Australia’s truck driver shortage has worsened for a second consecutive year, with new international research showing an ageing workforce, rising operating costs and growing freight demand are combining to deepen the challenge facing the country’s road freight industry.
The latest International Road Transport Union’s (IRU) Global Driver Shortage Report found Australia’s truck driver shortage increased from 10 per cent in 2024 to 12 per cent in 2025.
The report also identified Australia as the only country surveyed where a greater proportion of transport operators nominated operating costs as their biggest business concern (42 per cent) than driver shortages (32 per cent), highlighting the increasing financial pressure on businesses responsible for keeping Australia’s freight moving.
NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said: “Businesses are facing rising fuel, labour and compliance costs at the same time as trying to recruit, train and retain the next generation of drivers. If transport businesses can’t afford to invest in people, the driver shortage becomes even harder to solve.”
The report also paints a stark picture of Australia’s ageing workforce. Australia now has the oldest truck driver workforce of any market surveyed, with an average driver age of 51. Around 45 per cent of drivers are aged over 55, while only 6 per cent are under 25.
More than 43,000 Australian truck drivers – around 24 per cent of the current workforce – are expected to retire by 2030, one of the highest proportions globally.
Despite nearly half of Australian trucking businesses reporting severe or very severe difficulty recruiting drivers, women remain underrepresented in the industry. “Women make up only nine per cent of Australia’s truck driver workforce,” said Clark.
“Practical barriers such as inadequate facilities, a lack of dedicated amenities and poor rest area infrastructure continue to limit female participation. Addressing these barriers is one of the practical steps we can take to strengthen the industry’s future workforce.”
Compounding the challenge, Australia’s freight task is forecast to grow by 57 per cent between 2025 and 2050. According to Clark, even if recruitment improves, the industry will need to attract drivers faster than ever before, simply to keep pace with growing freight demand.
“Every truck off the road, because there is no one to drive it affects productivity across the economy. At a time when Australia’s freight task continues to grow, we need to put transport businesses in a position to invest in the next generation of drivers.”
NatRoad is calling on governments and industry to work together to: reduce unnecessary barriers to entering the profession, improve nationally consistent licensing and training pathways, invest in practical infrastructure such as rest areas and amenities, and reduce unnecessary cost and compliance pressures that limit operators’ ability to employ, train and retain drivers.
“Australia’s freight task is only going to grow. If we want enough skilled people behind the wheel in the years ahead, we need to make it easier and more attractive for young people to build a career in trucking, while also making it easier for operators to run successful, sustainable businesses,” concluded Clark.
NatRoad continues to work with governments across Australia to improve licensing and training pathways, advocate for nationally consistent regulation, and reduce unnecessary cost and compliance burdens.
Download the NatRoad IRU Driver Shortage Report infographic here
