Trucking employed more than 790,000 people in 2024: THRC
Canada’s trucking and logistics sector reached a record-high workforce of over 790,000 employees in 2024, but labor challenges persist, according to Trucking HR Canada (THRC) chief economist Barbara Kirby.
Speaking during a workforce update webinar, Kirby highlighted that while the industry saw a surge in vacancies in late 2021 and early 2022 — peaking at more than 28,000 unfilled truck driver positions — the overheated hiring market has since cooled. By Q3 2024, driver vacancies had dropped to just over 13,000, below the 10-year average of 17,160.
“According to the most recent Statistics Canada data, the trucking industry’s vacancy rate is the third highest in the economy, at 4.3%,” Kirby said. “That rate is only exceeded by health and social services at 4.8% and accommodation and food services at 4.6%. By comparison, the job vacancy rate across the Canadian economy sits at 3.2%.”
THRC forecasted in its 2024-2030 labor market outlook report that without targeted recruitment and retention initiatives, the industry could see up to 40,400 vacant positions by 2030.
“Even if all available job seekers were readily employable, the trucking and logistics industry would still need to recruit, train and retain an additional 10,000 brand new workers each year to meet their hiring requirements,” Kirby said. “But the good news is that implementing targeted HR programs can help to address these shortages.”
She said that boosting attraction and retention by just 15% could help close the supply-demand gap as early as 2027, making it easier for fleets to find skilled workers.
Kirby also underscored trucking’s critical role in Canada’s economy. “Trucks carry about 70% of the value of Canadian-U.S. cross-border trade. In 2023, Canadian goods bound for the U.S. were valued at about $480 billion,” she said, adding that trucking also moved nearly 80% of all domestic goods.
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What % of the current vacancies are due to the freight downturn/Bankruptcies, and unsustainable freight rates for smaller companies and Driver INC’s.
Although out of the market now, they will still survey as available and sitting on the sideline to come in as soon as the rates come back up.
I agree that we need to train and recruit new people to the transportation industry. But at the moment we have over 20 000 drivers and support people that have left in the past 26 months and with current recesión coming because of trade discussions we still have over 10 000 surplus truck drivers and office people. I think mechanics are in very short supply and the gov and the industry needs a joint ventures to get us another 5000 mechanics per year for the next 3 years. I also think that the gov and the industry need to set min standards for pay and treatment of truck and Uber drivers. I also think in Ont more needs to be done to reduce driver turnover and to bring back drivers that get injured and reduce driver inc to only those that a truck in their name or a 8 month contract from April to Nov and can show they supplemental medical coverage that covers all sickness and injury. The industry needs to come up with a way to pay for training 15000 new truck drivers and 5000 new mechanic per year in my opinion and set a plan in place to find housing for all foreign workers in the transport industry including those at major airports