Transport and Employment

Road transport

Trends in transport mirror economic development to some extent. Changes in the structure and location of manufacturing industries, changes in production methods due to demands for 'just-in-time' shipments, growing requirements for staff mobility in the services sector and the general increase in car ownership, leisure time and disposable income… all these factors determine the global development of transport. Commercial road transport occupies an irreplaceable socio-economic position linking up supply to demand and is a necessary link between various industrial sectors. As the mode that brings the majority of passengers and goods to their final destinations, road transport is indispensable to tourism, trade and the well being of any economy.

International transport and logistics companies are purchasing modern vehicles and spending more on technologies, crews, containers and management than ever before. Given the nature of transport and logistics, international expansion provides employment for workers in the developed and developing countries alike. This not only increases opportunities for drivers but also for managerial, administrative and other service-related positions. In the EU, of the 8.2 million persons employed in transport services, ‘road and other land transport' accounted for over half of employment, making it the largest single employer by far.