44% of Australian transport workers eye sector exit

Microlise says 44% of Australian transport and logistics professionals are considering leaving the industry within the next five years, according to its Australian Fleet Safety & Compliance Benchmark.

The finding adds to concerns about staffing pressure in a sector already preparing for higher freight volumes over coming decades. Australia's freight task is projected to grow by 26% by 2050, increasing the strain on operators trying to maintain safety standards, meet compliance requirements and manage limited resources.

The figures point to a labour challenge at a time when transport and logistics businesses are under pressure to keep goods moving while adapting to a changing regulatory and operating environment. Employers across the sector have struggled with driver shortages and retention issues, and the latest benchmark suggests a large share of workers are considering leaving within a relatively short period.

For fleet operators, the risk extends beyond recruitment. A thinner workforce can disrupt scheduling, increase workloads for remaining staff and add pressure to safety and compliance processes that already require close oversight.

Workforce strain

Microlise links the workforce issue to broader operational demands and argues that technology is likely to play a larger role in helping operators manage those pressures. The company focuses on fleet management, safety and compliance systems that give transport businesses greater visibility over vehicles, drivers and day-to-day operations.

This reflects a wider shift across the industry, where digital systems are increasingly used to monitor vehicle movements, track driver performance, support maintenance planning and document compliance activity. Supporters say these tools can reduce administrative burdens and help operators respond more quickly to problems across dispersed fleets.

Charlie Brackley, Group Sales Director at Microlise, commented on the sector's position.

"The transport and logistics industry is facing a period of significant change, with growing freight volumes putting further pressure on an already stretched workforce," Brackley said.

He also pointed to a broader debate about the role of digital systems in the industry.

"The conversation now needs to move beyond simply keeping pace with demand. We need to look at how technology can help operators improve safety, simplify compliance and create more efficient and sustainable operations. MegaTrans provides an important platform for those conversations and for bringing together the people, ideas and technologies that will shape the next chapter of our industry," he said.

Operational pressure

The benchmark suggests the workforce challenge is becoming harder to separate from the sector's broader productivity pressures. As freight volumes rise, operators are expected to do more with finite labour, tighter margins and growing scrutiny of safety outcomes.

In practice, transport businesses are looking for ways to reduce avoidable delays, cut paperwork and improve the consistency of day-to-day decision-making. Technology vendors increasingly present software and connected vehicle systems as one response, particularly in fleets where manual processes still dominate parts of compliance and reporting.

Microlise says its systems are designed to help operators improve visibility, safety, compliance and operational efficiency. It argues that connected data can give managers a clearer picture of what is happening across their fleets and help them identify risks earlier.

That emphasis on visibility reflects a longstanding challenge in the sector: many transport businesses oversee large numbers of vehicles and drivers across long distances, often with limited real-time information. In that setting, reporting delays or gaps in oversight can affect customer service, regulatory performance and cost control.

Industry response

The benchmark figures are likely to add to industry discussion about how to make transport roles more sustainable and attractive. Retention has become a strategic concern as businesses weigh the cost of replacing experienced staff against the operational disruption caused by higher turnover.

While technology is often presented as part of the answer, industry groups and operators have also pointed to workload, working conditions and compliance complexity as factors that shape whether employees stay in the sector. The 44% figure suggests those pressures are widespread enough to affect medium-term workforce stability.

For transport businesses, the challenge is not only filling vacancies but retaining experienced people in roles that are central to safe and reliable freight movement. With freight demand expected to keep rising, the workforce issue is likely to remain closely tied to safety, compliance and operational resilience.