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Mexico's Driver Shortage Reaches Crisis Level at 14% Vacancy Rate

Mexico's trucking sector faces a workforce deficit with 14% of commercial driver positions vacant—the second-highest rate globally. The International Road Transport Union documented the labor crunch across 18 markets, with Mexico trailing only Uzbekistan while exceeding the worldwide average of 11%.

Structural labor constraints and insufficient training infrastructure keep vacancy rates persistently elevated. Mexican carriers identified the driver shortage as their primary operational challenge, with 44% ranking it above economic, environmental and technology concerns.

Approximately 90,000 trucks currently sit idle due to insufficient qualified drivers. Without intervention, industry estimates suggest that figure could surpass 108,000 by 2028. The shortage directly impacts Mexico's freight movement, as trucking handles 81% of land cargo and 57% of domestic freight. Globally, 2.9 million truck driver positions remain unfilled across major freight markets.