American long haul truck drivers are being urged to consider moving north to New Brunswick as the province looks to target labour shortages in the profession through its Provincial Nominee Program.

Information sessions being held in New York, San Francisco and Atlanta during January 2017 will see employers from the province ready to interview prospective drivers interested in moving to the province.

The sessions are not open to the general public – instead, experienced drivers are being asked to fill in an online form.

Candidates must meet experience and language requirements, and submit an initial resume.

Only those selected will be informed of the exact locations of the information sessions.

The dates are as follows:

Source:www.jobbank.gc.ca

Only truck drivers living in the U.S. are eligible to attend the sessions, as New Brunswick looks to capitalise on the wave of Americans looking for options to move to Canada following the election of Donald Trump as president.

The Canadian trucking industry is facing a shortage of long haul drivers to the tune of 48,000 by 2024.

With an average age of 47 and rising, the sector has one of the oldest workforces, with a third of drivers over 55, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

The long hours, time spent away from family and erratic schedule make it unappealing to a younger generation who seemingly do not want to spend days at a time on the roads of North America.

Canadian Truck Driving Industry In numbers

47: average age of a truck driver
A third of drivers are over 55
Long-haul drivers could work 14 days in a row
Average salary: $55,000 to $65,000
Shortfall of 48,000 by 2024

Typically, a long-haul trucker might spend up to 14 days at a time on the road, working 12 hour shifts, with three days off in between.

Average salary ranges from $55,000 to $65,000, although drivers are often paid bonuses by the mile, enabling them to earn significantly more.

A search of Canada’s federal government’s job bank reveals nearly 4,000 vacancies.

Quebec leads the way in terms of provincial vacancies, with nearly 1,500 job ads current live for truck drivers.

Labour market information on the Quebec government’s employment website singles out the profession as one of the most in demand in the whole province.

Job Bank Vacancies for Truck Drivers

Source:www.jobbank.gc.ca

This kind of demand means experienced applicants are likely to be successful to work in Canada if applying to any of the provincial nominee programs.  Many PNP programs offer a pathway to permanent residence after a period of 6-months of working in a province.

Global Recruiters of Montreal along with immigration.ca has a long-standing history of representing many employers in Canada to source qualified long haul truck drivers.

Truck Drivers in Canada’s Remaining Provinces

1. More than 1,000 truck driver vacancies are being advertised in the province of Ontario. The Ontario PNP does not list specific in-demand occupations, preferring to default to the federal government’s classifications. Click here for more.
2. In British Columbia, which has more than 500 vacancies on the job bank, the gold standard for candidates for its entry level and semi-skilled category is a full-time job offer in long-haul trucking. Click here for more.
3. Long-haul drivers are also a key sought-after profession under the Alberta PNP, showing more than 300 vacancies on the job bank. Click here for more.
4. Officials from the Manitoba PNP recently held a series of information sessions in Vienna, Austria, where long-haul truck drivers, transportation managers and heavy machinery mechanics represented three of the five occupations being sought. Click here for more.
5. The Prince Edward Island PNP is currently a pilot critical worker stream, with truck drivers one of only five professions being sought for fast-track immigration to Canada’s smallest province. Click here for more.
6. In Newfoundland & Labrador, the Labour Market Outlook 2025 report identifies truck driving as an occupation that will require significant immigration in order to fulfil job vacancy demand. Click here for more.
7. Saskatchewan does not specifically highlight truck drivers as an in-demand occupation, but it does single out heavy machinery mechanics and track and bus mechanics. Click here for more.

Truck Driver Wages

Hourly wages for truck drivers are currently competitive with the both national and provincial averages.

According to job bank and Statistics Canada data, the median wage is slightly below the national average, although it can rise to more than $8 above that average to $32 an hour in some cases.

As labour market demand increases, as is expected over the coming years, wages for truck drivers are likely to rise.

Truck Driver Hourly Wages in Numbers

Source: www.jobbank.gc.ca and Statistics Canada

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

As mentioned earlier, the primary avenue for trucking companies to hire workers from overseas is through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).  Qualified applicants would eventually transition into provincial nomination immigration programs (PNPs) to become Canadian permanent residents.

To take the temporary worker route, an employer must first seek a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

What this means for employers

Employers are encouraged to consider securing an LMIA or nomination under PNPs to ensure long term retention of employees.

Canadian employers can access unparalleled immigration legal services and help with recruitment of foreign nationals through our in-house enterprise Global Recruiters of Montreal.

Employers are assisted under a fixed fee basis for both recruitment and immigration services. Approved candidates are brought to Canada in the shortest time possible. Employers can directly benefit from one of Canada’s leading online immigration firms to meet both their recruitment and immigration requirements.

Interested employers wishing to seek assistance are invited to contact us here for further information.

What this means for candidates

If you are an immigrant looking to come to Canada on a temporary work permit, you can follow a step by step guide here.

Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with an evaluation within 1-2 business days.