Truck license in Spain: delays, causes and consequences

The main reason cited by professional associations and driving schools is the lack of available examiners in some provincial DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic) offices.

Professional licenses, such as the C or C+E licenses, require specific practical exams that need qualified personnel and a more complex organization than other driving licenses. When student demand increases or there are staff resignations and retirements among examiners, waiting times can grow rapidly.

Furthermore, the situation is not uniform throughout Spain. There are provinces where waiting times are relatively normal and others where waiting lists lengthen considerably at certain times of the year.

The delays particularly affect professional licenses:

• License C: for driving trucks.
• License C+E: required for articulated vehicles and trailers.
• License D: for transporting passengers by bus.

These licenses require more specialized training and fewer daily exam slots.

In many cases, driving schools must continually reorganize practice sessions and exam dates according to the availability of exams assigned by the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic).

Waiting times vary depending on the province and the time of year.

In some areas, students can take their exams in a few weeks, while in others, accumulated delays can last for several months. Transport associations and driving schools have occasionally reported particularly long waits in provinces with high demand or lower examiner availability.

There is no single figure valid for all of Spain because the system operates provincially and the workload changes constantly.

Delays in practical exams have several consequences for those who want to enter the professional transport sector.

Increased training costs

When a student takes too long to take their exam, they usually need more practical lessons to maintain their driving level and be prepared for the test. This increases the total cost of obtaining a license.

In addition, long waits can force a reorganization of work schedules, CAP courses, and other procedures related to entering the profession.

Delays in starting employment

Many transport companies are constantly looking for drivers. However, applicants cannot start working until they have completed all the legal requirements:

• Relevant license.
• CAP certificate.
• Passed practical exam.

Therefore, administrative delays directly affect access to employment.

The exam problem also occurs within a context of a shortage of professional drivers.

Several organizations in the sector have been warning for years about difficulties in finding drivers, especially for long-distance routes or international transport.

Among the most common causes cited by the sector are:

• Aging of the current workforce.
• Limited generational replacement.
• High cost of training.
• Demanding working conditions.
• Long periods away from home.

The lack of new drivers does not depend solely on the DGT exams, but delays can further hinder the recruitment of professionals.

Examiners' associations have also stated on several occasions that there is a high workload in certain provincial offices.

Among the most frequently mentioned problems are:

• Limited staffing.
• Backlog of exam dates.
• Insufficient coverage of vacancies.
• Increased demand for exams.

Driving schools, for their part, report difficulties in organizing training when exam dates are delayed too long or changed with little notice.

The DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic) has implemented several measures in different stages to try to reduce delays:

• Hiring new examiners.
• Specific training courses.
• Temporary reinforcements between provinces.
• Extraordinary exam sessions.

However, industry associations believe that these solutions have not yet been sufficient to fully stabilize the system in all provinces.

Becoming a professional driver currently requires a considerable investment of time and money.

In addition to a driver's license, many applicants must obtain:

• Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).
• Digital tachograph.
• Specific training depending on the type of transport.

Therefore, delays in practical exams are causing concern both among students and companies that need to hire staff.

One of the most important aspects to understand this problem is that not all areas of Spain present the same situation.

While some provincial offices maintain relatively reasonable waiting times, others face greater difficulties due to:

• Higher volume of students.
• Fewer examiners.
• Increased logistical activity.
• Unfilled vacancies.

This explains why students' experiences can be very different depending on where they undertake their training.

Road freight transport remains an essential sector for the Spanish economy. Product distribution, logistics, and supply depend heavily on thousands of professional drivers.

Therefore, both companies in the sector and driving schools consider it important to streamline access to the profession without reducing standards or road safety.

Maintaining an efficient examination system is key to facilitating the entry of new drivers and ensuring the smooth operation of road transport.