Trucking HR Canada’s Top Fleet Employers program is not a competition – it’s a way to recognize companies that showcase this industry as a great place to work, attract a new generation of employees, and set standards that we all can learn from as we promote the positives of working in trucking and logistics.

High human resources (HR) standards are vital to the industry’s ability to compete for talented and skilled workers. The stakes are rising, considering the changing demographics of the workforce.

According to our Labour Market Information research:

• Only 9.5% of truck drivers in Canada are younger than 30 years old, compared to 24% of the entire Canadian labor force.

• Only 28% of truck drivers are younger than 40, compared to 45% of the entire Canadian labor force.

• 32% of truck drivers are 55 or older. Only 21% of the entire Canadian labor force is that age.

• Nearly 7% of truck drivers are 65 or older. Only 4% of all Canadians are still working after retirement age.

Our Top Fleet Employers are showing leadership in bucking these trends. They do this by including human resources in their strategic business plans. They embrace a training culture and commit to diversity and workplace inclusion. And they communicate effectively with staff, leading to engaged, productive employees.

Compare how our Top Fleet Employers stack up against the industry and Canada’s labor market as whole:

• Of our Top Fleets, 35% have 4% or more female drivers, and 25% have 25% or more females in leadership.

• These fleets are able to attract younger workers: 25% have 20% or more drivers who are 35 and younger, and 56% have 20% or more workers in this age group in non-driving positions. These percentages are above the national average as cited in our recent Labour Market Information.

• Our Top Fleets recognize the importance of on-boarding: 92% have a comprehensive formal orientation process, which leads to higher retention, particularly among drivers.

While many of our Top Fleet Employers go above and beyond industry compensation benchmarks, it is clear that their employees also value the culture around them. Our surveys consistently have comments from employees saying how much they value feeling like “family,” how much they appreciate being listened to, and how much they actually enjoy coming to work every day.

Our Top Fleet Employers also take care of their wider communities by supporting charitable causes. Nearly 92% of these companies are actively involved in community and charitable initiatives that reach well beyond their payrolls and purchasing practices.

We know that charitable endeavors like these are valued by younger workers in the labor pool. Our own millennial research shows that young people want to work for organizations that help them make an impact, and make them feel they are a part of something bigger.

Collectively, it is these approaches and commitments that help to raise the profile of the trucking industry as a great place to work.

And based on the numbers, this matters more than ever.