Germany’s Trucking Crisis: 120,000 Drivers Missing as Checks Reveal Rampant Safety Violations
14.06.2026 - 00:51:15 | boerse-global.de
The shortage of professional drivers in Germany has reached a critical point, with around 120,000 positions unfilled at the end of 2024. Across Europe, the figure tops 500,000, and forecasts predict it could climb to 650,000. The demographic profile of the workforce compounds the problem: roughly 30% of drivers are over 50, while only a tiny share are under 25. In response, hauliers are recruiting globally, and the EU aims to set up a dedicated talent pool by 2027 to attract skilled workers.
The driver gap is not just an economic headache — it is increasingly linked to safety failures on the road. During a series of focused checks conducted by Germany’s Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM) in May 2026, inspectors examined 1,077 trucks and found violations in nearly one out of every five controls of weekly rest periods. Out of 634 such checks, 112 were flagged — a non-compliance rate of 18%. The same operation uncovered technical defects on 31 vehicles at 75 inspection points, along with irregularities in cabotage rules. Authorities collected more than 121,500 euros in security deposits.
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Police spot checks in June 2026 painted an equally grim picture. On the A8 motorway near Irschenberg, officers stopped a British truck-and-trailer combination carrying an excavator. The load was almost completely unsecured, the straps were damaged, and the trailer was both overloaded and improperly registered. On federal highway B35, a lorry driver was caught weaving, with a blood alcohol level of 1.1 per mille.
The consequences have been deadly. In mid-June 2026, a head-on collision between a semi-trailer truck and a car on the B12 near Marktl am Inn killed three members of one family.
Amid the safety crisis, qualification measures are gaining urgency. Providers such as SVG QTB GmbH are offering multi-day seminars for forklift operators and courses for the ADR certificate required to transport dangerous goods. Standard compact training under Germany’s Professional Driver Qualification Act, totalling 35 hours, is also in high demand. The Chamber of Crafts in Mannheim has scheduled autumn 2026 courses on the specialist knowledge needed for airbag and seatbelt-pretensioner systems; participants earn a restricted expert qualification (P1) and a TAK certificate.
Even the luxury-car segment is tightening safety. Limited-edition models of the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA now sometimes include mandatory driving-safety training as part of the vehicle handover.
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Technology is being explored as a parallel solution. The Technical University of Munich has tested an autonomous Level 4 research vehicle in Berlin city traffic for the first time, while the TĂśV association has developed new methodologies for certifying self-driving systems. Politicians are pushing for rapid deployment of such shuttles, but complete regulatory frameworks and concepts for technical oversight are still lacking.
Public transport is also modernising. In Augsburg, new Tramlink trams are replacing older models. By the end of 2026, nine of the 15 ordered 42-metre units are expected to be in service — just in time for upcoming infrastructure projects, including a new railway station tunnel.
