Aging workforce, training gaps challenge Alberta trucking sector dominated by small firms

Though Alberta’s trucking and logistics industry is dominated by small businesses, those companies have a major impact on the province’s economy.

That was the message from Trucking HR Canada (THRC), which provided a snapshot of the current trucking and logistics job market in Alberta, along with some of the challenges the industry is facing, during its first Trucking and Logistics Workforce Bootcamp in Calgary.

Melissa McGregor, senior program advisor for THRC, said small businesses make up about 28,000 enterprises in the trucking and logistics industry, with 68 per cent sole proprietors or owner-operators and another 27 per cent having fewer than 10 employees.

“Alberta’s trucking and logistics sector contributes $6.4 billion, or about two per cent, to provincial GDP,” said McGregor.

While transport truck drivers make up nearly half of the workforce, freight transportation is not the only sector they represent.

“While many are in general and specialized freight, significant numbers work in oil and gas, mining and construction,” she said. “In fact, truck drivers are critical to nearly every sector of the provincial economy.”

Demographics

Men continue to make up the majority of trucking and logistics sector employees, but the share of women has been slowly trending upward since 2016.

“Women currently make up about 17 per cent of the trucking and logistics workforce and only four per cent of truck drivers. This is similar to the national average of about 16 per cent, but given that women make up roughly half the workforce overall, there is clear room for growth,” said McGregor. “Between 2016 and 2021, the number of women in Alberta’s trucking and logistics industry grew by 13 per cent, representing about 1,600 additional workers. We hope to see that trend continue.”

The industry, particularly drivers, is also getting older. The share of workers aged 55 and over has increased to 26 per cent, while the portion under 35 has declined.

“More importantly, truck drivers are aging faster than the workforce overall. The share of drivers aged 65 and over has increased by 8.2 per cent, compared to six per cent in the trucking workforce overall and just 2.8 per cent across the general workforce,” said McGregor. “This indicates that our driver population is aging at a significantly faster rate.”

McGregor said younger workers entering the trucking and logistics sector are mostly taking non-driving roles, and that representation of visible minorities is growing faster than in other industries.

New graduates

Speaking with employers in retail, manufacturing, oil and gas and other industries, as well as recent graduates, Craig Faucette, chief operating officer with THRC, said training new drivers was one of the biggest issues in the sector.

“Employers must invest additional time and resources to complete training and onboarding,” he said, adding that Alberta’s Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) program provides a foundation but does not fully prepare drivers for the job. “Hiring new drivers is also more costly. It requires more in-cab training time and supervision, which increases expenses and makes employers more hesitant to hire inexperienced drivers.”

In addition to costs, barriers to training new drivers include insurance restrictions and the need for specialized skills, such as in the forestry sector.

Finding seasonal drivers is another challenge. To help attract them, employers are offering higher wages, improving work-life balance and providing additional incentives.

“We’re also seeing a shift in compensation models. Many employers are moving away from mileage-based pay toward hourly or salaried models, often with guaranteed hours,” said Faucette. “This simplifies pay structures and can improve driver satisfaction.”

According to THRC data, approximately 20 per cent of employers are actively considering changes to their compensation models.

MELT graduates were also surveyed, with most respondents between 25 and 44 years of age. Ninety-one per cent were male, and 84 per cent said their goal was to become a driver. Sixty per cent also said they pursued a Class 1 licence to support work in other fields, such as heavy equipment operation in construction.

“Most graduates were employed in trucking and logistics, but many also worked in oil and gas, construction, agriculture and other sectors,” said Faucette.

Those surveyed who left trucking jobs cited higher wages in other industries, poor working conditions or a lack of employer support.

“Despite this, job satisfaction among graduates was high,” said Faucette. “Around 90 per cent reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their careers, citing alignment with their values, opportunities for development and engaging work.

“Encouragingly, most respondents indicated they plan to remain in the industry long term — many for 10 years or more.”