Stellantis and Renault are among the European automakers struggling to ship finished vehicles to their customers because of a shortage of truck drivers, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and semiconductor shortages. Many of Europe's truck drivers come from Ukraine and have become unavailable since the start of the war, leading to further logistics issues.
To tackle the problem, Stellantis and Renault have taken different approaches. Stellantis, the parent company of Fiat and Peugeot cars, has sent emails and placed posters in some of its factories to encourage workers to obtain truck driver licenses. About 140 staff members, mostly from France, Spain, and Italy, have already signed up for the program.
The automaker is paying for the training and fees associated with obtaining a truck driver license and facilitating the voluntary job switch. Stellantis is also considering buying its own trucks to address the logistics snags. The spokesperson for Stellantis confirmed that the job switch for the workers can be temporary or permanent, and workers who want to return to their factory jobs in the future will be reintegrated.
Meanwhile, Renault is starting a process to train some of its employees with the help of staffing company Adecco Group to obtain truck driver licenses.
Source: Automotive News Europe