Human Resources

Resources for Employers

There is no sign of abatement in the shortage of professional truck drivers; in fact, the Canadian Trucking Alliance released results of a new study in June 2016 projecting a shortage of 34,000 drivers in Canada by 2024, potentially increasing to 48,000. Demand is expected to be highest in Ontario and BC.  Motor coach operators also continue to face challenges filling their driver seats.

Other industry positions for dispatchers, supervisors, mechanics and technicians are similarly projected to be difficult to fill. However, awareness of the industry’s need for drivers and other workers is high, increasing the number of human resources initiatives available to assist employers, including such things as government funding for training and support programs and materials.

On this page you’ll find resources on the following topics:

1. Training, Recruitment & Retention, Labour Markets
2. Hiring Newcomers to Canada
3. Describe & Deliver: Boosting the Profile of the Truck Driver Occupation

For additional information on the truck driver shortage, visit drivershortage.ca.

1. Training, Recruitment & Retention, Labour Markets

BC Employer Training Grant

This grant assists eligible employers to offset the cost of training current and future employees up to a maximum of $10,000 per employee per fiscal year – and transportation is one of the priority sectors for funding. The employer contributes one-third to the cost of training. More details are available at workbc.ca. 

Training for Managers and Supervisors

• Next Generation Leadership Communications Program: Available only to BCTA members, this training program helps new and potential managers to build influential communication skills for use both inside and outside their organizations. Click here for course details and check back for upcoming dates. 
• Crestcom’s Bullet Proof® Manager Leadership Development Program: Available at a discount to BCTA members, this is a 12-month training program allows participants to start any time, with standalone sessions scheduled monthly. Click here for a flyer.
• Supervisory Skills Development Resource Guide: Created by the Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table, this Guide helps employers identify and address skills gaps in employees who could move up into supervisory roles. Although training course details are not up to date, the Supervisory Skills Overview and Checklists are valuable for assessing gaps, and the Training Directory has contacts for providers throughout BC to assist in finding current courses. Click here for a free copy.

Trucking Employers' Guide: Successful Ways to Find and Keep your Workforce

Created in consultation with a group of motor carriers and their employees, this free Guide outlines what’s worked for them, with links to dozens of related resources and articles.

Click the cover to read or download a copy.

Top Fleet Employers

Sponsored by Trucking HR Canada, the national Top Fleet Employers program recognizes the importance of having sound HR policies and practices in the trucking and logistics industry. Top Fleet Employers is not a competition — it’s a recognition of meeting HR standards of excellence. To learn about best practices from Top Fleet Employers each year, sign up for the Trucking HR Insights newsletter.

For example, following is an overview of the successful human resources strategies followed by 2016 Top Fleet Employers.

Click the cover to read or download a copy.

For details about the program, visit truckinghr.com. 

Labour Market Information

LMI tells employers (and career seekers) about demand and supply levels for labour based on economic activity and other factors. LMI helps employers plan their HR needs, consider how to attract skilled employees, and determine what type of training to provide employees to maintain a competitive edge.

Please view WorkBC Statistics for BC labour market trends and outlook for regions and jobs. 

2. Hiring Newcomers to Canada

International Trucking Reference: Roads, Rules, and Drivers

You have a candidate for a truck driving job, but he’s an immigrant to Canada with professional experience driving in Romania. How do you compare his experience to what he’ll need driving for your company? This Reference provides details on the driving environments in 10 countries, along with practical considerations for pre-screening and interviewing candidates from a different culture.

Click the cover to read or download a copy. 

Your Guide to Human Resources: Immigrants, Permanent Residents, New Canadians

Module 4 of Trucking HR Canada’s Human Resources Guide offers information on how to develop a welcoming and diverse workplace, free to download at truckinghr.com. There’s also a free guide on creating easy-to-read documents for people with limited English skills.

WelcomeBC

The provincial government’s website for new residents in BC, including a section of resources for employers. Visit welcomebc.ca/Employer-Resources.

Additional HR Resources

For hiring, working with, and supporting newcomers in your workplace (not transportation specific):

• Immigrant Employment Council of BC: IEC-BC resources have been developed by partners or key organizations throughout Canada to help employers attract, hire, and retain international talent. Resources include Tip Sheets, webinars, tutorials and other practical information to help employers get started with hiring skilled immigrants. Visit iecbc.ca/employer-resources.
• DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society: assists immigrants and new Canadians integrate with their new communities in the Lower Mainland. DIVERSEcity’s “Get in the Know” project includes web resources and a guide for employers. Visit dcrs.ca and getintheknow.ca.
• Human Resources Management Association: provides a free guide entitled Hiring and Retaining Skilled Immigrants: a Cultural Competence Toolkit.

3. Describe & Deliver: Boosting the Profile of the Truck Driver Occupation

An ongoing challenge in attracting new recruits to truck driving jobs is the classification of truck drivers as “unskilled” under Canada’s National Occupational Classification, which informs government policy defining the eligibility of occupations for training funds and immigration. Employers can boost the truck driver occupation into a higher classification level by supporting the following initiatives led by Trucking HR Canada.

National Occupational Standard for Commercial Vehicle Operator (Truck Driver)

This NOS, while not an official standard, is a benchmark for hiring, for driver training schools, and potentially a foundation for mandatory entry-level training programs. It establishes an extensive list of knowledge, skills and abilities for the occupation, based on input from trucking associations, individual fleets, truck drivers, trainers and other industry experts in unionized and non-unionized workplaces across Canada. Use the NOS to identify skills gaps among drivers and potential hires and to build job descriptions and ads.

Changing the National Occupational Classification for Truck Drivers

The NOC is the official classification of job titles and occupational groups in Canada. The federal government is making structural changes to its NOC codes for 2021 – including for group 7511 Transport Truck Driver. Researchers are now reviewing actual job descriptions and ads to identify the skills these jobs require, since they demonstrate current hiring practices.

Please make sure all your HR/career materials accurately describe the level of expertise and qualifications needed by professional truck drivers – in ads, on a company website, and in response to enquiries. To assist you, Trucking HR Canada has developed a new “Describe & Deliver” sample job description for a long-haul truck driver and an ad based on the NOS for Commercial Vehicle Operator (Truck Driver), with guidance for creating your own versions.

Visit truckinghr.com/content/employers/national-occupational-classification to download the NOS and Describe & Deliver resources. 

BCTA has also created a version of the Describe & Deliver sample job description for an entry-level long haul truck driver for use by employers. Please feel free to customize for your own HR materials.  Access the MS Word file at this link.