Almost three-quarters (72%) of transport and logistics bosses plan to overhaul how they manage the talent within their companies in response to the skills crisis.

Sector analysis of PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PwC) 15th Annual Global CEO Survey reveals that attracting and keeping hold of talent is a significant concern for most bosses within road transport.

Approaching half (45%) of the 98 transport bosses surveyed label the struggle to attract new workers as a “major threat” to the long term viability of their businesses, while a quarter concede that young workers are the most difficult to hire and keep.

The results mirror last year's, which found attracting and retaining talent to be the number one concern.

PwC’s global transport and logistics leader Klaus-Dieter Ruske says: “Transportation and logistics companies need to improve their brand as an employer, introduce cutting-edge recruiting practices and offer attractive career and development opportunities to the younger workforce.”

A full transport & logistics analysis will be published by PwC towards the end of March.

Other key concerns are:

  • 63% of transport bosses are concerned about rising energy costs
  • Just 36% of (all) bosses surveyed for the full report expect revenue growth this year (2010: 60%)
  • 13% of (all) bosses expect an upswing in the global economy
  • More than 66% of (all) bosses plan to cut costs through headcount reduction or streamlining IT their operations

By Chris Druce