According to LFS data of 2011 there were 310,500 trucks drivers in Canada working. 60% for hire & rest 40% owner operators.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance says in Canada, the labour shortage could reach 48,000 by 2024. It’s a reality many don’t want to face. At any given time we may have a demand for 100 to 125 drivers across Canada. A lot of them are basically retiring and We don’t have the people and the young people coming up to fill those positions.
Here is an example what it can cost your trucking company when you can’t find a driver
Let’s say you have a load every week that your client offers, but you turn it down because you just don’t have enough manpower or drivers. But what you do have is
• the unit
• the trailers
• and everything else waiting to go.
Say there is a load from Winnipeg to Calgary. If we do the math, Winnipeg to Calgary is 825 miles, multiplying by $2/mile, that load comes out to be worth $1650.
That’s an average price I’m using for per mile you will be getting paid for. I’m sure there is more you can get but let’s be generous.
So $1650 x 4 weeks in a month is equal to $6600. $6600 X 12 months of a year is equal to $79,200. So if that was a load you were turning down, you just lost $80,000 of revenue per year over one, single small run each week just because you didn’t have a driver for it….
Think about the backhaul that would have been added to this number. The math here proves if you are that trucking company owner who is saying no to these opportunities, you are leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table.
Amrit is the founder of GetTruckDrivers.com and a Trucking Consultant who has helped North America’s largest trucking businesses to grow exponentially. His area of expertise lies in driver recruitment and customer acquisition for ethical fleet owners.