BC’s vacancy rate for truck transportation positions (NOC 7511) has risen 38.96% from the fourth quarter (Q4) in 2020 to the third quarter (Q3) in 2021. This is an increase of 3,065 vacant positions to 4,280 vacant positions, with a vacancy rate of 10.7%, which is 16.3% above the seven-year average based on Statistics Canada job vacancies data.

Of no surprise is that the average hourly wage for truck drivers have increased by 9% since Q4-2019 as carriers seek to attract and retain qualified drivers.

The issue of labour and truck driver shortages in BC is not unique as the vacancy rate in truck transportation continues to climb across the country. Statistics Canada has reported a record high surge in Q3-2021 of 22,990 vacant positions in our sector. Recent labour market information from Trucking HR Canada (THRC) reveals the vacancy rate across all truck transportation occupations was 8% in the same quarter, the second highest vacancy rate in the Canadian economy after the accommodation and food services sector. THRC reported that in Q3-2021, 44.3% of commercial driver jobs have been vacant for more than 90 days, compared to 34.4% in quarter two. The report also states that 67% of employers surveyed in the sector stated they were still unable to find all the drivers they required to address the growing demand for truck transportation services as the economy entered a recovery phase in 2021.

Of significant concern to BCTA is the fact that we are trending towards a high vacancy rate as we saw in 2018- the last peak labour shortage in BC for truck transporters. Less than four years ago, our sector experienced a vacancy rate of 15.1% that wreaked havoc on our supply chain. Based on BCTA’s Labour Shortage Survey conducted in 2018, we found that:

• 67% carriers reported having one or more trucks sitting idle for longer than one week due to a lack of drivers, with trucks sitting for an average of 14.7 days due to driver shortages. The financial impact for those companies with idle trucks due to driver shortages was estimated at an average of $350,375 in gross revenue loss per company (based on average fleet size of 41.2 trucks and 16.7 owner-operators).
• Driver positions were the most common positions that had gone unfilled, with 76% of respondents reporting one or more driver vacancies, and an average of 7.9 driver vacancies.
• The top three vacancies that had the most significant impact to operations according to those surveyed were drivers (91%), dispatchers (27%), followed by mechanics (16%).

Now more than ever, it is critical to ensure members are competitive in the recruitment and retention of employees. BCTA will be in field with its 2022 Compensation Survey this February to help equip carriers with benchmarking data to assist in the process of evaluating your company’s compensation and benefit offerings. Please be sure to complete the survey as your responses are crucial in helping us accurately reflect and effectively address our members’ challenges and concerns.  

Keep an eye on your inbox for your survey invitation by mid-February. Thank you for your participation and if you have any questions or would like to join our HR Committee, please do not hesitate to contact Cory Paterson, BCTA Vice President, at CoryP@BCtrucking.com.