Connecting talented individuals to the many well-paying, stable, and rewarding jobs available in the trucking and logistics sector remains an industry priority. The wage and training incentives offered through THRC’s Career ExpressWay provide our sector with the support needed to make this happen.

We are currently working with a variety of Government programs designed to support employers in meeting their workforce challenges while also ensuring that Canadians have access to the training and learning opportunities needed to support career success. Our sector-specific approach is helping employers address employment needs.

If you are not using the Career ExpressWay Program, here are five things you should know:

1. Driver Inc fleets need not apply

To access wage and training incentives, employers need to take the first step by completing an expression of interest form here. Once you submit the form, a THRC team member will reach out to complete the onboarding process. You’ll be in the program within 2 business days.

Eligible employers are vetted and sign an employer agreement with THRC agreeing to the program requirements. Once the agreement is in place, you are ready to start accessing the program funds.

Note that we only reimburse employers for eligible participants with proof of source deductions and copies of verifiable pay stubs are required. All our paperwork is monitored and forms part of our funder reporting process. If you engage in Driver Inc, this program is not for you.

2. Tracking retention

We are working to bring new people into the trucking workforce, and to get them to stay. To date, 92% of all hires through the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program funding are still employed.

We conduct random surveys with employers to track the status of program-funded participants. We understand that not all employees stay, but we monitor your usage of the program to ensure there are no concerning trends in employee turnover.

3. Approving driver training schools

In addition to vetting employers into the program, we also look to ensure that the training schools participating in the program offer training that aligns with the National Occupation Standard for Commercial Vehicle Operators. Each school must complete a questionnaire to assess training alignment before they are approved for program participation.

4. Driving diversity

Here, the numbers speak for themselves.

Of all THRC’s Career ExpressWay program participants, 30% are women and 63% are youth 30 and under.

For a sector that has plenty of room to grow in terms of diversity in workforce demographics, these numbers are impressive.

5. Your summer student hires still qualify for funding

Our Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) offers financial incentives to employers who create work placements for college and university students looking to fill the work-integrated learning component of their academic program. The program not only increases the job readiness of students, but also helps employers by reducing overhead costs and building a talent pipeline for the future. A SWPP-funded work placement can highlight the variety of opportunities available within your company to a soon-to-be graduate who will be looking for employment when they finish studying.

Employers can get 70% of a student’s wages covered, up to a maximum of $7,000. There are still some spots left for summer, and interested employers are encouraged to reach out to us today. We are also accepting applications for work placements that will take place in the Fall.

THRC makes this program easy to participate in by partnering with employers and post-secondary institutions to create connections and deliver work-integrated learning opportunities for post-secondary students.

All programs are currently open and available – please reach out to [email protected]. We look forward to welcoming you on board!

Trucking HR Canada launches a new survey to help employers benchmark their employment performance

If you’ve participated in a Trucking HR Canada webinar or event, you’ve probably heard us talk about our commitment to providing evidence-based HR solutions for the industry. We take this commitment seriously, backing our work with the latest data to ensure the materials and tools we release are timely and aligned with the industry’s challenges and opportunities at any moment.

How do we maintain this data-driven, evidence-based approach?

It’s all thanks to our Labour Market Information research.

Our LMI facilitates better decisions by employers, workers, job seekers, policymakers, educators, career practitioners, academics, students, parents, and more. It takes data from publicly available sources, including Statistics Canada’s census and labour force surveys, and fills in the gaps with qualitative and quantitative research taken directly from employers.

Time for an update

With the release of 2021 Census data and a new version of the government’s National Occupation Classification (NOC) system, it’s time for us to update our LMI dataset.

But we’re not just plugging new numbers into an old spreadsheet. Instead, with funding from the Government of Canada through the Sectoral Workforce Solution Program, we are refining our LMI system and expanding the definition of the trucking and logistics industry that powers our research.

Here’s what that means:

• Our new custom dataset will include 37 unique occupations in trucking and logistics, up from the 30 included in our 2019 forecast. This expanded definition is important because it allows us to paint a more fulsome and nuanced picture of the industry than would be possible if we used the more limited definition implied by the NOC taxonomy.
• Along with data on employment, unemployment, and vacancies, our new LMI system will include demographic data, allowing additional insight into the composition of the trucking labour force.
• The new dataset will allow us to extend our labour market forecast by five years, from 2023 to 2028. We can capture a longer view of macroeconomic shifts, including inflation, interest rates, supply chain constraints, and tightness in the labour market.

Get the whole story

The key ingredients of our forecasts are Census data, job vacancy and wage survey data, and labour force survey data. They provide insight into employment and unemployment levels, as well as inflows and outflows of workers, including new entrants to the labour force, those entering via immigration or the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and those exiting for retirement or other reasons.

While data from public sources is crucial, it tells only part of the story.

That’s why our new LMI project includes a comprehensive Employer Survey. Last undertaken by THRC in 2019, this survey captures information about employment relationships, compensation structures, and hiring and recruitment challenges. It’s essential to our ability to capture industry-specific labour market trends accurately.

Our LMI surveys also inform the development of our HR tools and resources and have helped us secure funding for our Career ExpressWay program, which provides financial incentives to employers onboarding or training eligible job candidates, including students, youth, and current employees training to obtain a commercial vehicle license.

We need your help

Given the changes in the industry and economy since 2019, and the development of our new custom dataset, it’s high time we conduct the survey again so employers can benchmark their practices in today’s competitive labour market.

Our ability to accurately capture industry-specific labour market trends will depend on the number of survey responses we receive, and that’s where you come in.

If you are an employer in the trucking and logistics industry, please take a moment to complete our Employer Survey. You can find it here.

If you have questions about our survey or our LMI work, contact us at [email protected]. You can learn more about LMI at our LMI website, which has our latest LMI Snapshot, published this month with new data and insights, as well as more information about how our LMI benefits employers in trucking and logistics.

We look forward to hearing from you.

A new year means new rules for employers in trucking and logistics. Trucking HR Canada has compiled a list of regulatory and policy changes that may affect your workplace in 2023, with links to various resources and tools to help. Here’s what you should know.

Under Bill C-3, employees can now receive up to 10 days of paid medical leave per calendar year and a leave of absence of up to eight weeks in the event of the death of a child or the loss of an unborn child.

The number of days of paid leave depends on the length of employment. Employees are entitled to three days after 30 days of continuous employment and one additional day of paid leave per month to a maximum of 10 days per year. Unused days can carry over to the next calendar year, but the maximum of 10 days of paid medical leave still applies.

There are numerous requirements for employers to know and follow, including establishing a system for tracking medical leaves. Not sure where to start? Click here to connect to a range of THRC resources, including policy templates, best practices, and more.

The length of EI sickness benefits has been extended from 15 to 26 weeks under the Canada Labour Code, and the maximum length of unpaid medical leave has been increased from 17 to 27 weeks.

Several provinces will increase their minimum hourly wage in 2023:

• Nova Scotia will raise the minimum wage by 70 cents to $14.30 on April 1 and another 35 cents to $14.65 on Oct. 1.
• Manitoba will raise the minimum wage by 65 cents to $14.15 on Apr. 1. The province said it would raise it again to $15 on Oct. 1.
• Saskatchewan will raise the minimum wage to $14 from $13 effective Oct. 1.
• Prince Edward Island raised its minimum wage by 80 cents to $14.50 on Jan. 1. It will increase another 50 cents to $15 on Oct. 1.
• Newfoundland and Labrador will increase the minimum wage by 80 cents to $14.50 on April 1. It will increase another 50 cents to $15 on Oct. 1.

Bill C-65 came into force on Jan. 1, 2021, compelling federally regulated employers to follow specific procedures for investigating, recording, reporting, and preventing workplace harassment and violence (WPHV). Here’s a quick refresher:

• All new hires must take WPHV training within three months of their start date.
• Employers must conduct a workplace assessment to identify risks of harassment and violence, then implement a plan to mitigate these risks.
• Employers must create a workplace harassment and violence policy to be reviewed and updated every three years and renew all training every three years.
• Employers must appoint and train a “designated recipient” of all complaints related to workplace harassment and violence. This person should not be a supervisor or a manager. Complaints should be resolved within one year of the date on which the designated recipient receives notice of the incident.
• Employers must also provide a report to the Minister by March 1st detailing the occurrences of workplace harassment and violence from the previous calendar year.
• See our detailed guide to the WPHV regulations here.

The Pay Equity Act came into force on Aug. 31, 2021, and requires federally regulated workplaces with 10 or more employees to provide equal pay for work of equal value.

Points to note:

• Compensation packages must be equitable and in compliance with the Act. Depending on the employer’s size, this may involve establishing a pay equity committee.
• Employers with 10 or more employees in the year before the Act came into force must develop a pay equity plan by Aug. 31, 2024. Employers that came to employ 10 or more employees at any point after the Act came into force will be subject to the Act on Jan. 1 of the following year and will have three years to implement their pay equity plan.
• Once a pay equity plan is established, employers must increase compensation for predominantly female job classes where the pay is less than their male counterparts.

Need help? THRC is hosting a webinar series starting Jan. 12, 2023, at Noon EST. Register now.

Bill C-5 came into force on Aug. 3, 2021, and provides for the annual observance by the federal government and federally regulated employers of a new statutory holiday on Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Canadians can expect higher Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance deductions this year. The CPP contribution rate is 5.95% (11.9% for self-employed Canadians), with an estimated maximum contribution of $3,701. In Quebec, the QPP contribution rate is 6.4%, with a maximum of $4,038.

EI premiums are rising, too, with a federal contribution rate for employees of 1.63% to a maximum of $1,002.45. In Quebec, the 2023 contribution rate is 1.27% up to $781.

For trucking and logistics firms, the start of 2023 brings new challenges that require smart, dedicated, trained, and equipped people at every level of the organization. Reach out to [email protected] today to learn more about how we can help make sure you’re meeting your obligations as employers during the year ahead.

According to Trucking HR Canada’s latest labour market information (LMI), nearly 320,000 people were employed or actively seeking work as truck drivers during the third quarter of 2022. Roughly 60% of these drivers work directly in the truck transportation sector while the rest are employed in construction, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, wholesale distribution, and other industries that use trucks to get the job done.

Qualified truck drivers are hard to find. During Q3 2022, the unemployment rate for truck drivers fell by more than half to 2.1% compared to the same period in 2021. Job postings for truck drivers are going unfilled for longer periods. In 2021, the percentage of jobs that were posted for more than 90 days went from 18% at the start of the year to 40% by the end.

Brand new drivers present an even bigger challenge given the cost of recruiting, onboarding, and training. While some but not all of these costs can be passed along to customers in other sectors of the Canadian economy, trucking and logistics firms have to be efficient and strategic in their HR practices.

Western impacts

Our LMI suggests that certain regions of the country have a greater need for trucking and logistics workers than others. THRC is working with some provinces and territories to gain a clearer understanding of these regional realities.

For example, we partnered with the Alberta government and Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) to study employment in the province’s trucking and logistics sector. Here is what we learned:

• Alberta accounts for 14.3% of employment in the sector, averaging nearly 95,000 workers over the past 10 years.
• Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511) make up 45% (approximately 41,000) of Albertans who are employed in trucking and logistics.
• Other industry occupations include shippers and receivers (15% of the sector’s total workforce); delivery and courier service drivers (11%); and material handlers (5%).
• 35% of truck drivers in Alberta work in general freight while 26% work in specialized freight. The rest are employed in other sectors such as construction; mining; wholesale and retail trade; and manufacturing.
• Vacancies have soared to the second-highest rate since Statistics Canada began publishing the data in 2015. On average in 2021 there were 3,200 truck driver vacancies in Alberta, up 19% from 2019.
• THRC expects the demand for drivers in Alberta to increase to 49,000 by 2025, in part due to an aging workforce.

Driving toward solutions

What is THRC doing to help? Here are four initiatives to consider:

1. Career ExpressWay

We have a suite of driver training and wage incentives to help trucking and logistics employers recruit, train, and retain talent. From drivers to office staff to student internships – our programs directly support your recruitment and retention efforts.

2. THRC Resource Centre 

We also have a growing suite of resources and tools to help employers develop a more diverse, flexible, and inclusive workforce.  This includes guides, templates, best practices and more.

Trucking Careers GPS is an interactive online resource where career-seekers can learn more about the industry and how to put their skills to work.

3. Women with Drive

Every year Trucking HR Canada hosts Women with Drive, a national leadership summit focused on how to make trucking and logistics a more welcoming industry for women and other equity-deserving groups. The next summit will be held on March 8, 2023, International Women’s Day. Registration is open.

As part of an ongoing project, funded through Women And Gender Equality Canada, THRC is taking the Women with Drive events on the road! Over the next two years, we will be hosting events in communities across the country – including all western provinces.

4. Labour Code Compliance

THRC is a designated training provider for anti-workplace harassment training required under the Canada Labour Code, offering cost-effective training for trucking and logistics employers. We are also working in collaboration with the Pay Equity Commissioner to help employers stay on track to compliance.

With reliable labour market data and HR management tools, employers can more effectively help workers recognize the many opportunities in the trucking and logistics sector, and build strong workforces for today, and the future. Explore the THRC Learning Centre 

Important changes are coming to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system that the government of Canada uses to classify jobs and determine eligibility for various programs and incentives. The old four-digit codes will be replaced by a five-digit system that represents the skills and experience associated with occupations in a new way. The five Skill Levels (0, A – D) that once determined the second digit of each NOC will be replaced by a six-tier Training, Experience, Education and Responsibilities indicator, known as a TEER category (TEER 0 -5).

While most occupations fall into TEER categories that are roughly equivalent to the Skill group they would have been in before, there are exceptions for occupations in the middle range of both systems, including long-haul truck driving. Formerly a Skill Level C occupation (the fourth of the five levels), transport truck drivers are now grouped into TEER 3 (out of six TEER levels), where they receive slightly more recognition, impacting the programs and initiatives they are eligible for. The most significant impact will be on express pathways to immigration.

Since NOCs help determine eligibility for immigration programs, the new codes have immediate implications for transport and logistics workers seeking entry to Canada. Under the previous system, long-haul truck drivers were not eligible for the Express Entry Program, meaning the most viable pathway to immigration for these workers was through provincial nomination programs. As of November 16, 2022, the program will begin using the new system. Transport truck drivers will be included in the General Trades major group, which is eligible for all streams of the Express Entry Program and included as a target group in the Federal Skilled Trades stream. This will potentially make it easier for employers to recruit experienced drivers from abroad, especially if they are able to provide a job offer and relocation assistance.

The NOC system undergoes periodic revisions to keep pace with the changing labour landscape. Jobs that have been essential to the Canadian economy at various points in time transform, merge, split, and occasionally give rise to new occupations, and the government’s classification system needs to reflect that. More importantly, though, the NOC update demonstrates a much-needed reassessment of the skills and experience associated with different jobs. The new TEER structure includes six categories, up from the five categories of the outgoing Skill Level scheme. As a result, new NOC classifications will offer more accurate and holistic representations of occupational skill level. Occupations that fell in the middle of the Skill Level scheme, such as long-haul trucking, will be most affected, since the newly added TEER categories are meant to address what was an overly broad range for Skill Levels B and C.

The updated NOC system was used for data collection in 2021 and will be more broadly implemented starting late 2022. Truck drivers will be represented by the code 73300, which signifies inclusion in the General Trades major group, the Transport Occupations sub-major group, and the Transport Truck and Transit Drivers minor group. The table below shows the main differences between the new NOC system the 2016 version it replaces.

You can learn more about the NOC update on the government of Canada’s website.

Continue to follow our newsletter and blog posts for more information on impacts for trucking and logistics employers.

Lloydminster has the particularity of straddling between Alberta and Saskatchewan. You literally can change provinces by crossing a street.

So it’s no surprise that Ron Kelly has been looking at both provinces’ programs to find subsidies to train two existing employees so they could get their Class 1 licence and perform broader functions at Border City Concrete (BCC), the excavation, aggregate and concrete delivery company he manages there.

In the end, he found the solution through Trucking HR Canada’s Career ExpressWay program, which offers up to $10,000 per person to get their Class 1 licence training.

“With the federal program, it was only one party, and I could do multiple things with it,” Kelly says.

The first employee who obtained the professional driver training was an equipment operator. Now that he has his Class 1, he doesn’t need a colleague to move his equipment around anymore and he can also haul gravel. “It opened up a lot of opportunities for him,” Kelly says.

The other had a Class 3 licence before the Career ExpressWay experience, which allowed him to do some trucking jobs. “But he was missing out on a lot of the long hauls and the bigger jobs because he didn’t have his Class 1,” Kelly notes.

“These are individuals who couldn’t afford it on their own. Having the subsidy really helped have these two individuals more engaged within the company and for the company to be more successful, for sure,” he says, underlining that Trucking HR Canada’s subsidies covered 100% of the training fees.

Kelly mentioned that Career ExpressWay has allowed him to do “multiple things”, referring to the fact that, in addition to the two drivers’ training, he hired an apprentice mechanic by using the Employer Wage Support for Youth program, which paid the first $10,000 of the young man’s wages.

“Times are a little different right now than they were maybe five or six years ago. Everyone’s watching their pennies and their cents. So hire a new guy and train him for a brand new role and get some help right off the bat to get him going until they can do more work on their own is really nice,” Kelly says about Trucking HR Canada’s financial support.

And managing the program was pretty simple for BCC. “Dealing with Trucking HR Canada I found was very easy; they responded quickly and they are courteous. They helped me through things when I had questions and we got things done pretty quick,” Kelly says.

Young and willing to work

20 year-old Nicholas Wenger is the apprentice mechanic BCC hired for its Paradise Hill (SK) Hardy Services division. Nicholas’ dad, Leon, has been a truck driver for as long as he can remember, so he was exposed to trucking at an early age.

Yet, his real passion is mechanics and there’s plenty for him to do at BCC since construction applications can be hard on trucks and heavy machinery. He enjoys the variety of tasks he’s performing. “They’re really good in getting me to all sorts of jobs and getting me familiar with as many things as possible,” Wenger says about his employer.

Wenger is eager to make a career in the trucking and logistics sector. “I’m really enjoying it so far. I can see myself going along this route for years to come, for sure,” he says.

That’s certainly music to Kelly’s ears. “Getting the additional new hire wage support subsidy helps to offset some of the training costs. It gives us the opportunity to hire local, to hire someone who’s young, keen, willing to work, willing to learn and to grow within our company,” he says.

Kelly adds that he’s pleased by young workers on different aspects, including their ease with technology. “Things are getting to be more digital and that helps out through the company when you start to use more application programs for safety, pre-trips or time sheets. It’s nice to have that younger workforce to guide some of the more senior guys,” he says, insisting on the importance of building partnerships with young workers.

Not only would Kelly repeat the Career ExpressWay experience, he’s spreading the word about it to other companies. “I’ve recommended it because I thought it was a good way to get younger involvement and to help companies with some of their staffing shortages. It’s a great program,” he concludes.

To learn more about the wage subsidy and subsidized driver training programs, and how you too can benefit from this opportunity, please visit THRC Career Expressway or e-mail [email protected].

This represents the industry’s highest number of vacancies ever recorded since Statistics Canada started tracking vacancies in 2015. Even more concerning is that 49% of these openings remain unfilled for 90+ days.

Driving roles are not the only roles going unfilled. The Canadian Truck Transportation industry has been seeing a steady increase in vacancy rates across the sector since the first quarter of 2021. The sector is currently recording the second highest vacancy rate in Canada at 8.7%. These job vacancy rates describe the industry’s proportion of all vacant jobs. This specific piece of labour market data gives us a glimpse of the challenges faced by our employers in securing the workers needed.

But it’s not all doom and gloom.  THRC has leveraged our labour market information to develop innovative solutions addressing the current challenges and supporting our employers.  Let’s take a look:

Career ExpressWay

Over the past two years, THRC has helped 100+ employers access wage and training subsidies through our Career ExpressWay program. The program offers support for employers who are actively recruiting students, young people, persons with disabilities, new drivers and more.

The program offers a range of subsidies for employers. Since July 2020, we have helped employers onboard over 500 youth and students in driving and non-driving roles.

Our progress?  To date, 95% are still employed and 25% are women, which is higher than the industry average of 15%.

The Student Work Placement Program initiative connects employers with the next generation of our non-driving workforce while supporting their wages. We are increasing the job readiness of students and graduates while helping employers grow their talent pipeline directly from the post-secondary candidate pools. Employers can access a maximum of 50%, up to $5,000 for new students hired.

The program also offers a job board, “Job Connect”.  We collect student job opportunities from participating employers and distribute/promote them directly to our post-secondary partners who are working directly with students eager to join our industry.

For more information on how to take advantage of the Career ExpressWay, reach out to [email protected]

Women with Drive Hits the Road

Our employers are also working hard to find new and creative ways to build and support an increasingly diverse and inclusive workforce. We saw record attendance at our Women with Drive Leadership Summit on June 2, 2022, in Toronto, and now with the support of Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) we are re-launching our Women with Drive Hits the Road events. We will be hosting Women with Drive events across the country, highlighting solutions, supports and strategies to increase women’s participation as well as their opportunity for internal advancements within our sector. Delivered in partnership with various regional and provincial partners, these events will focus on the intersectionality of experiences of women and other equity deserving groups. You will have to keep an eye on the THRC Event page and our social feed when we will be in your area next for a WWD event.

Ukraine Response

With the ongoing war in Ukraine, Canada has become a safe haven for many families fleeing the violence. Our sector is well positioned to offer support and opportunity to these newcomers. Craig Faucette, Chief Program Officer of THRC has recently authored a blog with resources and opportunities for our sector to provide support and opportunity while also addressing some of our recruitment challenges. You can read the full blog on the THRC Website.

NEW HR Resources

This fall 2022, THRC will be adding to its suite of resources, releasing five guides that offer a deep dive into HR management areas relevant to our industry employers. The guides will cover topics in the following areas:

• Compensation
• Flexible workplace practices
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Workplace wellness
• Leadership best practices

The Guides are supported by a new suite of practical tools: templates, samples, assessments and more. These 2-to-5-page downloadable documents help employers’ action recommendations found in the Guides. If you need some tips for creating a total rewards statement, compensation philosophy and/or need an example of a flexible workplace policy, these guides can help get you started

Our industry leaders are always looking for the next opportunity to support their employees through strong HR policies put into practice. That’s why THRC is honoured to host our annual Top Fleet Employers at the annual Awards Gala every year. This year’s gala will be held on October 13, 2022, in Toronto, at the Palais Royale. A total of 81 Fleets will be recognized for their outstanding efforts to continually raise the bar of HR excellence within the trucking and logistics sector. These fleets are also anxiously awaiting to find out who will be named HR Leader of the Year. An industry honour that showcases an individual’s contribution to our sector. Tickets for the Gala are selling fast. Be sure to buy your tickets soon to save your seat. We can’t wait to see you there!

The team at THRC is here to help.  For information on any of our initiatives – feel free to reach out to [email protected] and stay in touch by subscribing to our newsletter.

Trucking HR Canada (THRC) consulted the most recent Census data to determine what languages are being used in the industry and through employer surveys and interviews we further explored if this mix of languages is being considered by companies as they work to foster effective communication in their workplace.

The following is what we found.

Languages Used

According to a custom cross tabulation of labour force data from the Census, in almost all trucking and logistics workplaces you will hear one of Canada’s official languages, as over 98% of truck drivers and fleet managers say that they use either English or French at work. This isn’t the whole story though.

Roughly one quarter of Canadian truck drivers and fleet managers have a non-official language as their mother tongue, as defined by Statistics Canada. Of these most (78% truck drivers and 74% fleet managers) report using a non-official language regularly at work, as defined by Statistics Canada, in addition to one or both official languages.

With a current driver workforce of approximately 291,700, based on current Statistics Canada Labour Force Data, this means we have over 56,800 employees using a language other than English and/or French in our workplaces.

Punjabi is, by far, the most common non-official language used in trucking and logistics workplaces, accounting for 60% of non-official languages used at work by drivers and 33% for fleet managers.

After Punjabi, the most common non-official languages used are German, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Provincial Distribution

Ontario is home to almost half of Canada’s drivers and fleet managers who use non-official languages at work.  British Columbia has the second highest, followed by Alberta (See Table 1)

Almost 80% of Punjabi speaking drivers are based in Ontario and British Columbia. These provinces are also home to the largest proportions of Mandarin (64% and 30%) and Cantonese (62% and 33%) speaking truck drivers. Alberta and Manitoba are home to most of the truck drivers who use German at 55% and 24% respectively.

Language Diversity in Practice

The majority of language diversity challenges experienced by employers was with their drivers — with over 40% of survey respondents “agreeing” or “somewhat agreeing” that the language diversity of truck drivers is a real challenge.

Employers indicated that ineffective communication overall impedes productivity. Examples given include tasks taking longer to complete, workers taking longer to explain instructions or relay information, and safety or compliance measures being compromised.

This is an important consideration.  With our driver vacancy rate at a record high, increasing the productivity of our current workforce is a business imperative.

The Industry’s Response

Employers are working to build effective lines of communication and two thirds of survey respondents “agree” or “somewhat agree” that their approach to language diversity is effective.

The most common approach amongst our survey respondents to ensure effective communication within a company’s workforce was to hire managers or supervisors who can speak other languages. Others included:

• hiring staff in other key positions (e.g., dispatcher) who can speak other languages
• providing language training in French and/ or English
• posting notices in languages other than French and/ or English
• encouraging staff to use google translate
• developing study packets for drivers that display information using visuals and that articulate information in a clear and concise way.

Effective communication is the foundation of strong workplace cultures that supports safety, driver retention, productivity, and more.  Ensuring your employees can effectively communicate with each other, customers, and others is one approach that can help ensure you continue to succeed on all fronts.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine is close to entering its fourth month, more and more Ukrainians are looking to flee the conflict and resettle in welcoming countries. And, Canada is one of many countries opening its doors to Ukrainian newcomers.  As they arrive looking to create a new home, many supports are being made available, such as settlement services, housing and employment services. Our industry is also well positioned to help. The following information describes various pathways into Canada for Ukrainians and how trucking and logistics employers may be able to help.

Pathway to Canada:

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRRC) has introduced new immigration streams for Ukrainians who want to come to Canada temporarily or permanently. A Canada-Ukrainian Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) has been created, which is available for those fleeing the Ukraine and their immediate family members. There are no limits to the number of Ukrainians who can apply. This will eliminate most of the usual visa requirements in order to acquire residency in a timely matter. Their stay can also be extended by two years if needed. The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) has made pending files a priority to renew work permits, study permits, temporary residence and proof of citizenship while Ukrainian nationals are residing in Canada. The Canadian Border Services Agency also has a temporary measure put in place (Administrative Deferral of Removals) in order to delay Ukrainian nationals, currently residing in Canada, from having to leave the country.

Family Sponsorship:

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can apply to sponsor eligible family members to come to Canada. Applications are still to be submitted through usual procedures. Applications for immediate family members will be prioritized by the IRCC through the use of a special family reunification sponsorship pathway.

For more information on the immigration process visit:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/ukraine-measures/cuaet.html

Employment for Ukrainian nationals in Canada:

All Ukrainians who come to Canada as part of these measures are eligible to apply for open work permits and employers will be able to hire Ukrainian nationals through the process of CUAET. Employers looking to hire Ukrainian nationals in Canada can set up an employer profile on the Government of Canada’s Job Bank website, and then create a posting and submit a form (provided by the Job Bank site) specifically designed for this purpose. Ukrainian nationals in Canada can also visit the Job Bank’s job board free of cost.

Organizations Supporting Ukrainian Refugees:

There are over 550 organizations helping refugees with settlement and integration into Canadian society.  These organizations help with settlement and adaption services such as health, housing, schooling for children, continuing education, social services, and employment services to just name a few.

Connecting and building relationships with these organizations may be a valuable link to connecting to refugees and providing an avenue for employment with your company.  The Government of Canada has a settlement services finder that refugees can use to look for services in the communities they settle in.  Employers may find the tool useful to identifying local agencies that they can reach out and partner with.

https://ircc.canada.ca/english/newcomers/services/index.asp

Jobs for Ukrainians Facebook Group:

Facebook groups have been created that aim to facilitate contact between Ukrainians arriving in Canada who are seeking employment and employers who are hiring.  This may be a potential resource to help support Ukrainian newcomers while filling some of your recruitment needs.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/331716475664506

https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadahostukrainians

https://www.facebook.com/groups/375451514101214/?multi_permalinks=413898476923184

As Ukrainians look to seek refuge or make Canada their new home, there are many opportunities for our industry to help make the process much smoother.  Offering opportunities and support to newcomers can help individuals who are fleeing incredibly difficult and traumatic circumstances while providing a head start on a new life in Canada.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) sometimes feel like a “check the box” exercise, which is why these initiatives can fall short as you try to establish a culture where employees can imagine themselves as key contributors.

For many trucking and logistics employers, just getting started with DEI is the hard part. The longer you wait to develop policies and practices, the more you risk missing out on finding top talent among underrepresented people and reaping the benefits of a more inclusive workplace.

This is why Driving Diversity is the theme of our annual Women with Drive Leadership Summit on June 2 in Toronto.

This year’s conference will examine what it means to hire, train, and retain a more representative workforce in trucking and logistics, with a special emphasis on DEI tools, strategies, and best practices.

Our morning panel includes DEI experts from academia, government, employers, and business who will share ideas and actions they have taken to increase diversity across the industry.

The afternoon features what has quickly become the most popular piece of the program, the Learning Highway, where delegates can participate in speed-learning on topics including:

• Using social media and marketing to recruit a diverse workforce
• Workforce planning through diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Canada Labour Code compliance
• Using industry-specific wage subsidies to support recruiting a diverse workforce

The conference is also a place for HR professionals to network and learn from each other, and to access DEI resources they can take back and share with their own teams.

These resources include Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Communities: An Employer Roadmap. Produced in partnership with the Alberta Motor Transport Association, this guide identifies specific groups that are underrepresented in the industry and provide strategies that can help attract, recruit, and retain diverse talent.

THRC will introduce a suite of tools that HR professionals can use to create and implement effective DEI policies; manage hybrid and flexible workplaces; improve performance appraisals; develop workplace wellness programs; and create a compensation philosophy. Developed specifically for trucking and logistics employers, these resources will be available from the THRC website and provide templates and step-by-step support for HR teams.

DEI policies don’t exist as a “favour” to underrepresented groups. They’re intended to help employers establish and maintain a workplace that is welcoming, supportive, and draws strength from the knowledge and experiences that come from a diverse workforce.

Register and join us in Toronto on June 2 to learn more.