ECTA Drivers APP – Status update
In 2023, the ECTA Driver Shortage Workgroup continued its efforts to take action in improving the Driver Shortage situation in the chemical logistics industry.
After the publication of position papers in 2022, ECTA decided for a hands-on strategy and created the ECTA DRIVERS APP. After an extensive test phase to make sure the tool is working properly, ECTA opened the APP to all ECTA Full Members in September 2023.
how does the app work
The ECTA DRIVERS APP allows truck drivers of the chemical logistics industry to anonymously rate their daily experiences at loading, unloading sites and terminals across Europe.
Using one to five star-ratings (one is the worst and five is the best), drivers can reflect the site´s safety, driver facilities, driver treatment and waiting times. Moreover, the drivers can fill in further details about the products they (un)loaded and let ECTA know about further experiences via an open text field.
All locations currently used in the ECTA DRIVERS APP were provided by ECTA Members and chemical truck drivers and were validated by the ECTA Team.
what to expect from the reporting
By submitting ratings, drivers get a voice and an opportunity to speak about their daily experiences and struggles at loading and unloading sites. Over time, the ratings paint a clear picture if locations do improve their operations or not.
For Q3 2024, ECTA plans to publish gathered data of the ECTA DRIVERS APP via its official channels and to award good-performing locations with an ECTA Certificate. Furthermore, the worst rated locations will get contacted by ECTA to inform the responsible persons about the experiences of drivers at their site(s) and to motivate those locations to improve their processes.
With the above actions, ECTA wants to show all registered drivers that their ratings matter and that they are followed up to improve their daily personal experiences.
After 30 submitted ratings per location, an average rating result for this location will be shown in the ECTA Drivers APP.
current figures
Today, the APP is used by more than a third of ECTA Members who invited over 1000 (sub)contacted drivers to rate almost 1000 (un)loading locations and terminals across Europe.
These numbers are constantly increasing.
how to contribute
We warmly invite everyone to contribute to the ECTA Drivers APP with the goal of improving the Driver Shortage in Europe!
Options for contribution to the ECTA Drivers APP are depending on your activity.
- You are an ECTA Full Member? Reach out to us with your interest to join the APP!
- You are a Driver? Reach out to your company/companies that are ECTA Full Member with your interest of joining.
- You are a chemical (un)loading site or terminal? Reach out to us with your interest to provide your locations´ data and receive publication material for your registration desks!
- You are not an ECTA Full Member but want to see specific (un)loading locations in the ECTA Drivers APP? Reach out to us with your interest to provide your locations´data!
WHat is coming next?
ECTA does not want to stop improving this important tool and tries to work with submitted feedback by our ECTA Members and all registered drivers.
Therefore, a Native APP will come soon, which can be used either next to the current web-based APP or downloaded to all devices. API connections with company devices will be able too with the Native APP.
Moreover, we want to highlight the diversity of the chemical logistics and want to help to open the profession also to more female drivers. Soon, there will be an additional rating checkbox to validate the location´s facilities: “IS THIS LOCATION LADY FRIENDLY?”.