Both associations fear that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine could exacerbate the shortage of drivers to an extent that many supply chains will not be able to withstand. There is a threat of a supply bottleneck that could have a lasting and severe impact on industry, trade and the population. Freight forwarders and logistics companies are therefore urgently called upon to prepare immediately and in the best possible way for the expected capacity bottlenecks on the transport market.

"It is well known that we have been struggling with a blatant driver shortage in Germany for years. Nevertheless, there are still no viable solutions to this problem. On the contrary: the regulations of the mobility package, in particular the obligation to return the vehicles used to the place of establishment, have actually exacerbated the situation. This could now be our undoing," says Nikolja Grabowski, CEO of ELVIS AG.

According to the toll survey, Eastern European transport fleets handle large parts of truck traffic in Germany. It is not possible to precisely quantify the proportion of Ukrainian drivers, as the Federal Office for Goods Transport (BAG) does not record their mileage separately. However, it is possible to determine the share of Polish trucks in the mileage in Germany. The BAG statistics show this at 17.5 percent, which is a good half of all transports carried out by foreign companies in Germany. It is also known within the industry that many drivers employed in Poland come from Ukraine. The majority of these truck drivers can no longer or no longer want to pursue their profession in the current situation. Either because the men have been called up to defend their homeland as part of the general mobilization ordered by President Zelensky, or because they are returning to support their families and bring them to safety. Klaus Meyer, Chairman of the Logistics and Mobility Commission at BVMW, warns: "We are talking about an estimated 100,000 Ukrainian drivers who are currently in Poland alone and could soon no longer be available to transport companies. That would amount to a bloodletting that could hardly be compensated for."

ELVIS and BVMW are therefore appealing to all German freight forwarders and transport service providers to intensify contact with their clients and subcontractors as quickly as possible and at the same time prepare for the expected shortage of transport capacities. Politicians are also called upon to immediately discuss solutions with the industry. For example, a temporary suspension of the mobility package is conceivable. Grabowski: "Without fundamentally questioning the regulations, the transport and logistics industry in Europe now needs every opportunity to act flexibly in order to be able to fulfill its supply mandate."

You can find the materialfluss BLITZUMFRAGE on this topic here.