Road freight costs are becoming an increasingly serious concern for Vietnamese import-export businesses. The container trucking market is currently facing a striking paradox: container driver wages have nearly doubled compared to last year, reaching roughly VND 30-50 million per month, yet many transport companies still cannot recruit enough drivers. A growing number of firms are being forced to shrink their fleets due to a shortage of qualified drivers, placing direct pressure on road freight costs across the entire supply chain.
Why Are Road Freight Costs Being Pushed Higher?
Three main factors are making the container driver profession increasingly unattractive, which in turn drives up road freight costs. First, mounting legal pressure from increasingly strict traffic violation penalties makes many drivers risk-averse — a single infraction can wipe out an entire month’s income. Second, the pool of experienced drivers is aging while younger workers show little interest in the job, given its demanding nature of long stretches away from home and tight delivery deadlines. Third, the training and licensing process for Class FC licenses (container-qualified) remains cumbersome, bottlenecking the supply of new drivers.
Impact on Corporate Logistics Costs
As transport labor costs rise, businesses’ overall logistics costs climb along with them — logistics costs in Vietnam already account for a significant share of product costs, well above the regional average. For import-export businesses, this means inland transport legs — from warehouse to port, from port to factory — need much tighter planning to avoid disruptions to delivery schedules.
According to Wikipedia’s entry on containerization, the containerized shipping model revolutionized global trade by cutting handling costs and speeding up cargo turnover. However, this efficiency depends heavily on the workforce operating behind the scenes — particularly container drivers, the link currently under the most pressure.
What Should Businesses Do to Control Road Freight Costs?
- Plan shipments early, avoiding a pile-up of cargo during peak periods when driver availability is scarcest.
- Diversify transport modes, combining road with sea/rail for suitable legs to reduce reliance on any single link.
- Work with a logistics partner that has a stable network of transport partners, rather than operating an in-house fleet alone, to reduce disruption risk when the labor market fluctuates.
- Closely track seasonal road freight cost fluctuations to proactively negotiate rates and delivery times with partners.
This is also why Road Freight services and multimodal transport solutions are increasingly favored by import-export businesses, rather than relying on a single mode of transport alone. Investing methodically in a specialized truck fleet is also a key factor helping transport partners keep road freight costs stable for customers.
With a wide network of transport partners, Connect Global helps customers stay in control of costs and schedules, even as the transport labor market fluctuates. Contact our consulting team for the optimal road freight cost plan for your specific shipment.
What International Shippers Should Know About Road Freight Costs in Vietnam
Foreign buyers sourcing from Vietnam often assume road freight costs are a fixed, minor line item compared to ocean freight, but the driver shortage means these costs can shift quickly between quotes, especially during peak shipping seasons. Locking in rates through a partner with a stable driver network helps avoid last-minute surcharges tied to short-term capacity shortages.
When comparing logistics providers, international shippers should ask how a company sources drivers — through in-house fleets, subcontracted partners, or a mix of both — since this affects both reliability and how these costs behave when the labor market tightens further.
Frequently Asked Questions About Road Freight Costs
Why have container driver wages doubled in Vietnam? A shortage of qualified drivers, driven by stricter licensing requirements and an aging workforce, has pushed wages up even as demand for road freight keeps growing.
Will road freight costs keep rising? Costs are likely to stay volatile until the driver shortage eases, making it important for shippers to work with partners who can diversify transport modes and manage capacity proactively.
How does Connect Global help manage road freight costs? Connect Global works through a wide network of transport partners and multimodal solutions to help customers control costs and schedules even as the labor market fluctuates.
