A Hungarian trucking company caught the attention of the transport industry recently when it advertised in a Hungarian job portal for Hindi-speaking staff.
The transportation trade website Trans.Info confirmed that the Budapest-based Waberer’s International Nyrt., one of the largest trucking companies in Europe, had indeed advertised a position for a Hindi-speaking fleet operator. It also learned that the company plans to hire 79 drivers and 3 fleet operators from India in the near future. The first 19 drivers could arrive as early as next week.
The drivers are being sought to cover deliveries in the UK. They will have to go through training and pass an exam before driving in Europe. Before being sent to the UK they will receive additional training with the company in Hungary.
According to Trans.Info, Waberer’s International Nyrt. has long employed non-Hungarian drivers, though most have come from neighbouring Romania and Ukraine. Western European based trucking companies in countries such as the Netherlands and France, as well as the UK, have been employing drivers from Asia and Africa for years, according to Trans.Info. However, hiring from beyond the continent by haulers based in central Europe is a new phenomenon, and Wagerner’s is not the first company to plan to do so. Trans.Info reported in November 2021 that logistics company cargoGO planned to bring in hundreds of experienced drivers from Asian countries in the coming years.
Europe has an overall shortage of truck drivers. According to Transport Intelligence, the continent lacks as many as 400,000 drivers, as truckers have retired and fewer young people are interested in taking up the profession. Within the EU, the ease of cross-border employment helps make up for the lack of drivers, but Brexit caused supply chain issues in the UK as it became more difficult for international divers to enter the country.
Trans.Info speculates that Waberer’s choice to hire drivers from beyond Europe could simply be due to a shortage of drivers caused by various factors, or it could represent a new business model for the company.
