With Europe facing a shortage of more than half a million truck drivers, five transport companies in Belgium’s Limburg province are offering young people a free route into the profession.
The initiative reflects a growing European effort to remove costly entry barriers as the industry struggles to replace retiring drivers. But attracting a new generation may require more than paying for their licenses.
Five Limburg transport and logistics companies, together with the employment agency 24/7 Drive, the city of Genk, the sector fund Travi, and Welqome, are joining forces to tackle the acute shortage of truck drivers, and are set to offer young people under the age of 26 a fully funded training program to become truck drivers.
During the introductory day, organized by the initiators, participants will have the opportunity to try out various types of vehicles and engage directly with regional employers, including D’Advies, Veolia BeLux, Hermos Transport, H.Essers Infra, and BD Logistics.
Limburg concept
Interest in the Limburg initiative is strong. Candidates selected following the introductory day will begin their training for a C/CE driver’s license and ‘Code 95’ certification in November.
After they obtain their license, they will spend a few days shadowing an experienced mentor driver, then can start working immediately at one of the participating companies in the Limburg region.
Other countries and initiatives
Belgium has already taken steps to support the sector; for instance, the VDAB (Flemish Public Employment Service) offers free, accredited truck-driving training for job seekers.
The Netherlands supports career changers through employers and sector-specific funding. At the same time, in England the government directly funds new entrants through ‘HGV Skills Bootcamps’, offering up to 16 weeks of free training for individuals aged 19 and older.
Struggling sector
The transport sector has long grappled with a growing driver shortage. Europe faces a shortage of 502,000 drivers. This means that two-thirds of the European transport companies surveyed have to turn down jobs because they cannot find enough drivers.
Furthermore, 13% of European truckers, about 660,500, will retire by 2030. Working conditions also play a role: a lack of secure parking areas, unpredictable working hours, insufficient time at home, and poor work-life balance.
However, not every driving position involves international long-haul transport. Regional distribution, waste collection, and other local transport activities often entail very different work patterns.
Shared responsibility
The profession doesn’t have the best image, and the biggest obstacle may be the cost of getting a driver’s license. As a result, employers, industry organizations, and government authorities increasingly share the responsibility for training truck drivers.
The European transport sector will increasingly have to take the initiative to attract and train its own future drivers, while working conditions remain a challenge of at least equal magnitude.
Autonomous trucks
In the long term, autonomous trucks could help address a significant part of Europe’s driver shortage. That future has already begun; in the United States, trucks now operate commercially without a driver. Since April 2025, Aurora Innovation has been operating self-driving trucks on American highways.
In Europe, developments are less advanced, but progress is accelerating, particularly on fixed motorway routes and within enclosed logistics sites. Autonomous trucks could also become commercially relevant in Europe.
Germany and the Netherlands are experimenting with autonomous electric trucks, and Belgium also has a concrete project in the works. On September 16, 2026, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges announced a commercial pilot project in collaboration with Group-GTS and the Chinese firm Inceptio Technology.
Starting this autumn, an autonomous truck will transport containers day and night between Kallo and terminals on the right bank of the Port of Antwerp. The partners intend to expand operations later, extending their reach toward the North Sea Port and Rotterdam.
Human personnel
Automation may eventually ease the pressure, but it remains to be seen whether this evolution will rapidly reduce the need for long-haul truck drivers. After all, autonomous trucks will not be easily deployable everywhere or at all times.
Automating a truck traveling hundreds of kilometers along a highway between two logistics hubs is far easier than automating a garbage truck in Genk, a delivery vehicle servicing twenty different shops, or a construction vehicle that must maneuver around difficult-to-access work sites.
Consequently, the truck driver profession is likely to shift: long-haul journeys will gradually become automated, while local distribution, transshipment, oversight, and complex transport tasks will continue to require human personnel.
