Fewer job vacancies for truckers, but demand remains amid supply chain challenges

Supply chains have improved since the peak effects of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, though challenges remain. A major link in these chains is trucking, given that most consumer goods and commodities are delivered by truck at some point along the way—whether it’s a long or short haul.

In the second quarter of 2022, the Canadian economy had a record number of job vacancies (about 1 million), including 28,250 job vacancies for transport truck drivers. This is the highest amount on record since we started tracking the current data series in 2015 (vacancy and offered wage data cited in this article are not seasonally adjusted).

Fast-forward two years, and that number has been nearly cut in half (-45.7%). In the second quarter of 2024, there were 15,350 job openings for transport truck drivers. These drivers are either employed or self-employed, and drive straight trucks or tractor-trailers, on short or long hauls with all types of loads.

Wages are up, mostly for experienced drivers

The average offered hourly wage for transport truck drivers was $27.10 in the second quarter of 2024. In the second quarter of 2021 (a year prior to the peak in vacancies), it was $24.05, possibly increasing to attract more drivers to the profession.

In the second quarter of 2024, the $30.15 per hour offered to drivers with five to eight years’ experience was the highest wage ever offered for that level of experience. This may be an indication that employers were seeking stability through salary.

Fewer longer-term vacancies, less constant recruiting

One in three vacancies (33.7%) in the second quarter of 2024 was advertised for 90 days or more. However, that proportion has steadily declined, as more than half (56.6%) were advertised for that length in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Roughly three in five vacancies (60.9%) in the second quarter of 2024 involved constant recruitment, which means recruitment will continue after the current vacancies are filled. It’s more than a 10 percentage-point drop from the second quarter of 2022 (70.3%).

Transportation businesses still expect increased demand; supply chain challenges persist across the economy

As of June 2024, there were nearly 152,000 business locations across Canada in the truck transportation subsector, offering both general and specialized (such as bulk liquids, automobiles or hazardous goods) freight trucking for local and long-haul routes.

Prices to ship goods by general freight trucking have declined slightly (-0.5%) from the second quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, prices for specialized trucking (+4.3%) have increased, according to the For-Hire Motor Carrier Freight Services Price Index.

Many of these businesses are short on drivers—but according to the latest data from the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions, there is no shortage of demand for services in the transportation and warehousing sector, which includes truck transportation.

In the third quarter of 2024, nearly one in five businesses in the transportation and warehousing sector (19.0%) expected an increase in demand for its goods or services over the next three months. Meanwhile, fewer than 1 in 10 (9.8%) expected an increase in the number of employees. A roughly equal proportion (9.9%) expected a decrease in staff.

In the same quarter, more than two in five businesses across all sectors (43.6%) said that supply chain challenges have worsened over the past three months. Of those, nearly half (47.4%) said that they have faced increased delays in deliveries of inputs, products or supplies.