Romania brings TIR drivers from India, Dubai, Qatar or Bahrain, to cover the huge labor shortage in the road transport of goods or people, estimated at 70,000 professional truck drivers and even more for bus, coach and taxi drivers.
Romania brings TIR drivers from India, Dubai, Qatar or Bahrain. Takt Recruitment's photo
Moreover, Europe is facing a shortage of almost 500,000 drivers. Without importing foreign workers, this shortfall could grow to around 745,000 drivers by 2028, according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU). And if radical measures are not taken, estimates show that in the next five years, another 3.4 million professional drivers will leave the labor market.
In Romania, the demand for foreign drivers has grown exponentially in the last year, 3-4 times more compared to previous years, the most sought after being professional drivers with category C/CE/D/DE driving license for local and international transport, as well as forklift operators for cargo handling. Our country has one of the most severe shortages of professional drivers in the European Union. There is a need for 70,000 professional truck drivers, and the total shortfall is estimated at around 150,000 drivers – from TIR and truck drivers to bus, coach and taxi drivers, according to UNTRR (National Union of Road Transporters in Romania).
“The need for professional drivers is constantly growing – both for the transport of goods and for the transport of people. The greatest demand comes from the area of international freight transport, especially for runs in the countries of the European Union, where employers in Romania increasingly turn to the recruitment of drivers from Asia, to cover the acute shortage of personnel. The lack of drivers or the frequent turnover of personnel creates major difficulties in the operational area: many companies cannot fulfill their orders on time or are forced to refuse new contracts and cannot plan for expansion, although they do not lack customers, orders or trucks, and there would be enormous potential for growth.
Under these conditions, India has become one of the most important sources of labor – Indian drivers have a solid professional background, are disciplined, speak English and are willing to work long-term. We offer clients a complete and personalized procedure through which they select drivers from a large pool of candidates. Thus, they optimize their recruitment costs, they don't have to worry about the legal compliance process for bringing in and integrating employees from India. Drivers are trained and experienced, being selected based on real experience and a practical test in our test center, equipped with driving range, classrooms and video cameras, both perimeter and inside the truck”, declares Cosmin Şerban, Managing Director & Co-Founder of TAKT Recruitment.
A professional driver receives between 1,200 and 3,000 euros net/month
Asked how many TIR drivers from India he has brought so far and how many more he wants to bring, Şerban told “Adevărul” that the procedures are at the beginning, having brought 350 TIR drivers to Romania so far, with the operations for another 130 underway.
“We have an active expansion plan and we currently have another 130 people in the process in the coming months, a number that also varies depending on the demand of the partner companies. The bringing of drivers is done in planned stages so that each company can integrate the staff without interrupting its activity”said Cosmin Şerban for “truth“.
Asked how much these drivers are paid in Romania, the expert in recruiting foreign workers stated that “according to the law in force, the employment package includes the minimum salary in Romania, to which is added the daily allowance, established according to the type of transport and the policy of each company”.
“For internal travel, the per diem is between 23 and 57.5 lei/day, according to the legal provisions (HG no. 1860/2006).
For trips within the European Union, the daily allowance starts, depending on the country, from 35 euros/day, depending on the destination and the level set by the employer (according to HG no. 518/1995).
In general, the highest incomes belong to truck drivers who work in the Community. A professional driver can earn net between 1,200 and 3,000 euros/month, depending on the route, duration and specifics of the activity”explained the specialist.
Asked what the costs of bringing to Romania are, he stated that the total amount for recruitment, documents, visa, relocation and integration is acceptable and can be paid in installments. “The total value is generally less than the net monthly earnings of an international driver, so the investment pays for itself quickly after the first few months of operationhe said.
High demands for driving in Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait
Professional drivers are in demand both by transport and logistics companies to work on the truck on domestic and foreign routes, and by companies in the manufacturing fields for local transport and cargo handling.
India, especially the north of the country, is internationally recognized as a traditional source of professional drivers with a real road transport culture.
“We generally preselect a mix of candidates with experience in India and the Gulf – the Arabian peninsula – Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, because there the rigors of driving and professionalism at work are demanding and because they have had greater exposure to other countries and it is easier for them to adapt to Romania. We mainly recruit drivers originating from the northern region of India, Punjab, where there is a real truck culture – many of them are passionate about driving and want to get to Europe not only for money, but also to prove that they are part of an elite of the profession. They pride themselves on working in the EU and look after the truck as their own property.
Indians are serious professionals, peaceful, respectful and disciplined people. Adapts quickly to company rules and complies with internal procedures, work schedule and legal requirements. They have a positive attitude and want to learn – once they understand the processes, they strictly follow them. In addition, they don't have our holidays, which allows them to work full-time during our peak periods, August or December, when rates are higher and companies have increased profitability“, explains Cosmin Şerban.
How are Indian drivers selected to work in Romania
Candidates with experience, English speaking and family are selected. Thus they are motivated to work to send over 90% of their salary home. They are generally between the ages of 25 and 45. In addition, they are carefully checked and tested through document analysis (including records), interviews and practical tests.
Before arriving in Romania, candidates from India go through a rigorous test in training centers for professional freight and passenger transport drivers. Basically, they train in modern theoretical training rooms and test drive trucks and buses in a professional driving range, all under live video surveillance.
The purpose of these centers is to assess the actual skills of drivers and ensure that they are prepared to comply with European safety standards and road legislation.
Employers from Romania can travel to India for recruitment and testing or do it remotely, through multiple video feeds, both perimeter and located inside the truck.
After testing, Indian drivers attend training courses on Romanian and European legislation before arriving in the country. The next step is obtaining the work permit, visa and residence permit in Romania, but also an integration process so that drivers can get behind the wheel safely and legally.
Why foreign drivers cannot leave their workplace in Romania
In addition to the great economic motivation to stay, drivers from India can work in Romania through strictly regulated procedures. They are legally dependent on the employer for the right of residence.
“Informally it is said that they 'cannot run away' – in reality, they cannot legally change their employer without a new work permit. If they do so without following the procedures, they enter into an illegal stay and risk deportation. There is a strict legal framework: non-EU workers come to Romania on a conditional visa, linked to the employer. They are not allowed to change employers unless they obtain a new notice and a new residence permit, and in the first year of activity they need the original company's express consent.
By leaving 'without consent', the foreign employee violates immigration law, at risk of deportation, and may be banned from entering Romania or the EU for up to 5 years. In addition, companies that accept him to work without documents can receive considerable fines”details Cosmin Şerban.
