Europe's freight network is running short of the one thing it cannot automate away: drivers. The deficit is large, growing, and increasingly filled from outside the EU, if employers can navigate the licensing maze.
- Unfilled driver positions in Europe jumped from about 233,000 (2023) to 426,000+ (2024), and are projected to exceed 745,000 by 2028.
- Germany and Poland are each short on the order of 80,000 drivers; Romania around 71,000.
- Poland already fills roughly 30% of international transport roles with non-EU drivers.
- The main barrier is the Driver CPC recognition gap, not willingness to hire.
The shortage in numbers
According to the IRU, the count of unfilled truck driver positions across Europe nearly doubled in a single year, from roughly 233,000 in 2023 to over 426,000 in 2024, and is forecast to surpass 745,000 by 2028 as retirements outpace recruitment. National gaps are stark: Germany and Poland each miss around 80,000 drivers, Romania about 71,000.
Why it keeps growing
The workforce is ageing and too few young drivers are entering the profession, while freight demand keeps rising. The result is a structural, not cyclical, gap, which is why domestic recruitment alone has not closed it.
The shift to non-EU drivers
Operators are increasingly looking beyond the EU. Poland is the clearest example: non-EU drivers account for almost a third of those employed in international transport, with well over 160,000 non-EU drivers on Polish books at the end of 2023. Source countries now span Ukraine, Central Asia, North Africa, South Asia and Latin America.
The Driver CPC hurdle
The biggest obstacle is qualification recognition. Professional drivers in the EU need the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). A driver fully qualified in, say, Morocco, Ukraine or the Philippines does not automatically hold it, and recognition standards vary by member state. In February 2026 the European Commission published an IRU study mapping these divergences and where equivalency pathways are feasible, a sign the bloc is actively working to smooth third-country recruitment.
Licence conversion and CPC acquisition are the long poles in the tent. Migration and work-permit procedures for drivers can run from six months to a year, so start the qualification path as early as sourcing.
How employers can hire drivers from abroad
- Confirm the licensing route for the driver's nationality and destination country (licence exchange, CPC, medicals).
- Secure the work permit for the destination market.
- Vet experience and documents before mobilising.
- Coordinate relocation and onboarding, including any required training.
A staffing partner that handles permits, licensing logistics and onboarding turns a slow, uncertain process into a predictable pipeline. See logistics and transport staffing.
Frequently asked questions
Can transport companies hire non-EU truck drivers? +
Yes, and many already do, Poland in particular relies heavily on non-EU drivers. It requires a work permit, the right licences, and crucially the EU Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence), which non-EU qualifications do not automatically grant.
What is the Driver CPC? +
The Certificate of Professional Competence is a mandatory EU qualification for professional bus and lorry drivers. Non-EU drivers usually need to obtain or convert it, which is the main bureaucratic barrier to deployment.
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