Truck driver job vacancies easing, but still above national average: Trucking HR Canada

Truck driver job vacancies in Canada are showing signs of stabilizing, with numbers falling below pre-COVID-19 levels, according to new data from Trucking HR Canada.

The organization’s latest labour market report shows there were just over 13,900 vacant truck driver positions in the first quarter of 2025 — a 5.3 per cent decline from the pre-pandemic annual average of nearly 14,700 between 2015 and 2019.

The truck transportation sector overall saw a 3.9 per cent drop in average job vacancies in 2024 compared to pre-COVID years.

“Despite the drop, the industry’s job vacancy rate is 1.5 times higher than the average across the Canadian economy,” said Craig Faucette, chief program officer at Trucking HR Canada. “Job vacancies for transport truck drivers rose slightly in Q1, compared to the previous quarter but continue to moderate year-over-year.”

The Q1 2025 vacancy rate for truck drivers was 3.5 per cent, down from 4.6 per cent in the same quarter of 2024. Year-over-year, job vacancies among truck drivers were down 24 per cent.

Other highlights include a 23 per cent year-over-year decline in truck transportation job vacancies for Q1, and an overall average job vacancy rate of 4.1 per cent, down from 5.3 per cent a year earlier.

While the numbers suggest softening demand, the report cautions that employers may still face challenges filling roles.