Are you looking for a new career in an essential field? Around 350,000 people work in Canada’s trucking and logistics sector? Most are truck drivers. Trucking is key to Canada’s manufacturing, agriculture, and mining industries, linking Canadian businesses with the world.
Want to travel and help get Canadians the goods they need? A career in trucking and logistics might be right for you!
On this page
- What jobs are available in trucking?
- Skills and training
- Learn about trucking occupations
- Information for employers
What jobs are available in trucking?
There are many different jobs in the trucking industry. Here are just a few:
- truck drivers
- supply chain planners, maintenance operative, or distribution managers focus on logistics and managing the supply chain
- material handlers produce and distribute goods
- managers and supervisors lead their companies
- engineers, technicians and mechanics design, maintain, repair, and retrofit vehicles
- inspectors help to ensure a safe and secure transportation system
Trucking jobs can be found in virtually every environment across Canada. From the mines of the Northern territories to the ports of BC and Newfoundland and Labrador and everywhere in between. Whether you want to work in private industry, military, government or start your own business. There is a place for you.
Find available jobs in your area by using the national Job Bank:
- Managers in transportation
- Supervisors, supply chain, tracking and scheduling co-ordination occupations
- Production and transportation logistics coordinators
- Air transport ramp attendants
- Transportation route and crew schedulers
- Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks
- Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators
- Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
- Longshore workers
- Transport truck drivers
- Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
- Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs
- Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
- Utility maintenance workers
- Material handlers
- Dispatchers
Skills and training
Truck drivers can work almost anywhere with road access and even some places that aren’t accessible. Most work is in Canada’s biggest provinces, and over 80% are in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia.
To become a truck driver that is allowed to pull a trailer, you must have a Class 1 (AZ) license. This license will take at least 112 hours of training, at either a public or private trucking school. A DZ license requires you to have your Class G license for at least a year with DZ training undertaken at an accredited school and successful completion of the DZ test.
As an AZ licensed driver you can:
- Drive a truck/tractor trailer combination with air brakes
- Pull a trailer over 4,600 kg
- Drive any combination of vehicles where both the truck and trailer have airbrakes
As a DZ licensed driver you can:
- Drive a vehicle over 11,000 kg (eg. fire & rescue truck, crane truck, dump truck, cement truck)
- Pull a trailer under 4,600 kg
Learn about an occupation
To explore occupations in Canada’s trucking and logistics sector, visit these job profile reports on Job Bank – the leading source of jobs and labour market information in the country. Each report includes information about wages, career prospects, skills, job requirements and more.
- Managers in transportation
- Supervisors, supply chain, tracking and scheduling co-ordination occupations
- Transportation route and crew schedulers
- Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks
- Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators
- Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
- Longshore workers
- Transport truck drivers
- Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
- Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs
- Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
- Material handlers
- Dispatchers
Information for employers
If you operate a fleet, here are some resources to help you attract, retain, and train employees.
- Resources from the Government of Canada including:
- Job Bank - Advertise your trucking jobs for free and reach the right candidates through several job boards across Canada
- the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy which can help you find young job seekers
- your Regional Development Agency
- financing options from the Government of Canada