Cargo transport faces lack of 100 thousand truck drivers

In the family of Gabriel Tang, of 70 years, the profession of truck driver passes from father to son for over a century. The life on the roads was started with Grandpa, snatched the father and, in spite of the sacrifices, fell in like Gabriel early. Started as an employee, but 33 years has managed to buy the first truck. Was a "71 mercedinha", used and paid 24 times.
Today he has a Volvo 2012, automatic, air conditioning, twin beds in a lift and minibar. A luxury compared to the times of his grandfather, which circulated throughout Brazil with heavy trailers without comfort. But despite the modernity of the trucks, the tradition at the wheel stopped on generation of Gabriel. The children have made College and preferred a more comfortable life, without the privations of the roads.
The family will continue in the industry. But, this time, in charge of a company with 140 trucks. The problem will find chauffeur to drive the fleet. Unlike the time of Gabriel and his grandfather, professional misconduct on the market today. It is estimated that the deficit already has reached 13% truck driver of corporate fleet (or about 100 thousand drivers), according to the National Association of freight transport and logistics (NTC & logistics).
The shortage has hampered the life carriers and producers, whether industrial or agribusiness sector. In soy harvest, the scale of loading has been hampered by the lack of professionals, says Carlos Falcon, President of the Association of soy and Corn Producers in the State of Mato Grosso (Aprosoja). "If a company needs ten trucks to transport soy, receives only two per day. This causes excessive storage and reducing the competitiveness of the country."
To complicate matters, the contingent of drivers ends up being committed to the jams Giants at the entrance of the ports, as Santos and Guarujá. Last week, Tomaz Gabriel spent 9:0 pm on Highway Canon Rangoni to unload at Santos. In lost time in the queue, could have attended another demand. The example also applies to the bad quality of the roads, which sometimes doubles the time travel. "Joins this new law to regulate the working hours of drivers, which requires more stops and stretches the trip", says Antonio Wrobleski Son, owner of the Support Office.
The company, with a fleet of 285, trucks had to pull over some vehicles recently due to lack of drivers. Have just bought 30 Wrobleski new trucks, but, because of lack of professional, escalonou delivery to not stay with cart. "I asked to turn themselves in immediately, ten ten ten in April and in May. Is the time that I will have to hire more drivers. For now, only managed eight. "
Remuneration. The President of the Brazilian Association of Truckers (Abcam), José da Fonseca Lopes, says it has been difficult to convince a young man to become a trucker. "Today, nobody wants to be driver because of road conditions and remuneration." He says that there are initiatives in the market of recruiting people from 15 to 17 years to train truck drivers. "At first, they even have an interest. But when it comes to the practical part of the course mechanics and change your mind and come to be is more advantageous, "mechanic says.
Fonseca has a transport undertaking of sugar cane and needs drivers specialized in heavy truck driving, computerized and full of technology. The last class hired had 40 training days. "You give the whole structure for professional, medical plan, salary of r $ 2.5 mil to R $ 3 thousand, accommodation to stay on site during the harvest and food and, even so, it is difficult to hire."
The high-tech new trucks also frightens the pros, especially older drivers, accustomed to manual vehicles. Most don't know how to operate the new trucks. And when they do risk their lives and of third parties. Professor of Dom Cabral Foundation, Paulo Resende, says that most of the accidents caused by truck drivers on the roads is linked to the inability of drivers to deal with technological innovations. "The new trucks require a different posture on the steering wheel. Any sudden movement can cause serious accidents. "
An eye on risk, the JSL-one of the leading transport companies in the country-bet in training new drivers. The Director of operations and services of the group, Adriano Thiele, says that the company has set up 13 centers specialized in training.
The employees, who must have specific driver's license to drive trucks, are hired and are 45 to 60 days in training. In 2012, of 2.6 thousand drivers hired, 914 were formed in these schools. "We are growing at an annual rate of 28%. We have had to prepare our workforce, "says Thiele
The same strategy has been adopted by Rome, which Carrier has already been with 5% of the fleet stopped due to lack of drivers. Traditional grain loading, the company gambled on training to reduce losses. Today, 20% of its professionals were trained by instructors themselves, says the Director of transport, Gelso Luiz Lauer. "Our segment requires interlink trucks and" rodotrains ". It takes skill and knowledge to operate them. "
Raj says that the shortage of drivers already was expected because the demand for transport is increasing and the supply of railways limited. "Agricultural frontiers, the supply of rail transport is virtually the same for ten years. The result is the misalignment between supply and demand. "