Good News for Job Seekers: United States Recruiting South African Truck Drivers
- Trucking companies from the United States of America are looking to South Africa to recruit drivers
- The companies have reported a shortage of truck drivers, hence their desire to hire foreign staff
- They are also looking to recruit drivers from Canada, Mexico and Europe to help the country's economy recover by providing employment
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South African truck drivers can look forward to opportunities to work in the United States of America after trucking companies say they are experiencing truck driver shortages and are looking to recruit drivers from around the world.
Source: Getty Images
For years, the United States has struggled with a driver shortage but the situation was exacerbated by the pandemic, which sparked a rise in early retirements while simultaneously driving up demand for delivered goods, according to a report by News24.
The ramifications have been devastating and far-reaching with petrol stations suffering from fuel shortages, airports running short of jet fuel and lumber prices skyrocketing, with some suppliers partly blaming delivery delays.
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Holly McCormick says for the first time in her 10-year trucking career, her company has had to coordinate with South African recruiting company Groendyke to source foreign drivers, according to BusinessTech.
There are a number of challenges companies face when bringing foreign drivers, such as visa restrictions and complicated immigration rules. However, US trucking advocates believe there is now a window of opportunity to overcome some of those barriers.
Thanks to the Biden administration's creation of a task force to address supply chain issues impeding the economy's recovery, companies can now navigate ways to recruit drivers outside the US.
Trucking companies are particularly looking to recruit drivers from South Africa, Canada, Europe as well as Mexico because drivers from these countries can usually speak English, which makes it easier for drivers to obtain the necessary licences required.
CEO of A&M Transport Andrew Owens stated that drivers from these countries also have verifiable experience and only need to be taught about the relevant rules of the road in the US.
“They all have verifiable truck driving experience, the only thing we need to do is teach them to drive on the right side of the road, and they’re good to go,” said Owens.
Data shows more and more South African citizens are looking into emigrating
Briefly News previously reported that the aftermath of the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has not only impacted South Africa's economy but has impacted the desire of South Africans to emigrate to other countries.
According to data compiled by BrandMapp, a staggering 51% of the participants of the survey revealed a desire to leave the country and start living abroad.
Although a large number are considering living life abroad, some will most likely not make that move, according to The South Africa.
Of the people surveyed, only 11% of the participants stated that they would most likely make the move to other countries while 40% of the people surveyed were unsure of whether or not would be willing to make the move to another country.
The data showed that South Africans were not just concerned with the riots or the handling of coronavirus in South Africa but they list other issues such as crime and corruption as the biggest motivators to leave the country.
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Source: Briefly News
