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https://thedriven.io/2026/04/14/they-look-like-the-future-why-electric-prime-movers-could-solve-truckings-driver-shortfall/>
"The new era of electric trucks could solve the industry’s driver shortage
problem by providing the kind of modern ride that a younger generation expects,
says industry consultant Kylie Johnson.
Johnson spent a year travelling on a Churchill Fellowship and saw the pull that
electric prime movers had on people in Europe and the US.
“Electric trucks generally look a lot more modern, a lot cleaner, it looks like
a modern industry…They just look like the future and I think that does help
with recruiting new drivers,” she told
The Driven.
“[For example] the cab of the Volvo was beautiful, it was really well
appointed. It felt pleasurable, it really felt like we were respecting our
drivers. I really think that’s very powerful.”
Australia is in desperate need of more people to drive trucks.
Last year the industry was short 28,000 drivers, and of those still working
almost half were older than 55 years, according to the National Truck Drivers
Association.
Just 4 per cent of the 190,000 people driving trucks in Australia are women,
suggesting some big structural barriers to participation.
The industry has significant work ahead to change the perception among both
women and young people if it wants to bridge these gaps.
For Volvo’s Matt Wood, an obvious solution is to attract women to the
industry."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
