The driver shortage is also affecting the roadside assistance sector. Organisations and experts have been warning of a situation that will require major changes if there is to be generational renewal.
The shortage of professional drivers – both employed and self-employed – is an issue that has been felt for some time. The roadside assistance sector is no exception. Not long ago, at the end of 2022, the National Roadside Assistance Alliance highlighted it, warning at the time that the hiring of drivers had fallen over the previous six months (by 27 %, to be precise). It made the news at the time. The lack of qualified drivers to recover vehicles was one of the reasons, but not the only one.
According to the Alliance, companies argued that, given labour costs, they could not fully staff their teams to cover incidents 24/365. It seems the situation is not going to improve this year ahead of the summer, when, in theory, the largest number of hires take place (as it is the sector's high season, owing to the volume of journeys).
Lawyer and mobility specialist Emilio Domínguez, in an article published by Autónomos y emprendedores, speaks of a monthly deficit of more than 7,000 drivers. Those holding C and C+E driving licences are simply in short supply. He also warns of a particularly alarming shortage of roadside assistance operators: that is, tow-truck drivers.
Up to 600 potential vacancies a month
Domínguez cites the Observatorio Social del Transporte and sector sources to state that there are around 600 potential vacancies a month. And, like the Alliance a few months ago, he refers to the impossibility of covering services, which are demanding in themselves, in a sector that is key to maintaining road safety.
The sector is estimated to employ some 11,000 people, although the lack of generational renewal is beginning to show. Only 23 % of C and C+E licences are held by people under 40. Roadside assistance operators are getting older, and younger people are not encouraged to train for a future in a profession that can project a tough image because of its working hours and insufficient pay.
The challenge is there, as it is across the professional driving field in general. Drivers' working conditions, the balance between work and personal (and family) life, making qualifications easier to obtain… these are issues that remain, and they will be key to attracting new generations of roadside assistance operators.