Vietnam logistics industry grapples with severe driver shortage and soaring container‑truck salaries

Vietnam’s logistics sector is confronting a sharp shortage of qualified heavy‑truck and container drivers. Companies such as XINAO Logistics and ASL Logistics are advertising salaries of 40–60 million VND per month to attract drivers, while the Vietnam Truck Transport Association reports that 25–30% of trucks in major hubs sit idle due to the lack of staff.

The scarcity has forced firms to raise pay, with some container‑driver wages reaching 40–50 million VND monthly. "Các chủ doanh nghiệp đang giành giật tài xế với nhau," said Đặng Minh Phương, chair of the Ho Chi Minh City Logistics and Port Association. Training capacity has collapsed – from seven CE‑class schools nationwide to only one – leaving few new drivers qualified. Nguyễn Văn Quyền, president of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, noted this decline.

The driver gap is lengthening delivery times from 36–48 hours to 72–96 hours on long‑haul routes, inflating fuel, labor and vehicle‑depreciation costs. At the same time, youth unemployment remains high, with the unemployment rate for 15‑24‑year‑olds at 8.77% in early 2026, underscoring broader labour‑market pressures.