Truck drivers are now eligible for Express Entry

Canada is experiencing a shortage of truck drivers due to pandemic layoffs and an aging workforce.

This week Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released the NOC 2021 and added 16 new occupations to the list of professions eligible for Express Entry. Truck driving is among them due to significant labour shortages within the sector. NOC 2021 is a revision of Canada’s National Occupation Classification (NOC) system.

A shortage of truck drivers

The industry is facing an acute shortage of skilled workers due to several factors including layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a high rate of retirement. According to the 2021 Labour Market Snapshot of Trucking HR Canada, there were 18,000 vacant positions in the truck driving sector in Canada in the second quarter of 2021.

Truck driving is a vital component of Canada’s supply chain and has a heavy impact on the national economy when there are disruptions and labour shortages.

The report says that in Canada, the trucking and logistics industry moves over $850 billion in products to domestic and export markets. Even before the onset of the global pandemic, the Forest Products Association of Canada estimated that the truck driver shortage was costing the industry approximately $450 million in lost productivity.