Don Goodwill says finding truck drivers is a growing problem for the industry.
“I can’t tell you the exact number today but the number we are short ranges from 10 to as high as 50 at any point in time throughout our network,” he said.
Stephen Laskowski, President of the Ontario Trucking Association, agrees.
He says trucking companies have a shortage of about 20,000 per year in Ontario, and in the north he believes there is a demographic tsunami due to the average age of most truck drivers in the region.
“The average age of a truck driver in Canada is over 55 years of age and in northern Ontario it is even higher,” notes Laskowski.
“Today the minister was informed the average age in some fleets is over 60.”
But the province is hoping they have a remedy for this shortage. At a press conference at the North Bay Manitoulin Transport terminal, Todd Smith, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade unveiled changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to ensure the province attracts the skills and talents it needs in areas where there is a labour shortage like in the trucking industry.
“They are having difficulty attracting home grown talent to drive trucks in Ontario so what we are doing is opening up our Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program to allow for these trucking companies to find drivers that want to come from another country, will get them the pathway to permanent residency and more importantly fill a labour shortage need in our own community here in the North so this is a win, win all the way around,” said Smith.
“The trucking industry needs drivers desperately. That is going to help our economy and it is also going to help our regional economy here in the north.”
Laskowski believes this new program will help boost both the trucking industry and the province as a whole.
“That is why Minister Smith was here today to recognize and to announce to the people of Ontario and to our industry that they understand that,” said Laskowksi.
“They understand that a shortage of drivers in the trucking industry is not a trucking industry issue, it is an Ontario economy issue and the government has stepped up, our industry has stepped up and we are working towards a solution.”
Smith says the same will be done to help bring more personal support workers to the province.
He adds the government is investing millions to help create more long term care beds in the province.
“That is great, that’s the bricks and mortar, what we actually need are people to work in these long term care facilities so we need PSW’s and opening up the OIMP stream to PSW’s as well will address a serious need that exists in our health care community as well so this is also a stream that we have opened up,” noted Smith.
The program is also expected to make it easier and more affordable for international investors to purchase a business such as a motel or restaurant. They will do that by dropping the threshold of investment from the current $1 million down to $600,00 in the GTA and from $500,000 to $200,000 outside the GTA.
