Trucking
How many trucks are there in Canada?
There are 700,000 trucks across the nation, 420,000 of which are used to carry freight commercially. The remainder can be found in the hands of governments, utility companies and farmers and occasionally haul commercial goods such as machinery and equipment. About 500,000 are straight trucks and the remaining 200,000 are truck tractors.
Career Outlook
According to Statistics Canada the occupation of truck driver is the most frequently cited occupation of Canadian men. Over 227,000 Canadians are truck drivers making it one of the top occupations in the country.
Overall employment of truck drivers and driver/sales workers is expected to grow 9 percent over the 2008-18 decade, which is about as fast as the average for all occupations. As the economy grows, the demand for goods will increase, which will lead to more job opportunities. Because it is such a large occupation, 291,900 new jobs will be created over the 2008-18 period.
The number of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is expected to grow 13 percent between 2008 and 2018, mainly as a result of increasing demand for goods in the U.S. As the economy continues to grow, companies and households will continue to increase their spending on these products, many of which must be shipped over long distances. Employment of light or delivery services truck drivers should grow 4 percent over the projections decade. Though experiencing slower growth than heavy trucking, light and delivery trucking will similarly be closely tied to the state of the economy. As economic growth occurs, there will be an increasing need for light trucking services, from the distribution of goods from warehouses to the package delivery to households. The number of driver/sales workers is also expected to grow 4 percent between 2008 and 2018, for the same basic reasons.
Job prospects
Job opportunities should be favorable for truck drivers, especially for long-haul drivers. In addition to occupational growth, numerous job openings will occur as experienced drivers leave this large occupation to transfer to other fields of work, retire, or leave the labor force. As workers leave these jobs, employers work hard to recruit experienced drivers from other companies. As a result, there may be competition for the jobs with the highest earnings and most favorable work schedules. Jobs with local carriers are often more competitive than those with long-distance carriers because of the more desirable working conditions of local carriers. Despite projected employment growth, the demand for workers may vary greatly depending on the performance of the American economy. During times of expansion, companies may be forced to pay premiums to attract drivers, while during recessions even experienced drivers may find difficulty keeping steady work.
— Sources: A Profile, Statistics Canada
Construction
As one of Canada’s largest industries, construction plays a vital role in making Canada one of the best places in the world to live, work, and raise a family.
Our homes, offices and schools; the bridges, roads and sidewalks that we use; the factories that produce food and motor vehicles: all were built and put in place by the men and women who work in the construction industry. By providing infrastructure and employment, the industry is essential to the progress of the Canadian economy.
In fact, the industry represents 12% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) when considering its impacts on all sectors of the economy, and it maintains and repairs over $5 trillion in assets.
Statistical highlights
- One out of 16 workers employed in Canada earns a living in the construction industry.
- More than one million Canadian men and women are employed in many diverse construction trades and professions.
- Construction workers are involved in the installation, repair or renovation of more than $150 billion of work every year.
- There are over 260,000 firms in the construction industry: over 65,000 in residential construction and 150,000 in trade contracting industry.
- Though the industry stands out as one of the major employers of workers, the size of the average construction firm is quite small. In the residential sector, nearly 90% of firms have less than 5 employees. In the non-residential sector, almost 70% of the firms have 5 employees or less.
- Construction investment represents approximately 12% of annual GDP.
- Construction lead the industrial employment growth in Canadian economy by increasing 7.1% (68,000 workers) between 2004 and 2005
- Canada’s annual GDP growth rate in 2005 was 3.2% for all industries, and 4.7% for construction.
- While total employment in Canada grew at a rate of 1.4% in 2005, construction employment had a solid growth rate of more than 7%, with respect to 2004
- The average age of a construction worker in May, 2001 was 41 years old.
- In 2005, most construction workers were located in Ontario (39%), followed by Quebec (18%), and British Columbia and Alberta (16%).