A busy Warrnambool business is struggling to attract staff.
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Allen's Freight is looking for two heavy combination truck drivers, two pick up and delivery drivers and two or three night shift staff to sort packages.
Logistics manager Noelene Smith said the company had been looking for truck drivers for about 12 months.
"At the moment it's having a pretty big impact on the business," Ms Smith said.
"We're having to hire labour staff at a higher cost and our operations manager, who should be in the office overseeing everything, is in a truck all day."
Ms Smith said a recent job ad on Seek was viewed 75 times, but the company didn't receive one application.
She said she believed there were a number of factors that were contributing to the skills shortages.
Ms Smith said the cost to obtain a truck licence was prohibitive to some people and the job was rarely promoted in schools as a career path.
"Housing is a big issue," Ms Smith said.
"If we have someone wanting to come to Warrnambool for a sea change, there's nowhere for them to live.
"Even if they can find somewhere the cost of rentals is so high."
Ms Smith spoke about the issue at a forum held by Member for Wannon Dan Tehan earlier this year.
She said a truck licence could cost close to $2000 and often staff needed to take the test outside of Warrnambool.
"We've got a staff of over 100 people and I would suggest probably half of our staff only have car licences," she said.
"So if we've got guys that are filling in on runs because somebody's off sick for the day - the run would usually be in a medium rigid vehicle.
"However, that person can't drive that truck so we will park our truck for the day and have to go and get a hire truck to put someone into that because people aren't easily able to upskill."
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