European transport company Girteka Group is making efforts to expand its hiring pool into central Asia as it faces an increasingly tight labour market for truck drivers in Europe.
The company says many logistics companies are facing a similair problem with their drivers. Girteka says the average number of employed drivers should be around 1.4 – 1.5 drivers per truck, but that in reality it can be a less than one driver per truck.
Despite making simpler requirements and procedures for gaining a professional driving license, and attracting more people, Girteka says a simple solution is a collaboration with countries close Europe, like Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan.
“In Europe, we are missing approximately 400-450 thousand professional drivers and there is no simple solution to it, as many drivers soon will retire and there is no potential and attractiveness of the job in young generations,” Girteka Transport CEO Mindaugas Paulauskas says.
“I think that Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are examples and a beacon of hope, that there is a future for this kind of job and room for professionals to develop.”
New branches of Girteka Transport situated in Almaty in Kazakhstan and Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan will focus on attracting professional drivers to work in Europe for Girteka.
Girteka says it already employs more than 3000 professional drivers from Asian countries, Girteka is focusing on making the job itself more and more attractive and the recruitment process transparent, more efficient and quicker.
“The new office of Girteka Transport in Kazakhstan will empower us to promote the profession of truck driving locally. We take great care to ensure that our recruitment process is transparent, safe, and secure for all potential drivers,” Head of HR Expansion at Girteka Oksana Karpovičienė says.
With new branches in those countries, Girteka says it’s not only addressing the driver shortage but also responding to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan drivers’ needs and requirements of a fast and transparent process where both side mutually benefits from it.
Improving procedures, creating clear and understandable job offer requirements, as well as driving tests, that assure the quality of road transportation services will all be part of the company’s new recruitment efforts.
The company says thee test activities are the next steps in a long-term strategy to build proper stable, and reliable logistics services across Europe.
Girteka say involving drivers from outside the EU is the responsibility that it has to its customers, communities and partners.
Source : ATN