To become a truck driver in Canada, you must have a valid truck driver’s license in your home province. To obtain this license, you must fulfil the basic requirements and go through the training and licensing process. In general, you must: be at least 18 years old, have completed high school or the equivalent, hold a valid full provincial driver’s license, pass a vision test, submit a valid medical report, pass a knowledge test about operating large trucks and tractor-trailers, and pass a road test using a vehicle that meets the requirements for a Class A license. (Also keep language requirements in ming if you are new to Canada, and avail yourself of ESL classes on offer if needed to qualify for a training program.)

Additionally, you must receive your air brake endorsement if you will be driving a truck that operates with air brakes. This is the ‘Z’ component of the ‘AZ’ license. You can check out Canada’s best truck driving schools to learn more and evaluate leading education providers.

To land your first job as a truck driver, you must fulfil all the above, have a clean driving record, present your commercial driver’s license (CDL) and complete a company road test. Companies may require you to undergo additional training, which may take several weeks and may require you to get paid at a training rate.

It’s important and helpful that you know which type of truck driving role you will be seeking, at least initially. This way you can ensure that you have the knowledge required and have obtained any necessary supporting documentation prior to applying for a job. This will increase your chance for success.

Specific certification may be required for certain driving jobs. For instance, transportation of dangerous goods certification is required for roles that involve hauling hazardous freight.

Canada Job Bank has an overview and directory of the varying Truck Driver licensing requirements by province.

Explore the AZ License (Ontario) or Class 1 License (outside of Ontario). 

To learn more about specific requirements for any trucking job, look up a trucking company that sounds interesting, call them and ask to speak to the recruiting manager. This person is well equipped to answer any questions you have about working for that company, including all the steps required to land your first job there.

If you are a newcomer to Canada, you may be eligible for trucker driver training under a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), in the province where you settle. These programs aim to recruit skills needed within the labour market. Most of the provinces prioritize truck drivers as an in-demand occupation. Ask your government liaison how you may apply for trucker training under the PNP.

There is certainly a truck driver stereotype: middle-aged, male, mechanically inclined, blue-collar, etc. Many in the industry fit this mold, but many don’t. Truck drivers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, which can include just about every profession imaginable. Often people choose trucking as a second career. They employ abilities and training that they gained in their previous profession, including a range of technical and communications skills. Of course, a great attitude and willingness to learn goes a very long way to achieving success. So does flexibility and an even temper.

In general, there are five areas that constitute the skills, knowledge and attributes required to be a successful truck driver:

Safe Driving: A steady hand at the wheel is the most fundamental attribute a truck driver can have. The ability to keep the truck centred in your lane at all times is critical to keeping yourself and the driving public safe. Similarly, the knack for completing safe turns and lane changes is essential. You must constantly be aware of traffic patterns, obstructions, speed limit changes and unexpected situations. For example, you’re driving into a small town where there will be several speed limit changes, schools, busy and not so busy streets, construction zones, commercial areas, parks, etc. It’s your job to focus on what’s in front of you, follow all street signs and react quickly to sudden movements by other vehicles and pedestrians. Specifically, in a school zone, children are moving about quickly and likely not paying attention to your truck. It’s your job to anticipate their movements and keep clear of their path.

Problem Solving: Trucking requires you to identify an issue, assess potential causes and choose the best available solution. For example: you’re driving in a hilly or mountainous area and the roads are narrow and winding, and you are veering into oncoming lanes whenever there is big curve in the road. You see an exit that will take you off your current route and onto wider, straighter roads. Taking this exit may mean adding time onto your trip but it is the safer choice. This may seem to be a simple solution to a potentially dangerous situation but it requires significant problem-solving ability.

Communication: As a truck driver, you will spend a lot of time alone. Yet, you will be communicating with a variety of people including dispatchers, customers, shipping and receiving staff and other drivers. Your company expects you to convey important details about your freight and potential issues with your pickup or delivery. The ability to keep calm and communicate issues will be helpful to getting back on the road quickly and efficiently. Talking with other drivers often helps you learn the best route to take or areas (such as small crowded truck stops) to avoid.

Mechanics: You’re in a highly mechanical profession now and everything you have learned about how vehicles work could come in handy. You won’t be required to perform major repairs but it definitely helps to know a quick temporary fix. For example, sometimes a simple tape job on a small airline leak can allow you to drive to the nearest truck service centre for repairs. Getting your truck to a service centre instead of requesting a roadside visit is the safest option. It also saves your company the considerable expense of sending a mechanic to you.

Research: There’s a lot you are required to know in trucking. Then, there’s a ton of other information that you can simply look up as you go. Before you head into an unfamiliar province or state, you will want to know their specific rules and regulations for driving and hauling freight. You don’t want to be caught unaware of laws that could end up costing you a significant fine. You can look up so much these days with a simple online search: truck stops and rest areas with the largest parking capacity, nearest repair centres for your truck make and model, upcoming weather, customer location and operating hours plus contact information, and so on.

Beyond logging limitless miles on the highways and bi-ways of North America, there are a variety of options for someone looking to get into the trucking industry. Firstly, there are truck driving jobs outside the realm of a tractor-trailer: dump truck driver, moving van driver, shunt truck driver and tow truck driver. There are also a number of other roles that don’t involve driving a truck at all. These roles typically support the transportation of goods via the big rigs. Many former truck drivers transition into these roles for a variety of reasons. Some seek more home time; others don’t enjoy long hours of driving any more. These positions include:

Dispatcher: This person directs the fleets and individual vehicles. They locate the freight that will be picked up and delivered, and they create the route plans for this freight. This includes deciding which drivers will take which freight to which cities and towns.

Safety Manager / Recruiting Officer / Driver Liaison: These positions may be collected under one supervisory role or they may be separate roles. The safety manager is responsible for ensuring that all company drivers meet their safety goals and responsibilities. The recruiting officer interviews and screens potential new hires, then orients drivers with the company. The driver liaison communicates directly with drivers, fields their concerns and redirects these concerns to company owners and other office staff.

Forklift Operator: This person works in the warehouse or manufacturing facility. They transport heavy materials to and from shelves, delivery trucks and across the production floor. They work with the dispatcher and office staff to track freight and inventory, and ensure quality control and safety procedures. This role typically requires forklift operator’s certification, which the employer often provides. They can work inside or outside, and often a combination of the two. This role is typically full-time.

Warehouse Worker: This person supports the smooth functioning of a warehouse by assuming a variety of roles including picking merchandise from trucks and shelves, tracking numbers for parts and materials and packing orders for shipping. They typically work in an indoor environment and may be employed full or part-time. This position doesn’t usually require post-secondary education or any advanced specialized training.

Mechanic: This position is highly specialized and mechanical, and requires years of training, experience and certification. A mechanic is responsible for all repairs and maintenance of the trucks in a company’s fleet, and typically does much of the work themself, in the mechanic’s shop at the trucking company headquarters. A mechanic can also work at a specialized facility where trucking companies outsource their most major or urgent repairs. A mechanic typically has a deep mechanical background and aptitude, different certifications in specific vehicle repairs and at least a high school education.

Equipment Operator: This person uses mechanical and electrical equipment and vehicles to perform a variety of functions, usually in a construction setting. The machines/vehicles they operate include bulldozers, excavators and tractors. This role requires a large amount of care and precision, similar to driving a tractor-trailer. Operators usually work full-time in an outdoor setting and have advanced training or certification related to their specific equipment or vehicles.

Driving Instructor: Any and all trucks being operated for commercial purposes require a significant number of hours of driver instruction. This instruction is often provided by former drivers with thousands of driving hours under their belts. A truck driving instructor assesses the performance of prospective drivers, prepares classroom materials and performs driving tests. They don’t require any specific training or certification beyond having a valid AZ license and a clean driving record. They can work full or part-time and work indoors, in the trucking yard and inside the truck (alongside their student drivers).

You will work a combination of indoors and outdoors. You will, of course, be indoors in your truck when you are driving. You will also be indoors when you are visiting customers and are inside their factory or warehouse, checking in or completing paperwork, or even assisting in the loading or unloading and freight securement process. You are outdoors when you are loading or unloading in a parking lot, when a customer doesn’t have a dock or when you are a flatbed trucker.

The outdoor air in a place where there are many trucks (trucking company yard, industrial complexes, factories, warehouses, truck stops, rest areas) is filled with diesel fuel exhaust or contaminants. It’s best to take care and prevent overexposure.

You will often have long work days that can start before the sun rises and sometimes last until after the sun sets. Within these hours, you will be preparing your truck for your day’s trip and completing a safety inspection. In the middle – encompassing most of your work hours – you are driving to and from destinations, and waiting for your trailer to be loaded and unloaded.

Your workday consists of tight schedules that must be met with the ever-present risk of delay due to a variety of events, including delays in loading and unloading, inclement weather, road construction, traffic accidents, your truck breakdown and office processes (e.g. your border crossing paperwork isn’t ready).

It helps to be a hermit. The life of a trucker, especially a long-distance trucker, is often a life of solitude. You are alone for many hours at a time and are independent, free to make your own decisions. Inside the comfort of your cab, you are free to set the seating, the temperature, the radio and the lighting to your liking. You are often free to make phone calls. You can be as clean or cluttered as you choose and you can put your stuff anywhere you want.

Physically, you are living a blue-collar life. You will wear comfortable clothing that you aren’t afraid to get dirty. You will be spending a lot of time at factories and warehouses, plus rest areas and truck stops. You won’t have easy access to the comforts of home such as running water and food preparation facilities. There’s no bathroom or kitchen in your truck. You will have to make do.

As a long-haul trucker, you’re doing ‘glamorous camping,’ or glamping. You could have a few comforts of home, depending on what’s built into your truck, what your company provides or what you are willing to pay for yourself. Typically, every sleeper cab comes with a decent radio and sound system, heating and air conditioning, adjustable seating, plenty of lighting, a roomy sleeper berth and a good amount of storage space. Typically, companies will provide a comfortable mattress for you to sleep on. Many companies provide a fridge. A few companies may go so far as to pay for a satellite radio subscription. These things vary.

You will need to provide pretty much everything else that you require for your trips, including kitchen accessories (microwave, kettle, utensils), electronics (cell phone and all peripherals, laptop, TV) and of course all your own food, clothing and personal care items.

Your work life can be reasonably comfortable except that you will constantly be looking for a bathroom. A portable or camping toilet isn’t many people’s idea of fun so it helps to be aware of this inconvenience and be prepared for it.

Your overnight experience requires planning and patience. Truck stops and rest areas can be crowded and noisy. If possible, you may want to stay away from urban areas and small truck stops. Over time, you will find a process that works best for you. For example, you can shower later in the evening when truck stop showers are more readily available. Also, you could bring most of your week’s food with you so that you don’t constantly need to buy food on the road. Fast food can be expensive and not very nutritious. Parking at industrial complexes is another option for a quieter atmosphere. Additionally, some customers will allow you to park overnight on their property.

The places you will visit – for pickups and deliveries – are highly varied and have their own unique obstacles. Many have small parking lots that are cluttered with containers, pallets, steel and wood objects and employees’ parked cars. Trucks are often coming and going all day long.

These obstacles and challenges differ depending on the type of driving you are doing. For instance, a day driver or regional driver goes home every night and sleeps in their own bed, eats dinner at home and gets to see their family every day.

Then there’s the scenery. Often you will pass through areas that are beautiful and nature-laden. These occasions make the drive enjoyable. Time passes quickly and you may be reminded why you chose to become a trucker. At night, you may stay at a rest area that’s nestled against the mountainside. The air may be clean and invigorating. You won’t want to leave make a mental note to return when possible.

You can make a good living as a professional truck driver. Your total pay package, hourly or weekly rate, or salary depends greatly on the type of trucking job you are doing and your experience. If you are willing to put in the time and effort, drive long hours, and are willing to be away from home for extended periods, with just a few years of experience you can make upwards of $80,000 to over $100,000.

Your pay in the trucking industry can be organized in a variety of ways. Typically, long haul drivers who travel across the border to the U.S. are paid a per mile rate, with an additional pre-determined rate per pickup and delivery (often colloquially referred to as picks and drops). Drivers may also receive additional pay for waiting time at customers, delays due to breakdowns, safety bonuses, performance incentives and other pay. Remuneration typically depends on your company’s policies and pay structure.

According to the Government of Canada’s Job Bank website, as of November 2022, truck drivers in Canada earned a median rate of $24.00 an hour, with a low of $16.50 and a high of $33.72. These rates vary greatly depending on area and community. The highest hourly rates are in British Columbia and Alberta, plus Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Meanwhile, Indeed Canada reports that the average truck driver salary in Canada is $77,187 as of March 2023.

The highest paying truck driver jobs tend to be specialized and require several years of experience plus additional training and certification. They include ice road drivers, oversized load drivers, specialty vehicle haulers, team drivers, private fleet drivers, mining industry drivers, liquid and tanker drivers, and Hazmat drivers.

Team drivers earn higher rates because they operate as pat of a duo. Two drivers in the same truck mean that truck is operating 24 hours a day and each driver takes their turn at the wheel. The physical demands of this arrangement mean each driver earns considerably more than an individual driver.

Owner Operators typically are the highest earners because they own their own trucks and trailers and are responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of their vehicles. Because they take the greatest amount of risk, they get the highest rate of reward. Owner operators can earn far in excess of $100,000 a year.

The massive driver shortage pervading North America has been greatly influential in increasing truck driver pay. Every company needs drivers to move freight and most are willing to offer a good rate, plus benefits, to a driver who has some experience and a clean driving record. That clean driving record means being relatively free of incidents and infractions. It is your key to obtaining and keeping a good-paying truck driving job.

Source: Indeed