Despite moving 72.6% of Canada's land freight, an industry employing nearly 300,000 people is grappling with a staggering 94% driver turnover rate, a crisis of retention and recruitment that threatens the very supply chains it sustains.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the Canadian trucking industry employed approximately 292,400 workers, representing 2.3% of total Canadian employment
- Driver shortages affected 81% of Canadian trucking companies in 2023, with an estimated need for 42,000 additional drivers
- Women make up only 6.5% of heavy truck drivers in Canada as of 2021
- Active commercial vehicle fleet totaled 162,000 tractor-trailers in 2022
- Average age of Canadian trucking fleet is 8.7 years in 2023
- 42% of fleet vehicles are equipped with ELDs as mandated in 2023
- Total industry revenue reached $68.4 billion CAD in 2022
- Operating expenses as % of revenue averaged 92.5% for for-hire carriers in 2022
- Fuel costs accounted for 28% of total operating expenses in 2023 Q1
- Crash rate for heavy trucks was 1.2 per million km traveled in 2021
- 15% of fatal crashes involve trucks, but trucks are only 4% of vehicles
- Hours-of-service violations totaled 12,500 in audits 2022
- Trucking industry moved 72.6% of land freight tonnage in 2021 (439 million tonnes)
- Cross-border trade by truck valued at $1.2 trillion CAD annually 2022
- Average truckload volume for dry van: 22 tonnes per trip in 2023
The Canadian trucking industry faces a severe driver shortage and tight margins despite moving most of the nation's freight.
Economic and Financial
- Total industry revenue reached $68.4 billion CAD in 2022
- Operating expenses as % of revenue averaged 92.5% for for-hire carriers in 2022
- Fuel costs accounted for 28% of total operating expenses in 2023 Q1
- Profit margins for trucking firms averaged 4.2% pre-tax in 2022
- Insurance premiums rose 18% year-over-year to average $12,000 per truck in 2023
- For-hire trucking revenue grew 12.4% to $42 billion in 2021
- Private fleet trucking contributes $26 billion annually to GDP
- Bankruptcy filings among small trucking firms up 15% in 2023
- Average rate per mile for dry van fell to $2.15 CAD in Q4 2023
- Carbon tax added $0.08 per liter to diesel costs, impacting $4.5B industry-wide 2023
- Equipment financing debt totals $15 billion for fleets in 2022
- E-commerce boom added $8 billion in last-mile delivery revenue 2022
- Labor costs rose to 35% of expenses from 30% in 2021
- Tolls and fees consume 5.2% of revenue on average for cross-province hauls
- Venture capital invested $450 million in trucking tech startups 2023
- ROI on fleet electrification projected at 7 years for long-haul 2023 analysis
- 22% revenue growth forecasted for 2024 due to supply chain recovery
- Average loaded miles per truck increased 4% to 120,000 km annually 2022
Economic and Financial Interpretation
While the Canadian trucking industry hauled in record revenues of over $68 billion, carriers are navigating a tightrope where soaring costs for fuel, insurance, and labor devour profits, leaving a fragile 4% margin that explains why bankruptcies rise even as the wheels of the economy turn faster.
Employment and Labor
- In 2022, the Canadian trucking industry employed approximately 292,400 workers, representing 2.3% of total Canadian employment
- Driver shortages affected 81% of Canadian trucking companies in 2023, with an estimated need for 42,000 additional drivers
- Women make up only 6.5% of heavy truck drivers in Canada as of 2021
- Average annual wage for long-haul truck drivers in Canada was $52,600 in 2022
- Training costs for new truck drivers averaged $10,000-$15,000 per trainee in 2023
- 65% of trucking firms reported retention issues as their top HR challenge in 2022 survey
- Indigenous workers represent 4.2% of the trucking workforce, higher than national average of 5% but targeted for growth
- Turnover rate for truck drivers reached 94% annually in for-hire sector in 2021
- 72% of companies increased wages by over 10% in 2023 to attract drivers
- Youth under 25 comprise only 8% of licensed truck drivers in Canada 2022
- Unionized drivers earn 25% more on average than non-union, $68,000 vs $54,000 in 2022
- 55,000 new commercial driver licenses issued in 2022, up 12% from 2021
- Remote work trends reduced office staff by 15% in trucking firms post-COVID 2023
- Diversity hiring initiatives reached 35% adoption rate among large fleets in 2023
- Overtime hours averaged 15% of total driver hours in 2022 ELD data
- Immigrant drivers fill 28% of long-haul positions in Ontario 2023
- Mental health claims among drivers rose 22% in 2022
- Average tenure for drivers is 7.2 years, down from 9.5 in 2019
- 48% of firms offer sign-on bonuses averaging $5,000 in 2023
- Cross-border drivers require 17% more training hours due to US regs
Employment and Labor Interpretation
Despite its wheels constantly turning, the Canadian trucking industry is stuck in a vicious cycle where throwing money at a staggering 94% turnover rate fails to solve a deeper crisis of retention, well-being, and an almost comical lack of diversity in the driver's seat.
Fleet and Equipment
- Active commercial vehicle fleet totaled 162,000 tractor-trailers in 2022
- Average age of Canadian trucking fleet is 8.7 years in 2023
- 42% of fleet vehicles are equipped with ELDs as mandated in 2023
- Heavy-duty trucks over 14,000 kg represent 68% of freight tonnage moved
- Electric truck adoption stands at 1.2% of new registrations in 2023
- Average fuel efficiency for Class 8 trucks improved 15% since 2015 to 7.2 MPG in 2022
- 25,400 new truck registrations in Ontario alone in 2022
- Telematics systems installed in 62% of fleets over 50 trucks in 2023
- Trailer fleet numbers reached 285,000 units nationally in 2022
- Autonomous truck pilots cover 5% of cross-border routes in testing 2023
- Maintenance costs average $0.15 per km for long-haul fleets in 2022
- LNG-fueled trucks number 1,800 in operation across Canada 2023
- 78% of fleets report downtime under 5% due to predictive maintenance in 2023
- Refrigerated trailers grew 8% to 22,000 units in 2022
- Tire retreading used on 55% of fleet tires, saving $200 million annually
- 3D-printed parts adoption in 12% of large fleets for repairs 2023
- Average tractor useful life extended to 1.2 million km with retrofits
- Hydrogen fuel cell trucks in pilot: 45 units operational 2023
- 92% of new trucks meet EPA 2027 emissions pre-buy standards early
Fleet and Equipment Interpretation
Despite Canada’s trucking fleet being seasoned like a fine cheddar at 8.7 years old, it's clearly modernizing from the inside out, cleverly extending its life past a million kilometers while slowly—and somewhat begrudgingly—flirting with electric, hydrogen, and even 3D-printed futures to keep the vital 68% of the nation's freight moving efficiently.
Freight and Operations
- Trucking industry moved 72.6% of land freight tonnage in 2021 (439 million tonnes)
- Cross-border trade by truck valued at $1.2 trillion CAD annually 2022
- Average truckload volume for dry van: 22 tonnes per trip in 2023
- Reefer freight rates up 25% due to food export demand 2023
- Port drayage trucks handle 85% of TEUs at Vancouver 2022 (3.4M TEUs)
- Empty miles averaged 22% of total miles driven in 2022
- Intermodal truck-rail volume grew 11% to 28 million tonnes 2022
- Oversize/overweight permits issued: 145,000 in Ontario 2022
- Just-in-time delivery adopted by 58% of manufacturing shippers 2023
- Peak season lane from Alberta oil sands to BC ports: 15,000 loads/month 2023
- E-commerce parcel volumes up 18% to 2.5 billion annually 2022
- Flatbed hauls for construction materials: 12% market share growth 2023
- Average dwell time at shippers: 2.8 hours, costing $250 million/year
- Liquid bulk (oil/chemicals) by truck: 65 million tonnes/year 2022
- Backhauls efficiency improved 8% with load boards usage 2023
- Agricultural exports by truck to US: 22 million tonnes 2022
- Urban last-mile deliveries increased 30% in Toronto 2023
- Temperature-controlled freight: 15% of total volume, $9B value 2022
- Border crossings by truck: 14.7 million annually pre-COVID, recovering to 13.2M 2023
- Mining sector freight by truck: 180 million tonnes 2022
Freight and Operations Interpretation
Despite accounting for 72.6% of land freight and moving mountains of goods—from $1.2 trillion in cross-border trade to 65 million tonnes of oil—the industry still struggles with its own weight, as evidenced by 22% empty miles and dwell times costing $250 million a year, even as it adapts with impressive agility to everything from e-commerce surges and just-in-time manufacturing to frigid reefer demands and the heavy lifting of mining and construction.
Safety and Regulations
- Crash rate for heavy trucks was 1.2 per million km traveled in 2021
- 15% of fatal crashes involve trucks, but trucks are only 4% of vehicles
- Hours-of-service violations totaled 12,500 in audits 2022
- Seatbelt usage among truck drivers at 98.7% in observed crashes 2021
- Distracted driving citations for CDL holders: 8,200 in 2022 Ontario
- CVSE inspections found 25% out-of-service rate for brakes in 2023
- Speeding involved in 32% of truck-related fatalities 2021
- ELD mandate compliance at 88% for US-Canada cross-border 2023
- Rollover crashes account for 17% of heavy truck incidents
- Driver fatigue cited in 22% of CVIP roadside stops 2022
- Cargo securement violations: 14% of inspections failed 2023 BC
- Zero-alcohol policy enforcement via breath tests: 95% compliance 2022
- Intersection crashes with trucks: 41% of non-fatal collisions 2021
- Pre-trip inspection compliance improved to 92% post-training 2023
- Hazardous materials incidents involving trucks: 156 in 2022
- CVOR demerit points system revoked 1,200 carriers in 2022 Ontario
- Nighttime crash rate 20% higher for trucks without AEB tech 2023 study
- 65% reduction in rear-end crashes with collision mitigation systems
- Border wait times averaged 2.1 hours, contributing to 5% fatigue risk 2023
Safety and Regulations Interpretation
It's a maddening puzzle where near-universal seatbelt use coexists with pervasive brake violations, where a driver's fatigue is both statistically inevitable from border delays and criminally preventable through better compliance, and where the industry's fatal footprint is outsized yet its path to safety is frustratingly clear in the data we keep ignoring.
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