As the shortage of truck drivers in Europe continues to grow, Brazil is emerging as a new source of talent for European transport companies.
Trans.iNFO reported that international recruitment agency, M/Brazil, claims to have signed agreements with 17 European haulage companies that plan to hire over 2,000 Brazilian drivers this year. M/Brazil say that demand is mainly coming from Spain, Germany, Austria, Poland and Lithuania, and that 5% of the Brazilian drivers engaging with the agency already hold European passports. With many Brazilian drivers experienced in long-haul routes and demanding road conditions, the prospect of higher wages is naturally appealing, with the agency receiving 10,000 CVs a month from drivers seeking overseas work.
In February, the European Commission published a study on the recruitment and integration of bus and truck drivers from third countries, finding the EU road transport sector has a shortage of around 500,000 professional drivers. The study concluded that third-country recruitment can help address the gap, but only if built on clear legal pathways, fair conditions, and common EU standards, and that the practice does not become a replacement for structural reform within professional driving transport sector.