Why the Dutch transport and logistics sector must act now on AI and microlearning

Blog | Insights

October 23, 2025

Microlearning
frontline workers

In transport and logistics, everything revolves around safety, timing, and efficiency. But what happens when crucial information doesn’t reach your drivers or warehouse staff? Mistakes, delays, or even dangerous situations occur. And in the Netherlands, the stakes are high. The sector employs nearly 400,000 people (UWV/CBS, 2023) and generates more than €66 billion in annual revenue. In Q4 2024 alone, revenue grew by 4.2% compared to the year before (CBS). Yet the driver shortage is spiraling out of control: according to TLN and IRU, there were already 6,800 open driver vacancies in early 2025 (NT.nl). And this is not new—Truckstar reported nearly 10,000 open positions back in 2021 (Truckstar). At the same time, compliance demands are increasing, warehouses and fleet management are rapidly digitalizing, margins are under severe pressure, and one in three new employees leaves within 90 days. That’s why action right now is essential. Companies that wait are already running into problems on three fronts:

• Staff shortage and turnover – vacancies stay open, new hires leave quickly. • Regulation and audits – stricter controls demand demonstrably well-trained teams. • Efficiency and safety – errors and incidents immediately cost money and client trust.

Still, many organizations haven’t translated this urgency into the way they train. In practice, drivers miss critical safety updates, warehouse employees hear about new rules weeks later, and new hires take far too long to become productive. These are not exceptions—they are recurring patterns that make operations unnecessarily vulnerable. So the real question is: how do you ensure that crucial knowledge and skills actually reach drivers on the road and warehouse staff who rarely use a computer—and that new employees are onboarded and continuously trained from day one?

Why your drivers don’t read your emails

Many companies recognize the need to train their workforce better, yet the approach remains traditional. New employees start their first day overloaded with information, and existing teams receive updates through channels they hardly use. Sounds familiar? You might recognize this scenario: • A pile of documents and hours of introductions on day one. • Updates sent by email—while drivers never even open their laptops on the road. • Everything offered at once, so knowledge quickly fades away. And let’s not forget: many messages simply don’t land because some employees don’t speak the language (coming from Spain, Poland, or Romania). In such an international industry, multilingual communication is crucial—without translation, valuable information gets lost. The good news? All these challenges can be solved.

Learning in five minutes, not five hours

The solution isn’t more training—it’s training that fits the real world. That’s where microlearning comes in: short, bite-sized modules that fit easily into a busy workday. Imagine this: • A driver watches a 3-minute video about defensive driving during a break. • A warehouse worker takes a quick forklift safety quiz before a shift. • A new employee receives a pre-start checklist for loading and unloading. It works because frontline employees rarely have time for long sessions, but they do need immediately applicable knowledge. For these groups, short, repeatable learning moments are proven to stick far better than manuals or classroom training. Research shows that microlearning improves knowledge retention by 25–60% compared to traditional learning methods (eLearningIndustry, 2023). For Dutch logistics companies, that means fewer mistakes, greater safety, and faster onboarding.

From PowerPoint to microlearning in one click

Content creation is often the biggest hurdle. Most companies have piles of manuals, PDFs, and PowerPoints, but lack the time and people to turn them into engaging courses. As a result, valuable knowledge literally gathers dust. AI is changing that. With tools like the AI Course Generator, you can transform existing materials into complete online trainings in minutes—structured, interactive, and ready to use.

The power lies in combining speed and quality: • Summarizes into short modules – long texts are automatically distilled into 3–7-minute microlearning nuggets. • Automatic translation – instantly available in multiple languages for international teams. • Generates quizzes and scenarios – interactive checks ensure comprehension. • Keeps regulations up to date – when a safety rule or ADR guideline changes, the system updates the training automatically. For international logistics teams, this makes a huge difference. Where Polish drivers, Dutch planners, and Romanian warehouse workers once needed separate translations, they now get the same consistent training, tailored to their role and language. This boosts not only learning quality but also consistency across the organization. In the Netherlands, the need for digital upskilling is rising fast: over half of all employees say they need more training in digital tools and technology (CBS/TNO, 2023). That proves AI-powered learning isn’t futuristic—it’s a current necessity.

Faster onboarding, fewer mistakes

Take a Dutch logistics provider with multiple distribution centers. Previously, new drivers received half a day of classroom training and a binder of safety rules. Yet mistakes and delays persisted, leading to extra costs and fines. After switching to mobile microlearning via an LMS: • New employees start training before their first workday on their smartphones. • Drivers receive push notifications for required safety updates. • Managers can instantly see who completed each module. Results after six months: • 30% faster onboarding. • Noticeable drop in safety incidents. • Lower turnover within the first 90 days.

Learning becomes measurable

Here’s what makes this even more powerful: with an LMS, you don’t just train—you measure. • How quickly do new hires become productive? • Which safety modules are completed? • Have incidents decreased since training updates? • Do employees stay longer because they feel better supported? This data turns learning into a strategic management tool—no longer a cost center, but a measurable driver of efficiency, safety, and retention.

Engine of success

In transport and logistics, every minute counts—and every mistake costs money or safety. That’s why knowledge shouldn’t get stuck in a mailbox or dashboard binder, but reach the people who need it most. Microlearning and AI make that possible. Short, visual, multilingual modules reach employees exactly when they need them. An LMS ensures all of this happens centrally, securely, and at scale—and gives managers clear insights into results. With Fellow LMS, learning becomes a natural part of the workday—not an extra task. It brings drivers, warehouse teams, and planners closer together, increases safety, and accelerates onboarding. We’d love to show you how this works for your organization in a personal demo.