From Chandra Mohan Sinnandavar

Commercial drivers, whether transporting goods or passengers, keep the country supplied, connected, and safe. Yet these drivers often remain out of sight and out of mind, until something goes wrong.

Despite their essential roles in both logistics and public transport, the realities of their work are frequently misunderstood. It is timely to pause, better understand and fairly acknowledge the responsibilities borne by drivers.

Commercial drivers operate under expectations that often do not match how they are treated. Traditionally, they are viewed as blue-collar workers. Yet the demands placed on them resemble those of professionals in more formalised, white-collar roles.

Cargo drivers manage long-haul routes, valuable consignments, and strict timelines. Passenger drivers shoulder the critical task of safeguarding human lives during every journey. Both groups operate expensive machinery, navigate complex networks, and interact regularly with customers and the public.

Still, many drivers:

• Earn base wages that hover near minimum levels;
• Rely heavily on mileage-based incentives, which encourage extended hours;
• Face significant health risks associated with fatigue;
• Have almost no clear path for career advancement.

As drivers age and physical stamina naturally declines, these issues become more acute. Income stagnates or drops, and the sustainability of the profession diminishes.

Refining what already exists

Malaysia already has a comprehensive regulatory framework for commercial transport. The challenge lies in ensuring consistent, cohesive, and fair enforcement.

Rather than reimagining the system entirely, meaningful improvements may come from targeted refinements where small adjustments can deliver outsized gains in safety, professionalism, and trust.

Real-world pressures

Drivers are often placed in difficult positions. When performance and earnings are tied closely to distance travelled or trip counts, there is inherent pressure to stretch working hours, often at the expense of adequate rest. Fatigue is well-documented as a major contributor to delayed reactions and judgment errors.

Drivers may also face blame for mechanical issues they neither caused nor were equipped to prevent. While driver behaviour can influence vehicle wear, the responsibility for maintenance lies elsewhere.

A small number of drivers do act recklessly. Such behaviour must be addressed firmly. But the vast majority of commercial drivers perform their duties with discipline and professionalism, despite systemic pressures.

Blanket criticism not only overlooks these efforts, it risks discouraging the next generation from entering the profession – further worsening the shortage of qualified drivers.

Commercial drivers work in the public domain. Each decision they make, whether in traffic, in rest scheduling, or in vehicle handling has potential ripple effects for public safety, company reputation, and operational continuity.

Steps to consider

Practical starting points for improving support for commercial drivers include:

• Raising awareness about the complexity of a driver’s responsibilities;
• Embedding driver management and professionalism into transport and logistics-related programmes in higher education;
• Rewarding safety-conscious behaviour, not just distance covered or trips completed;
• Creating avenues for drivers to voice concerns and ideas to regulators and employers, and recognition of drivers as essential contributors to national transport;
• Recognising commercial driving as a skilled profession and exploring a formal certification pathway to professionalise the role, enhance competency, and open doors for long-term career development.

Some of these steps would complement Malaysia’s existing robust regulatory framework, while helping to build a stronger culture of professionalism and trust. Together, these efforts can support a safer and more sustainable transport system.

Commercial drivers shoulder immense responsibility every day, often with limited recognition, until attention is drawn in the wake of an incident. Better understanding of their role, working realities, and long-term challenges can help shape safer roads, more informed management practices, and policy decisions rooted in everyday operational truth.

Timely, measured action to support this profession can deliver lasting value for the nation. Malaysia moves because its drivers do. Acknowledging their realities is a necessary step towards safer roads and a stronger transport future.

Chandra Mohan Sinnandavar is a logistics and supply chain professional and founder of a logistics consultancy firm.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.