Driving academies will address severe skills shortage

The establishment of driving academies across South Africa remains a key focus for the Road Freight Association. Says technical and operations manager Gavin Kelly: “We have a severe skills shortage in the country and we don’t expect to change this in the immediate future. These academies will, however, play a crucial role as they will allow individuals to be trained in the skills of driving various vehicles as well as aspects of the Professional Driver Qualification which allows for career development.” According to Kelly, recruiting and training truck drivers is not a simple and easy task. “A truck driver not only has to be multi-skilled, he needs a wide range of physical and mental qualities to enable him to do his job efficiently.” Thus, as a starting point, drivers need excellent driving skills. In addition they need to have knowledge of emergency procedures, how to identify and handle hazardous road conditions, first aid, knowledge of different methods of securing and covering loads, an understanding of legislation, and knowledge of the relevant transport laws while also being able to use the satellite tracking equipment and on-board computers. “Drivers often have to act independently and make decisions with minimum supervision. There are also physical requirements for the job. Truck drivers need to be reasonably fit and healthy with no back, heart or neurological conditions,” says Kelly. After finding someone who fits the criteria it is therefore necessary to ensure they receive the best of training – something the driving academies can and will address. According to Kelly a major concern in the industry is the lack of young drivers entering the industry. “The average age of drivers is mid- 40s. Serious work needs to be done to not just attract truck drivers, but also to retain them. With the stigma attached to HIV/Aids in trucking and the loss of drivers due to the pandemic, our resources have rapidly diminished. Kelly says, as the trucking industry is not generally viewed as glamorous, fewer and fewer school leavers are choosing truck driving as a career. “This just exacerbates the problem. Add to that the lack of skilled and experienced trainers and we may be facing a major problem if we don’t turn the situation around soon.”