What’s in store for 2024

The last three years have proven the need for a skilled, engaged, and productive trucking and logistics workforce, and 2024 will be no different. From drivers to warehouse workers, office workers, and more, the close to 800,000 people our sector employs are essential to Canada’s supply chains.

However, hiring new workers and retaining current employees is more challenging than ever. Job interviews are a two-way street. The people you want to hire are looking at you for the right culture and opportunities.

How can you be a better, more attractive employer in 2024? As we roll into the New Year, here are seven things to consider as you navigate the road ahead.

Onboarding and training are expensive, especially in trucking, and can take resources away from efforts to tap into new, less traditional pools of talent.

THRC’s Career ExpressWay program can fill the funding gaps. It provides training grants and wage incentives for recruiting young Canadians, students, and new workers for in-demand occupations in trucking and logistics.

Over 600 employers have participated in Career ExpressWay. The program has successfully brought 5,000 new workers to our sector, including 1,000 post-secondary students. Without Career Expressway, many of these workers would not have considered our industry. Don’t overlook this potential source of funding.

Make this the year you measure your fleet’s human resources policies and practices against established HR standards of excellence.

Our Top Fleet Employers program celebrates trucking and logistics companies for their innovative approaches to recruiting, hiring, training, and managing HR. In 2023, we recognized 93 companies as Top Fleet Employers at our Gala and shared a collection of their best practices in our TFE annual report.

There are many great workplaces out there, and I encourage you to join your colleagues in getting the recognition you deserve. Applications for 2024 are now open. We look forward to meeting new fleets that continue to raise the HR bar and show why this industry is a great place to work.

At a time when operating costs are a top concern, there is no relief in sight for federally regulated employers.

This year brings new requirements for pay equity compliance, workplace harassment and training requirements, and more. Stay tuned, as THRC will again have all the tools and resources you need to keep on track.

The industry still has a long way to go when it comes to encouraging and supporting women, especially female truck drivers, for whom safety and security are big concerns.

If you want a place to start, join us at our Women With Drive event on March 7 at the Westin Toronto Airport Hotel.

What began 10 years ago as a national committee has become a unique annual event. This year’s theme, “Driving a Decade of Change,” celebrates the progress of trucking and logistics employers in supporting women’s professional goals. All are welcome to join the conversation, regardless of gender.

This year, THRC will release our latest LMI (Labour Market Information) research, our most comprehensive labour market analysis in four years.

The LMI is a data-driven, evidence-based report on the industry’s workforce and its needs up to 2030. It uses 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.

The report facilitates better decisions by employers, workers, job seekers, policymakers, educators, career practitioners, and others. It also provides a foundation for decisions about program funding. At a time when funders are carefully assessing program impacts, our LMI will be even more critical.

Thanks to input from over 55 industry stakeholders (including leading associations), THRC will launch an updated National Occupational Standard (NOS) for commercial vehicle operators in 2024.

The NOS defines the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to become a competent commercial vehicle operator. It informs a consistent, professional approach to driver training, and includes resources employers can use to improve training nationwide.

This is all thanks to funding from the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program. At a time when the industry is calling on the government to provide more dollars for driver training, the NOS will help shape these investments.

We’d love to see you in person. Visit our booth in Hall 2 at Truck World, April 18-20, at the International Centre in Toronto. Check out the resources we have to offer and meet our staff, who stand ready to help your trucking and logistics business succeed.

We look forward to working with you, supporting you, and meeting you in 2024.