The Russian logistics industry is increasingly experiencing a shortage of qualified personnel, and we are talking not only about the shortage of truck drivers, but also about specialists at operational and managerial levels. Experts agree that the problem is systemic and requires comprehensive solutions from business and the government.
Kirill Lakhin, Head of the Logistics Department at Unitaid JSC, notes that the shortage of specialists affects both the operational level and narrow-profile managers for certain types of transportation. According to him, the personnel problem in the industry has persisted for many years: only about 5% of applicants have specialized education, the rest are self—taught who have gained practical experience. This directly affects the quality of process management.
The demographic factor exerts additional pressure on the labor market. According to Ivan Grishev of UM Trans Group, the decline in the birth rate in the 1990s led to a shortage of young professionals, and the opportunities to attract foreign labor remain limited. Despite the high resources in the countries of Central Asia and the CIS, the demand for labor resources in countries like Belarus and Kazakhstan also remains high.
The situation with truck drivers remains even more critical. Sanjar Ashuraliev, CEO of Delko Transport company, emphasizes that the transport industry is experiencing an acute shortage of E-category drivers, and the profession is rapidly aging: the average age of drivers exceeds 45 years, while the influx of young people is minimal.
"Today, the path to obtaining category E from scratch takes about one and a half years, and the cost of training reaches 120 thousand rubles. This is a serious barrier for young professionals," Ashuraliev explains.
The expert believes that the situation can be changed only through a set of measures. First of all, it is necessary to raise the prestige of the profession, returning it to the status of socially significant, including through state awards and a system of professional recognition. At the same time, it is necessary to shorten the time and reduce the cost of training, as well as compensate for part of the costs through government programs.
Additional measures include the introduction of social incentives. In particular, the provision of preferential mortgages for tractor drivers who have worked for a certain period of time in the profession, by analogy with programs in the IT sector. This approach, according to experts, will not only increase the attractiveness of the profession, but also help to consolidate staff in the industry.
At the same time, business representatives emphasize that the personnel crisis in logistics is not a short—term problem, but a long-term challenge that will determine the stability of supply chains and the competitiveness of companies in the coming years.
