Up to 4,000 heavy goods vehicle drivers are needed to deal with massive demand for goods in Ireland, according to the Irish Road Haulage Association.
The group says the shortage of lorry drivers could cause a major risk to the supply of goods in the country.
Hauliers are already under pressure as the economy reopens and demand for goods increases.
Eugene Drennan, president of the IRHA, says the education system is leading young people away from the profession:
"Heretofore for many years, is on the points system. It has filtered the type of young chap that might come to us through to third level, or he goes off and travels then. And in fairness, all the colleges and schools have gone for the points system and trying to promote people. There are a group of people who would normally like the challenge of truck driving, and they haven't filtered through because the focus wasn't on them and so that is part of the reason as well."
