Europe's truck driver shortage?
About one in eight truck-driver positions in Europe was unfilled in 2025. The IRU, the international road transport organisation, found a shortage rate of 13% in Europe, about 502,000 unfilled truck-driver positions, in its 2025 survey published in June 2026 (IRU, 30 Jun 2026). Other findings from the same report:
- Lost business. Around two-thirds of European operators report turning down new contracts because they cannot find enough drivers.
- Top concern. 65% of European operators rank the driver shortage as their most pressing concern, four times the rate of any other issue.
- Retirements. Around 660,500 drivers in Europe are expected to retire by 2030, and around 20% of Europe's driver workforce within five years.
- Structural, not cyclical. The IRU says the shortage is no longer closely linked to short-term economic cycles; in Europe, demographics are the main pressure.
Is Germany short of drivers too?
Yes. Germany's Federal Employment Agency (BA) lists professional drivers among the country's shortage occupations for 2025, alongside care, construction and skilled trades, cooks and educators (BA, 2 Sep 2026). Germany's overall labour market is weak, so the case for hiring abroad is about specific occupations like driving, not a general shortage. See Germany's shortage sectors.
Will the EU Talent Pool help transport companies hire drivers?
Possibly, but not yet. The EU Talent Pool, an EU-wide platform to match employers with jobseekers from outside the EU, entered into force in June 2026, but the Commission is still developing the platform and expects it to be fully operational by the end of 2027 (European Commission, 15 Jun 2026).
Professional drivers and mechanics are among the shortage occupations it covers. Participation is voluntary for EU countries, and registration or matching will not guarantee a work or residence permit, which remain national procedures. The IRU also calls for a consistent EU approach to recognising driving licences and certificates of professional competence (IRU, 30 Mar 2026).
Until then, employers recruit through national routes and their own sourcing channels.
What should you check before hiring a driver from India?
Licence and qualification rules differ by country, so answer these questions with the authority or an adviser in the country where the driver will work:
- Licence. Can the candidate show a driving licence for the right vehicle category, and is it genuine?
- Exchange or requalification. In your country, can an Indian licence be exchanged, or must the driver obtain a licence locally? What tests apply?
- Professional qualification. Does the driver need a certificate of professional competence (CPC) in your country, and how is it obtained?
- Experience. Can the candidate prove driving experience with documents you can check, such as letters from previous employers?
- Permit route. Which work and residence permit applies, and how long does it take in your country?
- Background. Is a police clearance certificate needed, and does it need an apostille?
The answers decide whether a candidate can start driving soon after arrival or needs a period of training first. Plan for that before you make an offer.
How can you reduce document risk when hiring drivers from India?
Documents are the core risk in driver hiring: licences, experience letters and police certificates all need checking. Work only with Indian agencies that are licensed to recruit, and check each candidate's papers before you start a permit application.
Testiy lets employers hire skilled workers from India through verified agencies only. Each agency is checked before it can list candidates: licence checked, office verified, documents reviewed. Testiy checks the agency's MEA recruiting-agent registration against the active list on eMigrate, among other checks.
Candidate documents are reviewed by an officer. Testiy checks driving licences, police clearance certificates and apostilles. A check does not replace the licence exchange or qualification steps in your country; the authorities there decide. Sign-up is free, and you pay only when a work contract is signed: no contract, no fee.
Need drivers? Publish your vacancy and browse verified Indian agencies. Sign-up is free.