In a document sent to the Ministry of Construction and related agencies on 15/7, the Vietnam Automobile Transportation Association (VATA) recommended that the Ministry report to the Government and National Assembly to consider adjusting several regulations concerning the training, upgrade, and age requirements for class CE licenses (for tractor-trailers and semi-trailers) and class D licenses (for passenger buses with over 30 seats and sleeper buses).

Currently, individuals must be 21 years old to obtain a class C driver's license, and then accumulate three years of experience before being eligible to upgrade to a class CE license. For passenger bus drivers, individuals must be 24 years old to receive class D1 or D2 licenses, and then wait three years to upgrade to a class D license. VATA asserts that these regulations do not align with current realities and impede the recruitment of professional drivers.

VATA also proposed a comprehensive review of the national traffic organization and signage system, advocating for the removal of signs deemed impractical or detrimental to road capacity. Specifically, the association suggested amending regulations for the R.420 "beginning of densely populated area" sign. VATA recommends this sign should only be effective from 5h30 to 21h, serving merely as a warning outside these hours. Additionally, the sign should only be placed in areas where residential zones genuinely line the road, and clear criteria for defining a "densely populated area" should be added.

Furthermore, VATA proposed incorporating policies for developing human resources for class CE and D drivers into the Transportation Service Development Strategy until 2035. The association also called for dialogues with transportation businesses nationwide to identify solutions for the professional driver shortage.

Container trucks travel North-South via the Nam Hai Van bypass. Photo: Nguyen Dong

According to VATA, the shortage of drivers for tractor-trailers, semi-trailers, and passenger buses with over 30 seats, including sleeper buses, is becoming a serious issue for the road transport industry.

In Ha Noi, TP HCM, Hai Phong, Da Nang, and other localities, approximately 25-30% of tractor-trailers have been idle since early 2025 due to the inability to recruit drivers. Large passenger bus and sleeper bus operators face similar challenges. VATA noted that many drivers have transitioned to operating construction vehicles, rigid trucks, or taxis, seeking more stable working conditions.

Meanwhile, the supply of new drivers is becoming increasingly scarce. Following the implementation of new driver training and testing regulations in 2025, the number of individuals applying to upgrade their licenses from C to CE and from D1, D2 to D has sharply declined.

Concurrently, many training centers no longer meet the new requirements for training grounds and facilities, forcing them to cease class CE training. VATA cited that TP HCM, which previously had seven class CE driver training centers, now has only one, while Ha Noi currently has no centers offering this training.

The driver shortage has compelled many businesses to assign only one driver per long-haul container truck, instead of the previous two. For North-South routes, with two drivers, transit time was about 36-48 hours. However, with a single driver, mandatory stops after 4 hours of continuous driving or when tired extend the journey to 72-96 hours.

At some major ports and logistics centers, a single driver often maneuvers two to three tractor-trailers to move vehicles into loading and unloading areas, causing localized congestion. Simultaneously, the workforce of class CE and D drivers is rapidly aging. Previously, the average age of tractor-trailer drivers was around 28-30 years old; now, many businesses employ drivers in their 45-50s.

"If there is no new generation of drivers, the shortage of class CE and D drivers will reach an alarming level within the next 3-5 years, impacting national goods supply chains and logistics", assessed Nguyen Van Quyen, Chairman of VATA.

Doan Loan