A study team led by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Stölzle of Logistics Advisory Experts, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thorsten Schmidt of the Technical University of Dresden and Prof. Dr. Christian Kille of the Institute for Applied Logistics at the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt has investigated how personnel shortages affect the logistics industry and how they can be solved. As a consortium partner, Krone actively participated in this groundbreaking project and contributed its expertise to the various aspects of the study.
The consortium study “Meeting capacity shortages in logistics: situation analysis – solutions – potential – packages of measures – roadmaps“, published at the end of January 2023, evaluated almost 200 responses and came to the conclusion: “With a total shortage of around 56,000 skilled workers in 2022, the transport industry is even above the level of the top shortage occupations in care and child-rearing.” Long, unattractive and poorly plannable working hours, hardly competitive salary prospects and the unattractive image of the profession deter potential skilled workers. Other factors for the sharp decline in the number of new recruits are demographic change and the suspension of military service.
Dr. Frank Albers, Managing Director Sales & Marketing at Krone Commercial Vehicle Group, explains the trailer manufacturer’s commitment: “The results of this study also open up new opportunities for Krone to better address the needs of male and female drivers and to align our developments with these scientifically based findings. Krone has always been committed to improving the working environment in many areas. Examples include our new Trailer Point delivery centre with spacious facilities and our convenient online delivery portal “MyKrone“.
Automation is another Krone solution that can significantly improve the working environment for drivers. For example, the new Box Liner eLTU 50 Automatic container chassis can be adjusted to the respective container at the touch of a button from the truck cab – all manual activities previously required are now a thing of the past. For the driver, this not only means a physical relief, but also a considerable gain in safety.”
In total, the study consortium consists of 16 companies, four federal associations and the internet platform Jobmatch.me. The results of the study are available free of charge at logistik-digitalisierung.de.