Truck drivers face challenges and seek adaptation to secure the future

The country’s main freight transport mode must be modernized through technological transformations (AdobeStock)

Amid the various problems faced (poor vehicle maintenance, different types of infractions, high fuel costs, and issues with freight payment), truck drivers strive to survive and remain relevant. Thus, the future of the profession becomes a topic of discussion. There is no shortage of challenges for the category — but possible solutions do exist. One of them is directly linked to the modernization of work and the adoption of technological innovations.

According to the president of the Sindicato das Empresas de Transporte Comercial de Carga do Litoral Paulista (Sindisan), Rose Fassina, Brazilian truck drivers are already dealing with the future in the present. They face a combination of structural challenges, such as high operating costs, insecurity on the roads, and increasingly demanding deadlines, while also needing to adapt to technological and regulatory requirements.

“Today, the main challenge is not just transporting cargo, but doing so with efficiency, traceability, and safety. This requires a more prepared and resilient professional. We must recognize that the sector is going through a critical moment: according to a 2025 survey by NTC&Logística, about 88% of transport companies have difficulty hiring drivers, which already directly impacts operations and leaves trucks idle”, she states.

Civil engineer and Master in Transport Engineering Luís Cláudio Montenegro views the Brazilian truck driver, above all, as a survivor who has learned to operate in an environment of compressed prices, marked by oversupply and strong competitive pressure.

“The challenge now is to turn this key. This involves moving away from a survival mindset and advancing toward a more professional approach, with greater cost control, proper freight pricing, and management of one’s own operations. In this context, intermodality emerges as a natural path to efficiency”, he assesses.

He believes that operating on shorter routes, with defined cargo, allows for greater revenue predictability, better vehicle utilization, reduced dependence on return freight, and more adequate safety conditions.

Technology

According to Rose, technology is no longer a trend but a reality. “Technology does not replace the driver. The truck driver becomes a highly qualified logistics operator, who must interpret data, operate onboard systems, and make decisions based on real-time information”, she argues.

Montenegro shares the same view. “Technology tends to benefit truck drivers on several fronts. On the operational level, there are relevant advances in driving assistance, tracking, routing, and trip management, increasing safety, productivity, and predictability. There is also a significant gain in market organization, with freight platforms, access to pricing information, client identification, document formalization, and greater automation in operations at logistics terminals.”

Aging and training

The president of Sindisan warns about the aging of drivers, identified as one of the sector’s main concerns. “Brazil has lost around 1.2 million truck drivers in the last decade, a drop of approximately 22% in the workforce, according to a survey by the Secretaria Nacional de Trânsito (Senatran), analyzed by the Motorista PX platform. In addition, we are facing an aging workforce. If not addressed, this scenario could lead to a true logistics blackout, compromising supply and economic growth.”

The engineer, in turn, considers the issue delicate, but believes the concern should be properly framed. “The sector has experienced, highly qualified professionals who deeply understand operations, the profession, and Brazil’s highways, ensuring high levels of safety and efficiency. This human capital must be valued. At the same time, the low barrier to entry allows the influx of opportunistic drivers, often without proper training. This puts pressure on prices, reduces the average quality of service, and devalues qualified professionals. The answer lies in qualification and professionalization of the sector”, he advocates.

According to him, the combination of adequate remuneration, continuous training, and stricter operational standards is what enables the development and retention of drivers prepared for the most complex transport demands. “Raising the market’s standard of requirements is essential. The more the sector demands quality, safety, and compliance, the greater the space for qualified professionals and the smaller for operators who compete solely on price”, he concludes.

Category profile is 99% male

To project the future of the profession, it is essential to look at the past and understand the trajectory of truck drivers who cross Brazil. This is a predominantly male category (99%), with an average age of 46; 78.3% are married; 43.8% did not complete elementary education; and 39.1% have two children. This is the profile of the self-employed truck driver identified in a survey conducted last year by the Confederação Nacional dos Transportadores Autônomos (CNTA).

The survey provides a technical and consistent analysis of the characteristics of the routine and working conditions of these professionals.

The study “Realidade do Transportador Autônomo de Cargas” interviewed 2,002 self-employed truck drivers, all registered in the Registro Nacional de Transportadores Rodoviários de Cargas (RNTRC), across 11 states: Amazonas, Tocantins, Bahia, Pernambuco, Sergipe, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná, and Santa Catarina.

Vehicle profile

In 71.3% of cases, vehicles are fully paid off, while 25.2% are still financed. The most common truck age ranges between 10 and 14 years. Of the total, 32.7% are used for dry cargo transportation. Regarding conditions, 80.1% of vehicles have tires in good condition, although 57.6% use retreaded tires.

The professional

According to CNTA, many truck drivers spend, on average, more than two weeks per month away from home. The routine requires balancing long working hours with high operating costs, making remuneration one of the category’s main concerns.

Professionals work around 25 days per month, with an average workday of 14 hours — 40.4% report working between 15 and 17 hours per day. The annual vacation period averages only eight days, and 48.5% say they do not take this rest. On average, nine freight trips are carried out per month.

As for income, gross monthly revenue is around R\$ 46,000, while net income is close to R\$ 14,000 (about R\$ 40 per hour worked). The main way of obtaining freight is through apps (46.6%), followed by direct negotiations with shippers (38%). Payment is predominantly made via Pix (75.5%).

For rest, the vast majority use fuel stations (96.6%). Even so, 78.4% report difficulty in finding suitable places to comply with rest periods.

The average time in the profession is 18 years. For 59.3% of respondents, there is a perception of devaluation of the activity, despite the need to remain in the job.

Another relevant finding shows that 84.9% disagree with the mandatory requirement of 11 uninterrupted hours of rest. In addition, 89.5% report being unaware of government initiatives aimed at supporting the category.

Health is also a point of concern: in 62% of cases, truck drivers only undergo medical exams when they have a problem, and 86% do not ممارسة physical activities.

Safety

The CNTA study also reveals that 57.7% of respondents do not feel safe on highways. In addition, 83.1% have been victims of theft, while 86.7% reported robberies involving violence.

Finally, 71.4% of drivers stated they have been involved in some type of accident, often attributed to failures by other drivers (64.4%).

Overall, the results provide a current and accurate portrait of the category, highlighting not only their working conditions but also persistent challenges and gaps that require attention. The future of the profession is directly linked to the conditions faced in the present.