To solve the problem of a shortage of drivers, Manvesta, a large transport company from Lithuania, has decided to search for employees in Asia. In turn, the Spanish government wants to permit employers to hire professional drivers from Morocco.
Manvesta, one of the major companies in the Lithuanian transport market, has begun recruiting in Sri Lanka. The company aims to employ 250 truck drivers and is offering a monthly salary of €2550 and a range of benefits to attract candidates, including accommodation, flexible working hours, an insurance package, and a mentorship program with additional training for drivers with limited experience.
The selection of the country for recruitment is not accidental, as Sri Lanka is currently undergoing one of the worst economic crises in its history due to the pandemic. Manvesta has contracted the services of Fortuna, a recruitment agency that specializes in the transportation industry and other related fields.
The company is seeking truck drivers who possess prior experience in international transportation, are fluent in English, are under the age of 45, and hold a CE driver’s license.
Manvesta is not unique among Lithuanian transport companies in terms of seeking international staff. For example, the freight carrier cargoGo has also started recruiting in India due to staffing shortages. Moreover, in mid-December, representatives from Linava, the Lithuanian association of transport companies, and Aircuz, a transport organization from Uzbekistan, signed an agreement with the Ministry of Transport to promote cooperation in the transport sector. The agreement includes sharing experiences related to digitization and platformization, as well as finding solutions to address the truck driver shortage. This cooperation also includes efforts to make it easier for Uzbek truck drivers to find employment in Lithuania.
Spain wants to look for workers in Morocco
On the other hand, Spain is directing its attention towards Africa. As per a report by the Reuters news agency, the Spanish government plans to address the problem of driver shortages by providing training and employment opportunities for truck drivers from Morocco.
According to Reuters, the Spanish government plans to pilot a project to bring Moroccans into the country to address the shortage of truck drivers. This project has become feasible due to new immigration laws, which allow for more flexible hiring of foreigners.
The program could be advantageous for truck and bus drivers who will receive training in Morocco prior to commencing work in Spain. Successful candidates can expect contracts with a minimum duration of 12 months.
The Spanish government’s initiative is part of a larger trend of hiring professional drivers from non-EU countries. However, the conflict in Ukraine has made it difficult to recruit workers from these regions, leading transport companies across the EU to seek professional drivers in countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, and the Philippines.
Madrid offers subsidies
The Spanish are also taking necessary measures to address labor shortages in the transportation sector at a local level. The Autonomous Community of Madrid has recently announced subsidies for truck driver training, with eligible individuals receiving checks worth €600.
The pilot project aims to simplify the process of obtaining driving licenses for the C (trucks), D (buses), and C+E (vehicles with trailers) categories, both for the unemployed and those who are already employed. To be eligible for subsidies for the C and D license, the applicants must have a B driver’s license, while a C+ subsidy can be obtained through e-education if they possess a C driver’s license. As per the Spanish transport portal Rutedeltransporte, each applicant can receive subsidies for a maximum of two different permits, and will be issued two cheques. The community intends to distribute a total of 2857 such vouchers.
