On July 6, Ramón Medrano, president of Canacar, participated in a session of the IRU, in which representatives of the sector from nations such as Denmark, France, Norway and the Netherlands, among others, were also present. The meeting discussed the lack of carriers, a problem that prevails globally, but in Mexico has different nuances.
“Of all the countries that were present at this meeting, no one has the same problem as us of insecurity on the roads. The main disincentive to the profession here is going out on the road and not feeling safe”, says the union representative to Expansion.
In 2020, the IRU estimated that 50,000 operators were needed in Mexico. For 2021, the data indicates that the deficit amounted to 54,000 carriers.
Although official figures show that the incidence of theft from carriers is below its pre-pandemic levels, in recent months they have maintained an upward trend. The crimes of robbery to carriers accumulated 5,290 cases from January to Maywhich meant an increase of 2.9% compared to the same period last year.
State of Mexico, Puebla, Guanajuato, Michoacán and Jalisco are the entities that maintain the highest levels of incidence and that are considered as ‘hot spots’ for the transport sector.
“We would like there to be more women on the road, young people well prepared to be professional drivers with an international level, but it is not possible to tell a young man who perhaps has a university education to hit the road taking into account the risk, which is huge,” adds Medrano.
Stresses that insecurity generates a negative domino effect, by also impact investment levels and thus in the efficiency of the sector. “Who is going to buy a new truck if they don’t have an operator to put behind the wheel?” she questions.