Steering the shift: how Sweden’s transport workers view the road to a fossil-free future

Ensuring a just transition requires supporting workers at every stage. This involves creating new job opportunities, providing social protection, promoting skills development and including them in planning initiatives. The JUSTIT project aims to understand the experiences of transport workers to facilitate a fair and equitable transition in Swedish transport, letting them steer our research by defining and discussing their key concerns. Our upcoming research findings, based on interviews with truck, delivery, and taxi drivers, will offer insights into these perspectives.

Despite their uncertainties, transport workers are not opposed to decarbonizing the sector’s transition goal. However, many drivers also expressed concerns over the reliance on electric vehicle (EV) batteries as the primary transitional technology for transport, not least because of the environmental implications linked to battery manufacturing, disposal and the electricity powering these vehicles.

Still, drivers appreciate the potential benefits that electrification, automation and digitalization could bring to their work, including increased competitiveness, improved health, enhanced safety and superior efficiency due to optimized route planning and trip organization.

In technology we trust?

Uncertainties loom around the technology required for a fossil-free transport sector. Drivers have raised concerns about the lack of accessible information on the technical and safety aspects of batteries, particularly regarding battery fire prevention and containment. The lack of state guidelines on safe charging and handling of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) contributes to mistrust in the transition process and those leading it:

Infrastructure presents another layer of uncertainty. Drivers are unsure about the reliability of charging infrastructure and the availability of sufficient charging options in remote areas. In these locations, a depleted battery could have severe consequences, potentially disabling essential vehicle systems and leaving drivers stranded, in what could be extreme weather conditions similar to those seen in northern Sweden.

Driving change

The emphasis on technology as the primary driver of the transition may overlook its human dimension. Drivers fear their basic needs, such as rest and meal breaks, may be overlooked due to EVs’ charging requirements. Charging locations could become crowded, making it hard to find suitable rest areas. Charging breaks may also result in longer working hours, raising concerns about job security and income loss, especially for those on commission. The prospect of autonomous vehicles intensifies these job stability concerns.

The identity and job satisfaction of transport workers could be jeopardized by automation and digitalization. Many transport professionals are drawn to the sector due to their affinity for technology, the freedom to plan their workday, and of course, their love for driving. These aspects are potentially at risk with automation and digitalization.

An electrified fleet might result in most technical maintenance being outsourced to vehicle manufacturers, leaving questions about the extent of technical knowledge drivers would need to acquire about electric vehicle maintenance.

Routes planned by algorithms might detract from drivers’ sense of job autonomy. There are also uncertainties about who would bear responsibility for delays or disruptions due to system malfunctions or lack of contextual knowledge in route planning.

Drivers also express concerns that relying on digital systems for the actual driving might lead to under-stimulation and distraction, increasing the risk of accidents:

Furthermore, being a driver involves more than just operating a vehicle. Drivers value the social interaction and assistance they provide to customers – such as aiding the elderly or people with disabilities – which may be curtailed with automation and digitalization.

Prioritizing worker interests

Sweden’s transition to a fossil-free transport sector holds the promise of a sustainable future, but transport workers find it challenging to envision this future given the many unknowns they face. Addressing these concerns and uncertainties is vital to ensure a just and equitable transition.

There is a clear need for easily accessible information, effective communication from transition leaders, robust transitional assistance policies and training programs to enhance relevant skills. Clear responsibilities for investing in and providing such training are also necessary.

Most importantly, transport workers and their unions need to be part of decision-making. In collaboration with the Swedish Transport Workers’ Union and Lund University, we will be exploring the role of transport unions in shaping green transition policies. Our goal is to propose recommendations on how to effectively incorporate the workers’ vision for a fossil-free transport sector.