ATTO Calls for National Strategy to Secure Malta’s Future Professional Heavy Goods Driver Workforce

The current national debate surrounding foreign employment and Malta’s reliance on Third Country Nationals (TCNs) provides an important opportunity to address one of the most pressing challenges facing the transport and logistics industry: the growing shortage of qualified professional heavy goods drivers according to ATTO, the Association of Maltese International Trailer Operators.

“This is an issue that can no longer be overlooked. Professional drivers play an essential role in keeping Malta’s economy moving, and now is the time for structured dialogue between Government and the industry towards developing a National Professional Drivers Strategy,” said ATTO Chairman Joseph Bugeja.

ATTO, which represents companies involved in transporting goods between Malta and mainland Europe notes that while the current debate surrounding TCNs considers the economic and social implications of foreign employment, the specific workforce requirements of essential sectors such as transport and logistics must also be recognised.

The latest Global Driver Shortage Report published by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) highlights the scale of the challenge. In 2025, 65% of European trucking companies identified driver shortages as their primary concern. Europe’s road transport sector is facing more than 502,000 unfilled driver positions, while a further 660,000 professional drivers are expected to retire by 2030.

“Malta’s situation mirrors this wider European challenge. Transport operators have been struggling to recruit sufficient Maltese drivers for years and have increasingly had to rely on TCNs to maintain their operations. This dependence has not arisen out of preference, but out of necessity, because the local workforce is simply not providing enough qualified candidates to meet the industry’s needs,” Mr Bugeja explained.

“Professional drivers are not simply another category of employees. They are an essential component of Malta’s economic infrastructure. Without them, goods cannot be distributed, businesses cannot operate efficiently and the supply chains upon which our economy depends become increasingly vulnerable.”

ATTO notes that the challenges extend beyond recruitment. Rising wage costs, increasing accommodation expenses and additional employment and administrative requirements are making it increasingly difficult for operators to attract and retain experienced drivers.

Competition from other employment sectors, including public sector entities, further compounds the problem. These pressures are particularly difficult to absorb in an industry characterised by intense commercial competition, where operators have limited scope to pass additional costs on to customers.

Furthermore, recruiting international professional drivers involves more than obtaining an employment permit. Recognition of driving qualifications, access to the appropriate C/CE licence and Driver CPC requirements remain important practical challenges.

At the same time, the pathway for young Maltese people entering the profession remains lengthy, costly and insufficiently attractive, with licensing, training and qualification requirements all deserving reconsideration.

“We cannot continue relying almost exclusively on international recruitment while failing to develop our own future generation of professional drivers. We need a coordinated national approach that makes this profession more attractive to Maltese workers, while recognising the immediate and legitimate need for international drivers,” Bugeja added.

ATTO fully recognizes the existing support it has secured through Identità Malta and Transport Malta, however it believes Government must now work more closely with the industry to develop a national strategy built on five main pillars:

• Professional training: Better access to professional driver training and development.

• Licensing Reform: A more accessible, efficient and affordable licensing process without compromising safety standards.

• Local Recruitment: Financial incentives encouraging young Maltese people to pursue careers as professional drivers.

• Sustainable Employment Policies: Addressing recruitment, retention and accommodation challenges affecting both local and international drivers.

• Fair Competition: Stronger enforcement against non-compliant operators and unlawful employment practices to ensure a level playing field.

“Malta cannot plan its economic growth, imports, exports and distribution requirements without also planning for the people who keep its supply chains moving. This is why ATTO is calling on Government to initiate structured dialogue with the industry and take concrete steps towards developing a National Professional Drivers Strategy.”

“Malta’s local and international logistics industry needs professional heavy good drivers not just for tomorrow, but for the years ahead. Vision requires long-term planning and this planning needs to start today,” concluded Joseph Bugeja.