Truck driver shortage adds uncertainty to Canadian supply chains affected by COVID-19, rail blockades

Mar 11, 2020 at 07:30 AM CST
The trucking industry, a key link in Canada’s supply chain, is facing a driver shortage that could exacerbate disruptions to supply chains caused by recent rail blockades and the COVID-19 outbreak. Approximately 300,000 truck drivers in Canada move an estimated $850-billion worth of goods annually, including $550 billion in imports and $300 billion in exports, according to research released Wednesday by Trucking HR Canada and the Conference Board of Canada. For comparison, Canada’s largest railway Canadian National Railway transports about $250-billion worth of goods annually. But the job vacancy rate in the trucking and logistics sector is higher than in any Canadian industry aside from crop production as older drivers retire and the industry struggles to attract young people and women to replace them.

Mar 11, 2020 at 07:30 AM CST

The trucking industry, a key link in Canada’s supply chain, is facing a driver shortage that could exacerbate disruptions to supply chains caused by recent rail blockades and the COVID-19 outbreak.

Approximately 300,000 truck drivers in Canada move an estimated $850-billion worth of goods annually, including $550 billion in imports and $300 billion in exports, according to research released Wednesday by Trucking HR Canada and the Conference Board of Canada. For comparison, Canada’s largest railway Canadian National Railway transports about $250-billion worth of goods annually.

But the job vacancy rate in the trucking and logistics sector is higher than in any Canadian industry aside from crop production as older drivers retire and the industry struggles to attract young people and women to replace them.