Although net wages in international transport reach 4500 euros per month, transport companies in Bulgaria are keeping new TIRs in the parking lot due to an acute shortage of drivers, reports “Flagman.bg“.
Bulgarian carriers are already offering conditions competitive with Western European ones - brand new tractors and salaries between 3450 and 4000 euros for routes in the European Union. In some cases, when working on routes in Spain, Germany and Belgium, the amounts exceed 4000 euros. This unprecedented wage increase, however, fails to compensate for the structural shortage of personnel in the sector.
Bidding and uncertainty for business
Owners of transport companies describe the situation on the labor market as a constant bidding, in which drivers easily change their employer even for a minimal difference in pay. This dynamic creates serious difficulties in business planning and the implementation of long-term contracts.
“Salaries are already seriously ahead of the minds of some of the drivers, who are constantly craving more money“, commented a representative of the industry.
Another company owner completes the picture: “They think they are irreplaceable, and to some extent we have made them so because we are constantly bidding among ourselves“. For businesses, this means a real risk that a truck worth nearly 180,000 euros will suddenly become unmanageable.
Structural crisis throughout Europe
The problem goes far beyond the borders of Bulgaria. Data from the International Road Transport Union indicate that over half a million positions for heavy-duty drivers remained unfilled in Europe in the past year 2025. In our country, with about 28,000 heavy-duty vehicles available, the needs are estimated at 33,000 drivers, while the actual number of workers is about five thousand less.
The profession remains difficult despite the high pay. TIR drivers spend weeks away from their families, bear enormous material responsibility and work under the strict regime of European regulations. The lack of secure parking and an aging workforce further complicate the situation, with young people on the continent increasingly choosing this career.
Import of personnel from Central Asia
In response to the crisis, Bulgarian transport companies are increasingly turning to attracting labor from outside the European Union, mainly from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. For foreign workers, the opportunity to drive a modern TIR in Europe and receive a European salary represents a huge jump in living standards.
After the initial period of adaptation to new technologies and digital systems of modern tractors, Asian drivers are showing a high level of discipline. Employers report that they are inclined to longer-term commitments, undertake longer rotations abroad and provide predictability, which is critically important for logistics companies. This process is expected to gradually balance the labor market in the sector and stabilize the continuous bidding for personnel.