{"id":3361,"date":"2022-04-27T19:07:16","date_gmt":"2022-04-27T19:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cantruck.ca\/new-statscan-data-highlights-demographic-crisis-underpinning-truck-driver-shortage\/"},"modified":"2025-01-10T16:43:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T16:43:21","slug":"new-statscan-data-highlights-demographic-crisis-underpinning-truck-driver-shortage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cantruck.ca\/fr\/new-statscan-data-highlights-demographic-crisis-underpinning-truck-driver-shortage\/","title":{"rendered":"New StatsCan Data Highlights Demographic Crisis Underpinning Truck Driver Shortage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Canada faces record retirements from an aging labour force at a time of record high job vacancies and historically low unemployment,\u00a0reports Stats Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n

No industry is feeling the complications of this demographic crisis more than the trucking industry, which, already in the midst of a severe labour shortage, has the oldest workforce in Canada, says the Canadian Trucking Alliance.<\/p>\n

The working-age population of persons aged\u00a015\u00a0to\u00a064,\u00a0who produce the bulk of goods and services in the Canadian economy, has reached a turning point. Statscan reports the number of seniors aged 65 and older grew six times faster than children 0-14 \u2013 another indication Canada\u2019s population is exiting the workforce much faster than those about to enter it. More than\u00a01\u00a0in\u00a05\u00a0(21.8%) persons of working age in the general economy are aged\u00a055\u00a0to\u00a064. The ratio of people nearing retirement never been so high.<\/p>\n

The situation is even more amplified in trucking, where at least 32% of truck drivers in Canada are 55 years or older compared to 21.8% of the entire Canadian labour force. At least 6% of truck drivers are 65 and older.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0trucking and logistics sector employs\u00a0nearly 4 percent of Canadians, but with an economic multiplier effect much larger than most sectors, the pressures weighing down trucking\u2019s current labour pool might be the single greatest wildcard in the path to full economic recovery, says CTA president Stephen Laskowski.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile demographics, industry conditions and policy issues have all contributed to retirements and exits, trucking has at the same time continued to see a declining share of young people entering the industry over the past few decades,\u201d says CTA president Stephen Laskowski. \u201cCombined, these forces are leading to a demographic cliff in one of the economy\u2019s most important sectors. This is fundamentally unsustainable and a huge red flag for the Canadian economy and North American supply chain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Undoubtably, the impact of the worsening driver shortage is reverberating throughout the supply chain and contributing to rising prices and inflation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe is a direct connection,\u201d says Laskowski. \u201cThe industry has been experiencing this for some time and now and, clearly, all Canadians are feeling it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Canadian\u00a0trucking industry has over 23,000 truck driver job vacancies right now and that hole is expected to sink deeper very soon. By the end of 2023, the truck driver supply deficit has been estimated to reach over 55,000 drivers. While there are undoubtably many industry sectors that need qualified labour, the vacancy rate in truck transportation on a percentage basis is much higher than that of the general economy and virtually all other sectors.<\/p>\n

Many provinces have started to take a serious look at the relationship between training and the driver shortage and supply chain fragility. CTA is calling for federal and provincial programs\u00a0designed to support truck driver training.\u00a0The Alliance has submitted several recommendations to the federal government to help the trucking industry meet the demands of the supply chain, including:<\/p>\n