* Quebec - Trucking industry faces labour shortage as it struggles to attract young drivers
--- One of the oldest workforces in Canada is facing a looming driver shortage that could reach 48,000 drivers by 2024... After 40 years as a truck driver, Jack Fielding says it’s easier to name the places in North America where he hasn’t been than the ones he has... And after driving five million kilometres, the 57 year-old still enjoys the freedom of the road... But as Fielding and thousands like him near retirement age, the industry is struggling to recruit young people who share his enthusiasm for the job... The average age of a truck driver is over 47 — up from 45 in 2013 — and almost 30 per cent of the driving force is 55 or over, which makes it one of the oldest workforces in Canada, according to the organization’s president... Fielding, for example, usually works 10-14 days straight, with three days off between trips. Schedules are not set in advance, and drivers often work 12 hours or more a day... She says that while the first women “pioneers” may have been given a hard time, the industry has become very welcoming to women... The average salary for a truck driver was listed as $40,728 in 2011, although Bradley says long-haul truck drivers can easily make $70-80,000 a year... The industry is working to change the classification of truck driving to semi-skilled or skilled, which Canadian Trucking Alliance's president, Bradley says is key to getting more resources for training and attracting career-oriented candidates... Fielding, who estimates he has five years of driving left, can’t quite figure out why more young people don’t seem to want to take over behind the wheel. “Where (else) can you get paid to see North America, to experience things in life?” he says. “I think it would be a great job for somebody just starting out.” ...
(Photo by PAUL CHIASSON / THE CANADIAN PRESS - Nadine Gauthier, who spent six years driving shipping containers in and around the Montreal area, is trying to convince girls and women that trucking isn't just a "man's world") -- Montreal, QBC, CAN - The Star, by MORGAN LOWRIE - May 16, 2016
Labels: trucking industry news CAN, women truckers
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