Description
Transport truck drivers drive straight trucks or tractor-trailers to transport freight. Long-haul truck drivers operate heavy trucks over urban, interurban, provincial and international routes, while short-haul and local transport truck drivers operate over urban and short interurban routes. They are employed by transportation, manufacturing, distribution and moving companies, and trucking employment service agencies, or they may be self-employed.
Job Titles
- Commercial truck driver
- Freight truck driver
- Heavy truck driver
- Log hauler
- Log truck driver
- Logging truck driver
- Long combination vehicle (LCV) driver
- Long haul driver
- Long haul truck driver
Main Duties
- Operate and drive primarily tractor-trailor, long-combination vehicle and straight-body trucks weighing over 4500 kg to transport goods and materials over long distances
- Plan trip logistics and obtain required documentation to transport goods
- Perform pre-trip, en route and post-trip inspection of vehicle systems, equipment and accessories such as tires, lights and turning signals, brakes and cold storage
- Ensure cargo is secured properly in accordance with safety requirements and follow safety procedures for transporting dangerous goods
- Obtain special permits and other documents required to transport cargo on international routes
- Record cargo information, hours of service, distance travelled and fuel consumption
- Administer bills of lading and manually or electronically maintain log books
- Communicate with dispatcher, other drivers and customers using communication devices and on-board computers
- May perform emergency roadside repairs
- May drive as part of a two-person team or convoy
- May transport hazardous products or dangerous goods.
Workplaces
- Transportation companies
- Self-employed
- Employment service agencies
- Moving companies
- Manufacturing and distribution companies
Skills
- Operation and Control
- Management of Material Resources
- Operation Monitoring of Machinery and Equipment
- Preventative Maintenance
- Quality Control Testing
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Critical Thinking
- Decision Making
- Equipment and Tool Selection
Abilities
- Control of Settings
- Depth Perception
- Far Vision
- Glare Tolerance
- Multi-Limb Coordination
- Night Vision
- Peripheral Vision
- Rate Control
- Reaction Time
- Spatial Orientation
Personal Attributes
- Attention to Detail
- Independence
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
- Stress Tolerance
- Active Learning
- Analytical Thinking
- Concern for Others
- Innovativeness
- Leadership
Similar Occupations
- Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators (72024)
- Truck driver trainer – community college (in 41210.00 College and other vocational instructors)
- Truck dispatcher (in 14404.00 Dispatchers)
- Truck driver helper (in 75211.02 Motor transport labourers)
Source: OaSIS
Employment Outlook
The employment outlook will be very good for Transport truck drivers (733000) in Prince Edward Island for the 2022-2024 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
- Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
- Several positions will become available due to retirements.
- There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
The prospect for employment in this occupation is very good as there continues to be a shortage of workers and unfilled vacancies in the province. This occupation falls under the provincial Occupations in Demand immigration stream, which is a program designed to help employers fill vacant positions that they are unable to fill locally. Furthermore, Employers rely on the Temporary Foreign Worker program to fill temporary jobs/vacancies in this occupation when qualified Canadian labour is not available.
The demand for workers in this field often fluctuates with economic conditions, especially those in the manufacturing, wholesale trade and construction sectors. Since truck drivers carry goods to various markets within Canada and the United States, the occupation is quite sensitive to regional and global economic turns.
Technology has impacted the trucking industry significantly over the past decade. Trucks are now more efficient and safer to operate, but they are also more mechanically complex. Emerging training needs for drivers include computer skills, electronic technologies, vehicle inspection and trouble-shooting.
Working conditions, such as long work hours, unconventional work schedules and being away from home are listed as some of the main causes for the high employee turnover in this occupation. In particular, there tends to be a high turnover rate for long-haul drivers increasing the number of openings in this specific area. Also, in certain industries, such as construction, agriculture and forestry, seasonal work is common as drivers often experience periods of unemployment during the year.
Further, those with industry certification, such as a licence to transport dangerous goods or enhanced security clearance at international borders, will likely have more career opportunities. Employment opportunities may also be good for tractor-trailer (long-haul) truck drivers who own and operate their own trucks. Job prospects may be stronger for experienced workers with a clean driver’s abstract as well. However, for individuals under the age of 25, career prospects in this field may be reduced because of the greater insurance costs to employers. The use of global positioning systems and onboard computers has significant impact on how truckers work and on employers’ requirements.
Here are some key facts about Transport truck drivers in Prince Edward Island:
- Approximately 1,400 people work in this occupation.
- Transport truck drivers mainly work in the following sectors:
- Truck transportation (NAICS 484): 33%
- Construction (NAICS 23): 17%
- Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 10%
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (NAICS 21): 9%
- Food, beverage and tobacco product manufacturing (NAICS 311, 312): 6%
- 52% of transport truck drivers work all year, while 48% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 40 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
- 12% of transport truck drivers are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
- The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
- Men: more than 95% compared to 51% for all occupations
- Women: less than 5% compared to 49% for all occupations
- The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
- no high school diploma: 26% compared to 11% for all occupations
- high school diploma or equivalent: 42% compared to 28% for all occupations
- apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 20% compared to 11% for all occupations
- college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: 9% compared to 25% for all occupations
- bachelor’s degree: less than 5% compared to 17% for all occupations
- university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupation
Source: Job Bank
Prevailing Wages
| AREA | LOW | MEDIAN | HIGH |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEI | $16.00 | $21.00 | $30.00 |
| Canada | $17.50 | $25.00 | $35.00 |
Training
There are no known training programs for this occupation in PEI. If you are aware of a local training program, please contact us.