Canadian trucking industry grapples with driver shortage: ‘This is a national problem’ | The Canadian News

It’s a supply chain issue that will affect all Canadians as the trucking industry faces a major shortage of truck drivers across the country.

“This is a national problem and it is potentially turning into a national crisis,” explains Stephen Laskowski, president of the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

Approximately 18,000 truck driver jobs will need to be filled in Canada by March 2022, according to the latest report and statistics compiled by Trucking HR Canada. However, that number is expected to rise to 55,000 by 2023, added Laskowski, who says the federal government must do more to attract new talent to an industry that is Canada’s oldest workforce.

“The trucking industry has very limited access to training dollars and that is our message to Ottawa, let’s work together to gain more access for young Canadians or Canadians who want to enter the trucking industry to help them pay their licenses, ”adds Laskowski.

The license can cost more than $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 depending on where you live.

“Let’s finish the other part of the equation and, like other parts of the economy, allow access to training dollars for people who want to become truck drivers,” Laskowski pleaded.

The ongoing pandemic has exasperated retirement and voluntary turnover within the industry, which, along with the desire for a good work-life balance, is causing shortages. And the applications that employers receive lack the required levels of training and experience to be able to start working immediately.

A decrease in drivers could lead to a disruption in the country’s supply chain, meaning it will be felt everywhere from gas pumps to supermarkets to department stores.

“If there aren’t enough trucks to deliver the products people want to buy, you’ll find empty shelves and you’ll find out-of-stock items,” says David Soberman, professor of marketing at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto and the Canadian National Chair in Strategic Marketing.

“In order for us to keep our supply chains in balance, the number of truck drivers who are working will need to increase by more than 10 percent over the next few years,” Rotman explains.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance is preparing to implement a three-year recruitment plan and social media campaign to promote the industry and highlight opportunities within it.

“We are no longer the invisible force on the roads, people know who we are and how important it is,” Laskowski added.

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