SERI KEMBANGAN: The shortage of lorry drivers in the country runs into the thousands, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke, and the authorities hope more people will take up the occupation.
“I take note of the industry feedback about the serious shortage of drivers... many industries are having problems.
“(This is) especially so in the southern part of the country because of the salary competition... and many drivers opt to go to our neighbour (Singapore),” he said at the launch of the Malaysia Commercial Vehicle Expo 2024 here on Thursday (May 9).
He said the ministry has introduced the MyLesen programme to subsidise the cost of training and licensing lorry drivers.
“We are working with the Human Resources Ministry to help employers train drivers, and hope that industry players join efforts with us,” he said.
He added that the ministry is also working with the Human Resources Development Corporation (HRD Corp) which has the funds to support training.
Loke said the shortage also posed a safety issue as drivers have to be on the road for long durations.
“We want to upgrade the profession... this is a high-skill, high-paying job,” he said, likening lorry drivers to pilots.
Loke said the starting salary for lorry drivers is around RM3,000.
Exhibition organiser Stefan Pertz said those who transport dangerous goods can earn up to RM10,000 a month and more.
Loke also touched on the Commercial Vehicle Licensing System (iSPKP), which was launched in November.
“It... provides an end-to-end online licensing platform for issuance of licences and vehicle permits.
“Integrated with databases from more than 10 agencies, iSPKP aims to halve the processing time,” he added.
