- 25–30% of Tractor Units Are Sitting Idle: The Truck Driver Shortage and the Real Risks to FDI Manufacturers’ Logistics Plans
- 1. Why Is There a Shortage of Container Truck Drivers Right Now?
- 2. Practical Impacts on FDI Manufacturers Under Different Scenarios
- 3. Blind Spots in FDI Manufacturers’ Logistics Management
- 4. Practical Approaches to Mitigate the Current Risks
- 5. Inland Transportation Risk Management Checklist for FDI Manufacturers Amid the Container Driver Shortage
- Preparing for a Structural Challenge
- Need More Reliable Inland Transportation for Your FDI Factory?
25–30% of Tractor Units Are Sitting Idle: The Truck Driver Shortage and the Real Risks to FDI Manufacturers’ Logistics Plans
Logistics Market Update – July 16, 2026
While most logistics teams at FDI manufacturing plants are focusing on rising ocean freight rates and the shortage of empty containers, another issue is quietly creating a bottleneck in domestic transportation: the shortage of container truck drivers.
As of mid-July 2026, approximately 25–30% of tractor units owned by domestic trucking companies are sitting idle because there are no qualified drivers available, despite the vehicles being fully operational and roadworthy.
For FDI manufacturers, this means that even after cargo has successfully cleared customs, the risk of delays has not disappeared—it has simply shifted to another stage of the supply chain that logistics teams often pay the least attention to.
1. Why Is There a Shortage of Container Truck Drivers Right Now?
The shortage of container truck drivers is not a new issue, but it has become significantly more severe due to several factors converging in 2026.
First is the demographic challenge within the profession. Driving a container tractor-trailer requires an FC-class commercial driver’s license, which is difficult to obtain and requires extensive training. Most experienced container truck drivers today are over 45 years old, while younger workers are increasingly reluctant to enter the profession because of demanding working conditions, irregular schedules, extended periods away from home, compensation that often does not match the level of responsibility, and competition from more accessible career options. This generational gap has accumulated over many years and is now becoming increasingly evident as domestic container transportation demand continues to grow.
Second is the tightening of regulatory requirements related to commercial driving. Stricter rules on maximum driving hours, mandatory rest periods between shifts, and periodic health examinations have reduced the actual number of hours each driver can legally work every week. As a result, even with the same fleet size, the industry’s overall transportation capacity has declined.
Third is competition from other transportation sectors. The rapid expansion of e-commerce and last-mile delivery over the past few years has attracted a significant number of drivers holding lower-class licenses to urban delivery companies, where working conditions are generally less demanding, schedules are more predictable, and drivers are able to return home every day. This trend has indirectly reduced the pipeline of new drivers entering the long-haul container trucking industry.
2. Practical Impacts on FDI Manufacturers Under Different Scenarios
Scenario 1: Cargo Has Cleared Customs, but No Truck Is Available on Time
This is the most common scenario and the one that most directly leads to detention charges.
Once cargo has been customs-cleared and is ready for pickup at the port, the freight forwarder contacts the domestic trucking company to arrange a tractor unit. However, the trucking company may report that no truck is available that day—or even the following day—because there are not enough qualified drivers.
During this waiting period, the detention clock continues running. With detention free time typically limited to only 3–5 days and daily charges escalating rapidly, a transportation delay of just two or three days can result in substantial additional costs, even though no single party clearly bears responsibility for the delay.
Scenario 2: Truck Availability Does Not Match the Plant’s Receiving Schedule
Even when a truck is eventually assigned, the driver shortage often prevents trucking companies from committing to an exact delivery time. Instead, they can only provide broad delivery windows—for example, “sometime in the afternoon.”
For FDI manufacturers operating warehouse appointment systems or limiting the number of trucks accepted simultaneously, this uncertainty disrupts unloading schedules and may force deliveries to be postponed until the following day if trucks arrive outside designated receiving hours.
Scenario 3: End-of-Month and End-of-Quarter Peak Periods
The truck shortage becomes most severe at the end of each month and quarter, when shipping demand across the market increases simultaneously. FDI manufacturers with export deadlines or urgent raw material requirements during these periods must compete with hundreds of other shipments for the same limited pool of available trucks. In practice, companies with long-term relationships and priority arrangements with trucking providers are generally the ones that secure transportation first.
Scenario 4: Shipments Requiring Specialized Transportation
For manufacturers importing chemicals, hazardous cargo, or shipments requiring specialized equipment—such as refrigerated trailers, tank trucks, or low-bed trailers for oversized cargo—the shortage is even more critical. Not every driver possesses the certifications and operational experience required for these specialized cargo types. Since the pool of qualified drivers has always been limited, the current shortage has become even more pronounced.
3. Blind Spots in FDI Manufacturers’ Logistics Management
The shortage of truck drivers often does not appear in manufacturers’ logistics risk reports because logistics departments typically outsource all inland transportation to freight forwarders and consider it the forwarder’s responsibility rather than a risk that the manufacturer needs to monitor. As a result, when disruptions occur, the manufacturer receives delayed notifications and has no contingency plan prepared in advance.
Another blind spot is that manufacturers often do not know which inland trucking company is actually transporting their cargo. A freight forwarder may subcontract different trucking companies depending on the route and daily availability, and the quality of service—including the ability to provide trucks on schedule—depends on those individual carriers rather than on the freight forwarder itself. Manufacturers have little or no visibility into this transportation layer until a problem arises.
4. Practical Approaches to Mitigate the Current Risks
The most important shift in mindset is to treat inland transportation from the port to the factory as a risk that requires proactive management rather than simply a purchased service that can be forgotten once booked. This does not require FDI manufacturers to operate their own truck fleets, but it does require a level of visibility and contingency planning that many logistics departments currently lack.
Book Trucking at Least 48 Hours in Advance
Under normal market conditions, booking a truck 24 hours in advance is usually sufficient. However, with approximately 25–30% of tractor units currently sitting idle due to driver shortages, this booking window should be extended to at least 48–72 hours. This requires freight forwarders to provide earlier ETA information, while the factory logistics team must also confirm warehouse receiving schedules earlier accordingly.
Request Confirmation of the Trucking Company and Assigned Driver Before Customs Clearance
Having this information allows the manufacturer to establish a direct point of contact if urgent issues arise and helps avoid situations where the freight forwarder simply reports that they are “still looking for a truck” without providing a concrete timeline.
Build a Backup Network of Inland Trucking Providers
For frequently used transportation routes (for example, Cat Lai Port to Bien Hoa Industrial Park or Cat Lai Port to VSIP Binh Duong Industrial Park), manufacturers should establish working relationships with at least two trucking companies that can be mobilized whenever the primary carrier cannot provide trucks. This backup list should be maintained based on actual business relationships rather than simply storing contact numbers without prior cooperation.
Separate Inland Transportation Risk from Customs Clearance Risk
Many manufacturers currently estimate cargo arrival using a simple formula: Vessel Arrival Date + Customs Clearance Time = Cargo Receipt Date. Under current market conditions, another step must be added: + Truck Dispatch and Inland Transportation Time, with at least one additional day of buffer to account for the possibility that trucks may not be available immediately.
5. Inland Transportation Risk Management Checklist for FDI Manufacturers Amid the Container Driver Shortage
Import Planning Stage
- Include truck availability risk in the production plan by adding a 1–2 day buffer between the estimated customs clearance date and the required warehouse arrival date, especially for shipments needed at the end of the month or end of the quarter.
- Confirm with the freight forwarder that trucking capacity is secured for the specific shipment before cargo departs from the supplier, rather than waiting until the cargo arrives at the port.
- For chemicals, dangerous goods, or cargo requiring specialized trucks, book transportation at least 72 hours in advance and confirm that the assigned driver holds all required certifications.
Cargo In-Transit Stage
- Require the freight forwarder to confirm the trucking company name and the assigned driver’s contact number at least 24 hours before customs clearance.
- Notify the warehouse team of the specific truck arrival time window instead of providing only a general estimated delivery date.
- Monitor the truck status through the freight forwarder on the scheduled delivery day instead of waiting until the end of the working day to request updates.
Building a Long-Term Transportation Management System
- Require freight forwarders to disclose the inland trucking companies they cooperate with, together with their actual trucking capacity (available tractor units and route coverage), and include this information as part of the annual freight forwarder evaluation criteria.
- Build a backup list of 2–3 inland trucking companies for each frequently used route, ensuring that each company has completed at least one successful shipment to verify its operational capability.
- Record all transportation delays caused by truck shortages in the monthly logistics report and analyze their frequency by route and by period of the month to improve future buffer planning.
- Discuss backup truck arrangements with the freight forwarder for urgent shipments. Some professional trucking companies can provide this service for a relatively small surcharge, yet it can deliver significant value when unexpected disruptions occur.
Preparing for a Structural Challenge
The shortage of container truck drivers is a structural issue within Vietnam’s inland transportation market and cannot be resolved in the short term through policy changes alone.
For FDI manufacturers, the most practical solution is not to wait for the market to correct itself, but to establish earlier truck booking procedures, maintain a verified list of backup trucking providers, and incorporate sufficient lead-time buffers into inbound logistics planning as a standard operating practice rather than reacting to disruptions one shipment at a time.
Need More Reliable Inland Transportation for Your FDI Factory?
THT Cargo Logistics works closely with a network of trusted inland trucking partners across Southern Vietnam, helping FDI manufacturers secure truck capacity in advance, monitor transportation status in real time, and respond quickly whenever vehicle shortages or delivery disruptions occur.
If your factory is looking for a more reliable inland transportation solution that aligns with your production and import schedules, contact THT Cargo Logistics to discuss the most suitable logistics plan for your operations.
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