Government of Canada to provide $2.8 million in funding to Trucking HR Canada

by Truck News

GATINEAU, Que. — Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, has announced funding of $2.8 million to Trucking HR Canada today. 

The funding is through the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program (SIP), to develop the sectoral labor market information needed to shape the industry for the future. The project supports the SIP’s goal to address current and future skills shortages by supporting the development and distribution of sector-specific labor market information. The project will develop bilingual innovative tools to help employers to recruit and retain employees from untapped labor pools, such as women, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, visible minorities, veterans/transitioning military personnel and youth.

“Economies are changing around the world, and that presents opportunities that we need to seize in Canada,” Hajdu said. “Workers, employers and post-secondary education institutions need knowledge and information in order to shape the future of the trucking and logistics industry, and this project by Trucking HR Canada will help them do just that.”

For this project, Trucking HR Canada has partnered with the Canadian Trucking Alliance. The seven provincial trucking associations (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces) have also confirmed their support and commitment to the project. Engagement and consultation activities will be held across the country to ensure a national representation of the industry.

“The trucking and logistics industry is rapidly changing. A strong economic outlook, low unemployment rates, workforce shortages and technological change are all impacting fleet operations across the country. This project will enable us to better quantify labor needs to inform the development of practical tools and resources that will support employers, as well as better connect job seekers to the numerous career opportunities the industry offers,” said Angela Splinter, CEO, Trucking Human Resources Canada.

Sectoral labor market information reports will be released and made available online throughout the course of the project, which ends in summer 2021.


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  • 2.8million for an industry that keeps a whole country moving and alive. No wonder the vast majority of people don’t have any interest in this industry. This HR and DOT of Canada, I’m curious how many of the employees have any experience in trucking in the last 5 years if any at all.

  • As I read this article I have one question about the truck drivers.. Is there any provision to hire foreign national for this job and develop them for the industries requirement.

  • When electronic logs become mandatory ill be going back to construction (plumbing). I’m an oilfield trucker and frequently i have to wait 1-5hrs to load/unload (waiting time). I’ll be houred out way early in my day without getting anything done. I get paid % of the load.

    Not going to sleep in truck with my hours so restricted. Good luck finding anyone to do it.

  • Unbelievable once again my tax dollars are being spent ridiculously. And kudos to you,
    Angela Splinter, you have figured out how to manipulate government money to fund projects. Your concerns are admirable but you are sadly disillusioned with what it really is like as an over-the-road driver.

    I am a veteran of OTR driving. I am the Driver & Communications for the company that I work with.

    I am constantly on the look for great operators, not, and I quote, ” truck drivers.” Virtually any truck driving school can train a monkey to drive a truck.

    Over the past several months I have taken numerous recent graduates and drivers with a year experience, OTR, and I would not hire them. They had no clue how to drive a truck, they were not able to back up a truck, and they were a danger on the road. Yet they held themselves in the high esteem, said tongue in cheek, of being a professional driver!

    It’s Little Wonder the motoring, and General Public, look down upon truck drivers with ill repute.

    The number unqualified and untrained truck driver’s driving up and down the road is shocking.

    Here’s an interesting tidbit. In 5 years, from 1985 to 1990 I saw five major wrecks between the Alberta border and the Lower Mainland in BC. On a recent one week, on three round trips from Calgary to Vancouver, I counted six rigs in the ditch. I am scared to drive back and forth, in any vehicle, West of the Alberta/BC border through to the coast!

    When I became a long-haul truck driver I had already had three years of experience in the city…. And the company that I went to work with insisted did I ran drove with a veteran, a operator for two months before they would give me my own truck. I know of companies who are hiring people directly out of driving school, with no knowledge how to actually do the job and yet thet turning them loose with a brand new truck and trailer.

    It is amazing that there have not being more tragic accidents like the one in Humboldt Saskatchewan.

    Unfortunately the new regulations in various jurisdictions that are coming into law are merely a Band-Aid fix.

    And here’s the bottom line…. This industry does not attract the quality of people that is necessary. Why perhaps you ask, many of us work over 2800 hours a year for less than $75,000. In my last year of keep statistics, which I am a data Junkie, I was only home 65 days. And that includes vacation.

    It is little wonder that we cannot attract quality people for this career because it really is not worth the time. But in my case it is a lifestyle Choice which I absolutely embrace and enjoy immensely, the open road, as an over-the-road driver!

  • Good morning sir my name shakir khan from pakistan I’m work Saudi Arabia truck trailer driving my experience 9 years im interesd job Canada