Digital aids aiming to ease driver gap
Germany’s heavy transport industry is facing mounting pressure from a worsening driver shortage. According to the German chamber of industry and commerce (Dihk), more than 70,000 professional truck drivers are currently missing, while around 30,000 retire each year and only 17,000 new drivers enter the market as Doll Fahrzeugbau reported. The shortage is particularly acute in heavy haulage, where operating complex vehicles demands specialised expertise.
To bridge staffing gaps, many haulage firms are turning to career changers. Yet, as Doll product manager Mathias Neumayer points out, a CE licence alone is insufficient. Handling multi-axle trailers and hydraulic systems requires months of training—time many companies cannot afford. Digital assistance systems are now rather being deployed to solve the problem. Doll equips its trailers with the 'Doll control' system and the 'Doll connect' remote, allowing drivers to manage steering and lifting functions intuitively in multiple languages. (js)