Featured Leader: Geoffroy Henry of Ofload on an ageing truck driver workforce

Supply Chain Channel recently caught up with Geoffroy Henry to discuss one of the biggest challenges within the logistics industry: an ageing truck driver workforce.

According to a 2020 Labourforce study, it is projected that the amount of work required in transporting freight on our roads will double by 2030. However, the industry is facing a perfect storm in the supply of truck drivers, making it more critical than ever to get ahead of this challenge.

Geoffroy is the Founder and CEO of Ofload, a digital platform for road freight dedicated to achieve zero waste in trucking by empowering the long tail of small to medium-sized carriers through technology.

In this Q&A, Geoffroy talks about the biggest factors contributing to the shortage and what the industry has to do to solve the problem.

As an industry leader, what do you think will be the impact of a tightening crunch on the existing truck driver workforce?

Geoffroy: The logistics industry plays a vital role in the Australian economy. With every product on Australian shelves being loaded on multiple trucks before it reaches the consumer, the economy would grind to a halt without the hardworking truckies working their way across the country right now.

With this in mind, it is very concerning to see studies like the Future of Trucking Report by ACA Research that found that over 50% of transport sector business owners think they will struggle with the availability of skilled drivers in the future. A finding that aligned with the 2016 research from Volvo that found the average age of truck drivers in Australia was 47 years old and that only 20% of drivers were under the age of 30.

This creates significant pressure on the industry to attract new talent while also looking for ways to improve working conditions and embrace technology that can improve efficiencies.

Smart vehicles and planning seems to be an inevitable direction for the industry but we are a long way away from truckies not being an essential component for keeping the Australian economy running smoothly.

What has been the main cause for the decreasing attractiveness of the truck driver career in Australia?

Geoffroy: There are a number of challenges to overcome when entering the truck driving industry. These include:

• • high costs of entry for people looking to acquire a first truck,
  • the ‘old school’ approach to logistics in Australia where many loads are booked through networks of contacts,
  • the known physical challenges that long hours on the road can create,
  • planning for long term career growth in an industry ‘set for disruption’ by incoming technology,
  • and the ‘boys club’ perception that many have of the industry.

These challenges prevent many from entering the industry, especially with the increase in the number of less physically demanding roles.

What is unfortunately often missed is the security that comes from a service that literally carries the Australian economy forward. Without truckies, Australia cannot function at all. The industry needs to do a better job of promoting the benefits it provides and the opportunities for people from all walks of life.

Attracting younger adult drivers is widely accepted by the industry as one of the main solutions to the workforce shortage. How can we get millennials to start considering truck driving as a viable career choice?

Geoffroy: As with many industries over the last year, the trucking industry needs to reflect deeply on the long term value it offers to truckies. The Great Resignation has swept through many economies as people look to escape meaningless drudgery in the search for work that has a real impact.

With this in mind, the logistics industry needs to outline the long term benefits of being a driver in terms of the opportunities for entrepreneurship and growth. Australia has a disproportionate number of small businesses in the trucking industry operating less than 10 trucks. This is unusual and thus provides room for new players to enter the market without needing to fight for contracts against a few large players.

Being a truckie can be a life of freedom on the road, business ownership and independence.

Similarly, how can we encourage more women to join the field?

Geoffroy: The industry has long since been known as a ‘boys club’ however there is no reason for this to be the case. Attracting a diverse workforce will allow the industry to grow faster and create a more sustainable industry.

To do this, a lot of the barriers to entry need to be dismantled to ensure that a path to success is available and apparent to all. This involves embracing new solutions that can open new paths to work including centralising and democratising access to contracts.

Fortunately, we have already seen a similar shift happening in the mining industry where significant focus and investment has resulted in an increase in the diversity of workers across all levels of the industry from machine operators to management.

By doing this we can hope to see more young women entering the industry without fear of exclusion.

What strategies and opportunities are currently available to help businesses stay on top of these challenges?

Geoffroy: New, improved technology has been the solution to most challenges humans have faced. This situation is no different, with new solutions being developed every day to even out the playing field in the logistics industry.

At Ofload, we have created a marketplace to connect carriers and shippers in a live, dynamic manner enabling the rescheduling of loads to adapt for ever changing circumstances. The pandemic demonstrated the need for logistics carriers and shippers to be more agile in their approach to planning so they can adapt to an environment that changes daily.

Technology like this creates a more sustainable industry that will continue to serve Australia and enable a younger generation to enter the industry without the fear of being unable to find work to being treated prejudicially for not being part of the ‘old boys club’.