Workforce shortages are the biggest crisis facing the logistics industry today, according to Tech.co’s latest survey: They’re the single biggest pain point for nearly a quarter (24%) of logistics businesses.
However, concern over staff retention and recruitment remains low, the same survey found, with the issue ranking in fourth place overall with industry professionals. Vehicle maintenance, finances, and adapting to new technology were all bigger areas of immediate focus.
What explains this troubling prioritization gap? And should logistics managers re-evaluate their efforts to attract and retain employees?
Retention and Recruitment Is a Fourth-Place Priority
In July 2025, 24% of logistics pros said that the issue “hitting [their] business hardest right now” was workforce shortages, which was a higher percentage than any other issue.
In somewhat of a contrast, actually addressing these shortages was the fourth priority. Here are the top four concerns for logistics professionals in July 2025, taken from the most recent Tech.co survey data recorded in response to the question “which priority are you focusing on most this quarter?”
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With 20% of respondents, the top answer was vehicle upkeep. That makes sense: Maintaining a functional fleet of vehicles is a crucial part of the job for many transportation or logistics operations, and it requires constant work. If vehicles aren’t out on the roads, all operations will grind to a halt.
The second most-cited top priority was managing financial pressure, with 17% of respondents naming it. The logistics business is weathering a tough year in 2025, in large part due to rapidly changing tariffs, which make it tough to predict revenues and work hours.
The third most common priority was adopting new technology (16%), which might mean anything from the popular choice, fleet management software, to more rare, cutting-edge options like self-driving vehicles.
Fourth place? “Staffing retention and recruitment,” with just 14% of respondents focused on it as of July 2025, despite the aforementioned workforce shortages.
Caught in a Reactive Cycle?
The data paints a picture of a logistics industry that’s focused on reacting to short-term challenges.
New financial constraints, like diesel price surges or fluctuating shipping volumes, are pairing with regular vehicle maintenance needs to keep managers’ schedules full… even as workplace shortages continue to loom.
The solution may be to invest time and resources into proactive, long-term strategies that can successfully lure in new drivers and workers, while offering them the benefits and safety they need to justify sticking around for a long time. However, this is easier said than done.
How Companies Are Recruiting Drivers in 2025
Many logistics companies have established mentoring or training programs for new drivers. In many cases, they offer cash incentives to well-established drivers who choose to help newbies learn the ropes.
We’ve covered a few examples of these programs in the past: Kruepke Trucking offers a three-phase mentor program to anyone who can earn a training certificate first, while PAM Transport says that mentors could earn up as much as an additional $25,000 per year through their program.
Virtual truck driving simulators are another innovative way to help new recruits get up to speed: Ansible Motion offers simulators that even include hardware designed to put test drivers in a road-accurate driving position, with all the elements — “steering, dash, pedals, and mirrors” — placed in the locations that a real vehicle would have them.
Ultimately, though, the list of concerns that are keeping workers from staying in logistics is pretty clear: 39% say it comes down to low pay and few benefits, while another 38% cite the long hours they work.
Without difficult, industry-wide change, the shortages will likely continue.
