The truck driving profession is facing a shortage crisis in Canada. And the manner in which truck drivers are treated at facilities is one reason why.
Attracting prospective drivers to serve customers’ diverse and ever-expanding transportation needs is becoming a huge challenge. With freight demand increasing across North America and capacity tightening, buying power is swinging in truck drivers’ favour – giving them not only more choice of who they work for, but also which customers they want to serve.
<< click link below for ‘Customer of Choice’ infographic to send to shippers and supply chain partners >> Operation Upgrade
The Ontario Trucking Association recently completed Operation Upgrade – a six-month campaign to find out how truck drivers are treated at shipping and receiving facilities and measure their level of satisfaction with their carriers’ customers.
The above .pdf infographic highlights the results of the campaign – and the implications for the supply chain. Two videos are also imbedded in the infographic. The first is a white board video which illustrates the issue of driver treatment and shows businesses how they can become preferred ‘customers of choice’ – ensuring them transportation capacity throughout the driver shortage. The second video profiles a young Canadian Sikh truck driver who discusses his love for the job while sharing insight about truck driver maltreatment and discrimination. (check out both videos directly below).
“We asked drivers to speak up about what they were experiencing at certain facilities and this communication package encapsulates their sentiments,” says Marco Beghetto, VP, Communication at OTA. “There’s no single cure-all for the driver shortage. But at the very least treating truck drivers with respect, like the professionals they are, can go a long way. We recommend that carriers forward this package to their customers and supply chain partners to hopefully begin a dialogue on these issues.”
OTA would like to thank The Canadian Sikh Association and Interstate Freight System (IFS) in Brampton for helping to make the videos possible.
