Is there a shortage of truck drivers in Canada? This question often sparks a heated debate?and more questions.

Is the labour market so tight right now that there are too few people to drive trucks? Are employers not doing enough to make the job attractive? With all the driver training, licensing, and safety requirements, is the bar too high for anyone to qualify?

They?re good questions, but whether there is a driver shortage isn?t a matter of opinion. The data provides the answer.

Trucking HR Canada?s Labour Market Information (LMI) provides ongoing actionable intelligence pertaining to the supply and demand of labour. Our own economist conducts regular analysis of Statistics Canada data, labour force data, our own surveys, and more, ensuring an accurate assessment of our industry?s needs.

Here is what we know:

• There are nearly 20,000 vacant truck driver positions in Canada.
• 61% of employers report they can?t find all the drivers they need.
• 7.4% of all truck driver jobs are unfilled compared to 3.3% in other non-driver jobs.
• The unemployment rate among truck drivers is much lower than the rest of the workforce. (6.2% for truck drivers as compared to 9.8% for the rest of the workforce). However, if every currently unemployed truck driver were hired into a vacant position, there would still be more than 11,000 unfilled jobs.

All economic indicators show a shortage of drivers. What there is no shortage of, however, are opinions and offers of quick fixes stemming from high-level politicians (who do not necessarily understand our industry dynamics) all the way to drivers themselves.

This is an ongoing, complex issue.

Truck fleets are having to adjust to freight conditions that didn?t exist 10 or 20 years ago. With e-commerce, the number of regional and local driving jobs is exploding, creating opportunities for drivers to work closer to home. Long-haul driving jobs today have a much higher vacancy rate than short-haul?9.4% compared to 5.9%.

Regulations play a role. The required use of ELDs and speed limiters means that some fleets have to add capacity in order to cover the same number of miles and maintain their service levels.

Training is an issue. Every year, about 28,000 new (inexperienced) drivers enter the industry to replace drivers who retired or otherwise left their jobs. These new workers require entry-level and specialized training before they can even start to drive independently and be ready to take the place of those experienced drivers who are leaving. This is a challenge compounded by the ?pandemic.

Of course, there are always experienced drivers who are looking for work but can?t find a job that works for them.

So yes, there?s a shortage of drivers. And changes in the economy and freight markets haven?t made things easier with the passage of time.

We clearly need better ways of matching up job seekers, both new and experienced, with available work. Up-to-date and accurate LMI data, like the kind provided in this article, can go a long way toward creating a common understanding of the imbalances between the supply and demand for workers.

Trucking HR Canada is committed to monitoring and providing access to these important indicators as we support the development of evidence-based solutions to our industry?s challenges.

I invite you to use the resources on our site to help manage the pressure you may be feeling as you look for drivers. If you have questions, please reach out to [email protected] to learn more.

In trucking, a successful game plan for recruiting and retention includes coaching. A great coach can get the best performance out of an individual or team by providing just the right mix of guidance, instruction, and support.

Many of our Top Fleet Employers have seen the benefits of coaching programs first-hand, including higher employee retention, better workplace morale, and positive impacts on safety.

With COVID-19 presenting new challenges and changes to our workplaces, a coach or mentor can focus on ways to connect with employees who may be feeling isolated or unmotivated.

With leaner budgets, and in some cases leaner teams, having a coach can be a cost-effective way to improve morale, increase productivity, and support overall employee well-being.

Let?s take a look:

Adapting your approach

Traditionally designed to help achieve organizational goals, we?re seeing a shift in coaching to focus on the employee and their overall performance and success.

Being a coach or mentor is different from being a manager who assigns tasks and monitors the work. Coaching is simply the act of listening, asking questions, and providing feedback so employees can be their personal best. Although coaches can be external to the organization, you can look to current staff to act as coaches as well.

Coaching tends to focus on performance and short-term skills, but a coach can also be an invaluable guide for employees who are dealing with changes that may be out of their control.

Support on-boarding

Coaching is often part of an effective on-boarding process. Experienced employees, for example, can spend time with new hires and personally answer questions about company practices, safety procedures, and more.

Virtual work arrangements mean more challenges for new hires. On-boarding procedures haven?t changed much, but the experience certainly has.

First impressions matter. How you welcome new employees and bring them into your company has an enormous impact on how engaged they are and how quickly they reach their full potential and productivity.

Incorporating coaches and mentors in the onboarding process will help.

Coaching your coaches

All roles are changing as the effects of the pandemic continue. Your managers and senior executives need to be equipped with the skills needed to perform at their best, too.

This may require providing professional development to your current managers to ensure they have the knowledge and comfort level with addressing these new challenges we are facing.

Investing in your employees is always a good thing to do. As we cope with COVID-19, it is becoming simply the right thing to do if we want our teams and teammates to perform their best.

January 26, 2021

Trucking HR Canada recently conducted an informal temperature check survey of employers and employees about the topic of mental health in the workplace.

While the intent was to gather information over our social media channels for a federal consultation on the topic, what we heard from respondents was alarming.

Considering the pressure the pandemic has brought to bear, it was no surprise to hear that the number of workers concerned about their psychological health is rising. What’s astonishing is how pervasive COVID-19-related mental health issues are among the entire workforce, leaving a swath of stressed-out people from the driver’s seat to the shop, to the office.

The survey results and the discussions we’ve had since have prompted us to take a close look at how stress, isolation, family matters, financial pressure, and other factors affect the mental health and safety of people in trucking and logistics.

COVID-19 looks like it’ll be with us for a while, and we want to help employers develop strategies to help their employees cope with life at work and home and feel better about themselves and their work.

Here’s what we’re learning.

There is a stigma around mental health

By far, survey respondents said COVID-19 is the main reason for observed decreases in their overall wellbeing and mental health in the workplace. Other factors cited (in order) are workplace stress; poor work-life balance; organizational restructuring; increased workload; and financial stress.

A large number of respondents acknowledged that employees are more aware of their general state of mental health and feel more comfortable discussing it at work. However, respondents also indicated that stigma surrounding mental health is something that many contend with, meaning that there may still be reluctance to report a mental health issue at work. One person said the stigma around mental health includes a fear of experiencing employment repercussions (e.g., losing their license).

This suggests that an effective intervention to reduce stigma in the trucking and logistics industry would also need to involve a dialogue among many different actors: employer organizations, employee organizations, health and safety bodies, insurance providers, and others.

Everyone is affected, but the more vulnerable are affected most.

In trying to determine which individuals within the workforce faced the greatest degree of COVID-19-related psychological distress, we found that occupational categories were the most frequently cited factor. Nevertheless, it was shown that certain issues can come into play to make individual circumstances particularly important to understanding the full picture.

For example, respondents who cited these factors tend to be affected the most:

• Those with pre-existing mental health concerns
• Those working from home with young children
• Those working in close quarters

It’s also important to consider the experiences of different demographic groups. Notably, the mental health of women in the industry was highlighted as a concern, particularly the manner in which female employees were treated by clients and at times, by those they work with. Also highlighted as a concern was the mental health of younger men (under 30 years of age) within the industry.

For an industry looking to increase the participation of women and young people, these issues warrant further attention.

Help the helpers

Our survey results showed that employees in certain occupations have a higher risk or are more vulnerable to experiencing psychological injuries and illnesses.

Without a doubt, truck drivers demand special attention given their work conditions, with respondents citing familiar themes of isolation/solitude, unhealthy diets, and low physical activity. COVID-19-related factors included daily stress stemming from poor access to facilities such as washrooms, or access to good options for nutrition.

However, our survey highlighted other occupations of concern, notably (in order):

• Dispatchers
• HR staff
• Office administration staff

It’s significant that the reported rate of mental health effects on HR staff was the closest to the prevalence rate of drivers. COVID-19 has exacerbated negative outcomes for dispatchers, who have had to bear the brunt of changes in routes and driver availability.

The fact that we look to HR managers, dispatchers, administrators, and others to support our drivers is important to remember as you develop plans to address mental health. The need to recognize and manage mental health across all occupations has perhaps been underestimated in the past.

As we brace for a longer recovery period from the pandemic, employers may want to consider a temperature check of their own workforces’ mental health.

Post-pandemic profitability will depend on it.

It?s certainly been an interesting start to the new year.

As COVID-19 and divisive politics rage on, the trucking and logistics industry continues to put its collective shoulder to the wheel in 2021 to keep the economy rolling. We?re thankful for truck drivers, dispatchers, technicians, and others who move the goods that are essential to our everyday lives.

To help keep these workers safe and productive, Canada Labour Code regulations came into force on January 1 aimed at reducing the risk of workplace harassment and violence. All federally regulated employers should be ready for the new rules, outlined in Bill C-65 and the Workplace Harassment and Violence Regulations.

We?re here with resources to help you comply. Here are seven to get you started:

1.Assess your workplace risk

Employers need to identify risks related to harassment and violence in their workplace and, within six months of identifying these risks, implement preventive measures.

Consider what you can do to assess and reduce these risks. Not sure where to start? Click here to see our risk assessment checklist.

2.Develop a policy against harassment and violence

The regulations have specific requirements for a workplace harassment and violence prevention policy. Make sure your policy complies and that it?s available to all employees. You have a responsibility to ensure all employees are aware of the policy and are appropriately trained.

We have resources to help you here, too. Click here to access our policy template and checklist.

3.Establish emergency procedures

Employers must have formal processes in place in the event of harassment or violence that poses immediate danger to the health and safety of an employee.

Our policy template has tips to help you.

4.Train your employees

All employees (including management) are required to undergo harassment and violence training by Jan. 1, 2022. New employees must receive training within three months of being hired. Employees must be re-trained at least once every three years and following any updates to the training (or if they are assigned to a new role where there is a greater risk of workplace harassment or violence).

Work with your policy committee, workplace committee, or health and safety representative to determine your training needs.

Click here to learn more about our Learning Centre and online courses.

5.Designate someone to receive complaints

Employers are required to appoint a ?designated recipient? of harassment and violence complaints. The designated recipient can be an individual or team that is appropriately trained to receive complaints, manage the complaint process, and follow the complaint-resolution procedures outlined in the regulations.

If you don?t have someone qualified for the role, they can become qualified through training.

Click here for resources to help you with the designated recipient role.

6.Communicate your policies

Employers must compile a list of nearby medical, psychological, and other support resources and share it with employees through the workplace harassment and violence prevention policy. They also must file an annual report to the Minister Labour documenting their policy and compliance.

Overall, it?s vital that senior leaders within your organization understand the importance of these regulations and the necessary commitment. Consider adding ?workplace harassment and violence discussion? to the next executive team meeting so there is a robust conversation about the new rules and how the company plans to address them.

Keeping this as a frequent agenda item will ensure it remains top of mind.

7.Talk to us

Trucking HR Canada has been working on materials to help address these changes to the Canada Labour Code for nearly two years now. Our training resources are specific to trucking and logistics and were developed specifically in response to Bill C-65 and the new workplace harassment and violence rules. We have worked with Labour Canada, employment lawyers, labour groups, and HR professionals to make sure our standards of excellence are met.

We all benefit from workplaces that are free of harassment and violence. And we are here to help employers make that happen.