How To Become a Truck Driver in Canada from India - GetGIS

Truck transport is the second most hit sector and truck drivers are the current most in demand. Are you considering Canada immigration as a trucker? This might just be the right time!

Canada is at its stage of facing a history of labor shortage across the nation, to cure which the Canadian government has been Iterating immigration rules to ensure that the country can imbibe the most expats from around the world.

The economic gateways to Canada have been ever-active in selecting candidates in high volumes. The latest draw by Ontario held on January 31, 2023, had sent out 611 EOI to foreign workers under the OINP program.

High Demand for Truck drivers in Canada

Statistics Canada quotes that the vacancies for truck transportation are currently at 8.7% (Q3-Q4 2022). It has also been estimated total there are more than 50,000 vacancies for truck drivers across the nation. The Labor Supply is making a forecast that around 36,000 workers will retire between 2019 and 23 along with an additional 100,000 vacancies by people leaving jobs for non-retirement reasons. Having said that the logistics sector what’s sure requires more support and an efficient workforce to tackle this shortage forecasted.

(*source: Labor Market Information)

Even before the pandemic broke truck transportation was a segment that was witnessing high shortages which even caused to incur a loss of more the $450 million to the industry.

Hence, immigration minister Sean Fraser confirmed the truck drivers’ eligibility to participate in express entry with along the implementation of the new NOC codes. These new NOC codes have taken effect from November 16 and now the occupation class of these drivers has been upgraded to skilled (NOC 7511/73300) which was previously semi-skilled. This certainly is great news for truck drivers willing to immigrate to Canada.

How to Immigrate as a truck driver to Canada successfully?

You can successfully migrate to Canada as a truck driver through the economic gateways of Canadian immigration. These gateways include

• Express Entry

As we are aware that express entry is the most preferred gateway for Canadian immigration under the programs federal skilled workers program, federal skilled trades program, and Canadian experience class. The candidates in the express entry pool need to score the minimum cut-off CRS score to be eligible for participating in the draw.

In order for you to immigrate to Canada under express entry create your profile and ensure to specify the province or territory you want to nominate yourself. On receiving the notification of interest it is suggested to go ahead and contact the province directly in order to apply.

*Calculate your CRS score

• Provincial Nomination Program

Currently, we are aware that the highest number of Invitations to Apply are being sent out by the provinces under their PNP programs. It is also important for us to realize that the vacancies for truck drivers in Canada can vary depending on the province's requirements. However, it is important that you check the requirements and eligibility criteria specific to the province you would want to nominate yourself to.

Some provinces have specific programs to encourage truck drivers to come to welcome them to their province such as the Saskatchewan long haul truck driver project, etc. Ensure to be up to date with all the provinces-related updates to make sure that your move to Canadian immigration does not lapse.

• Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Last but not least Temporary Foreign Worker Program is another way to immigrate to Canada if you are wondering how to be a truck driver in Canada. Under this program, the visa holder gains temporary status which enables him to work in the nation with eligibility to gain Canada PR in the future.

In some cases to secure a visa under TFWP you might require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) which is issued by Employment and Social Development Canada briefing the impact of hiring a foreign national into the nation. The best part here is that the spouse of the applicant is eligible for work permits which makes their adjustment into the new country smoother.

What is the benefit of being a Canadian Truck driver?

There are numerous benefits of becoming a truck driver in Canada. These include

• Increasing shortage which in turn hikes the average hourly wages (27.65 CAD in Q3-Q4 2022)
• The benefit of variety and working with different industries. You get to be flexible with the delivery location whether are local, regional, or national deliveries.
• You don't need to pay out of your pockets to enjoy nature and landscapes. You would have your own sufficient time to live then without causing an expense to your pocket.
• High salaries - currently the average salary of a truck driver is between $35,000 - $60,000 which means great savings.
• Job Security - Since there is very high scarcity, hence chances are equal to zero in terms of losing your job.
• Another major benefit is you get to enjoy paid vacation and depending on the employer you also gain the benefit of insurance coverage.

Checklist for Canadian Truck driver

In order to apply for truck driver in Canada you would need to check your eligibility.

• Must have completed secondary school education
• Certificate of completion of an accredited driver training course (minimum of 3 months), through a vocational school or institute.
• Need to have a class 3 or class D license to drive straight-body trucks
• Need to have a class 1 or class A license to drive long combination vehicles.
• Drivers who operate Air brake vehicles need to have an Air brake endorsement (Z).
• Drivers transporting hazardous goods need to have a Transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) certificate.
• For driver-articulated trucks, subjective endorsements or certifications might be required.
• On-the-job training must be completed (generally provided by the employer).

Drive your way to success with GetGIS

Interested to be a truck driver in Canada, why wait further? Hire an immigration expert to guide you through immigration eligibility followed by successful visa acceptance.

GetGIS will not just help you with assisting you with queries but from the documentation, visa processing, to IELTS training being the rightful guide of your visa acceptance journey ensuring “your dream to immigrate a reality”.