There are not enough truckers for so many vehicles. For this reason, the management of the automobile multinational Stellantis has offered the workers of its European plants, including the Spanish ones in Zaragoza, Madrid and Vigo, a voluntary transfer to external companies dedicated to the transport of vehicles by road. With this measure, the firm aspires to unclog the logistical bottleneck that floods the fields attached to its factories with brand new cars.
The origin of the problem lies in the current lack of car transporter truck drivers. This has meant that in cases such as the Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza, up to 21,000 vehicles have been parked outside. Although now its volume is lower, the shortage of professionals threatens to entrench this problem in the future.
As company sources confirmed to this newspaper, Stellantis proposes a temporary and voluntary assignment for those employees who have a driving license for car transporters. Those who accept will maintain their current salary and will receive a bonus of 800 euros gross per month, in addition to payment for all activities carried out according to transport regulations, including overtime and travel allowances. All those who accept this proposal will be able to return to their initial job position when the collaboration ends.
The internal communication establishes that those employees in possession of an EC-type driving license and, preferably, with a valid professional certificate will have priority. Even so, prior registration to participate in this possible project is open to anyone in possession of any type of driving license for at least five years, even without a valid professional certificate, who is over 21 years old and is interested in applying for this opportunity.
This is not the first time that Stellantis encourages the mobility of its workers. At Christmas 2021, various contingents of Figueruelas employees agreed to work temporarily at the Villaverde (Madrid) factory or in Poissy (France).
The move comes at a difficult time for the automotive industry. Added to the logistical problems is the shortage of semiconductors, which has forced several production lines to stop on a recurring basis throughout Europe. All this at a crucial moment in which the sector is facing its transformation towards electromobility, with the consequent adjustments that this is causing.
