CASTLEGAR, B.C. — There’s no shortage of controversy about whether or not a shortage of drivers exists in Canada. It’s certainly perceived, but opinions on the severity and the solution vary widely.

On one hand, carriers are so concerned that they’re applying for and receiving government approval to conduct foreign hiring. On the other hand, ‘anti-truck’ groups such as Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT) and Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) are doing their damnedest to get more trucks off the road, while pushing for stricter logbook regulations — which could conceivably increase the number of trucks on the road dramatically.

Then there are driving schools like MTIEAC (Manitoba Trucking Industry Education Advisory Committee) in Manitoba, and the Mountain Training Institute in B.C., pushing for changes to the way professional driver training is funded in Canada so more people who would like to become truck drivers have the opportunity to attend quality schools.

As if the issue isn’t confusing enough, last March the Canadian Trucking Human Resource Council (CTHRC) issued a less than conclusive report called Profile of Driver Shortage, Driver Turnover, and Demand Estimates. It found that we’ll need an average of 37,300 new drivers per year from 2002 through 2005.

It also found that Canada currently produces about 40,000 drivers per year — exceeding demand by almost 3000 drivers. It goes on to say that not all these new drivers will actually enter the trucking industry, and there are currently no estimates available regarding the number that won’t. If it’s a significant percentage, then there will indeed be a shortfall in new driver intake. As it is, supply and demand seem to be in balance.

Its conclusion, then? “The key issue is the shortage of qualified drivers.”

Andy Roberts, owner of Mountain Training Institute in Castlegar, B.C., believes there is a segment of our population that would likely be interested in a trucking career but they’re unable to access funds to take the courses (which can range from $7000 – $10,000 for the CTHRC’s Earning Your Wheels curriculum). Roberts would like to see a restructuring of the way student loans and grants are distributed, allowing those with the drive to go trucking to do so.

“We’ve got to make sure everybody in Canada that wants to, gets a shot at it,” he says. “Then, if we still have a shortage, by all means hire foreign drivers.”

Ironically, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) still funds non-certified driver training courses while the insurance industry is on the sidelines insisting it will only recognize “accredited training programs.” In the middle, schools like Roberts’ (an accredited CTHRC Earning Your Wheels course provider) have difficulty attracting students because of the high cost of the program and the difficulty in obtaining assistance with tuition.

Schools such as Manitoba’s MTIEAC have found one solution they say works fairly well. They combine government funding with industry sponsorship to train drivers to CTHRC standards, and then provide six weeks of on the job training with a sponsor.

Needless to say, these schools take a dim view of foreign hiring.

Still, many carriers are having difficulty filling positions with qualified drivers, particularly in the flatbed sector, given the extra training required for load securement and overweight and over-dimensional loads. Many claim that immigration is at least a partial solution.

Winnipeg-based Kleysen Transport recently brought 10 drivers to Canada from Britain and Germany — a process that took over a year — to fill their need for experienced flatdeck drivers. And after an orientation period, the foreign hires have blended in perfectly at Kleysen, with no backlash at all from the domestic drivers.

Pat Prouse, director of human resources and driver services at Kleysen, has called the effort a twofold success. “One, we’ve been able to bring in fully trained deck drivers, which is hard to do; and two, they’ve brought experience from Europe that has taught and enriched us.”

He didn’t elaborate on this point, but he said in terms of border crossing and national security training he has one driver who’s flattened the highway from England to China.