Immigrating to Ontario: A Successful Career as a Truck Driver

Are you wondering about the career choices in Ontario, Toronto? You have come to the right place!

Let us discuss truck driving as a career. This might seem crazy but, truck driving or “trucking” is emerging as a successful industry. In fact, there is a huge demand for truck drivers these days!

Why are Truck Drivers in Demand?

This is the first question which needs to be answered when talking about the ever-growing opportunities in the trucking industry.

• Transportation of raw materials and finished products:
  Studies show that the preferred mode of transport for moving raw materials and finished goods is by road. This, in turn, means that transportation by trucks is given a lot of importance.
• Increasing online shopping:
  This is the digital era! Naturally, everyone favors online shopping. Since the preferred mode of transportation of all goods is via trucks, the demand for truck drivers has increased.

What is the Salary for a Truck Driver or a Transport Operator?

The salary of a transport operator depends on four factors.

• The number of hours spent on the road.
• Distance covered: whether it is a localized delivery or a long-haul delivery.
• The size of the vehicle.
• Experience of the operator.
• Generally, the annual salary varies from $40,000 to $75,000 depending on the above-mentioned factors. It can also go up to $1000,000 per year considering special factors like shortage of truck drivers.

What are the Qualifications Required?

As per Canada Immigration guide, the following minimum requirements must be satisfied.

• Age: Minimum 25 years and maximum 55 years.
• Language: English or French.
• Others: Should be drug-free, have a clean sheet in terms of police records for the past 5 years (except speeding offenses), and driving license must have a history of accident-free record for the past 4 years.

Apart from meeting the minimum requirements, you must have experience in carrying out the following majority duties.

• Drive trucks weighing over 4600 kg with three or more axles.
• Inspect the truck properly prior to any trips, check and analyze all aspects of the vehicle, act appropriately in case of any roadside emergencies, and obtain special permits whenever required.
• Maintain proper logbook with the necessary information regarding the cargo, time and distance of the trip, fuel consumption and so forth.
• Talk to the required person using the provided mode of communication, work well as a team, and transport hazardous products.
• Drive special purpose trucks like tow trucks, hydrovac trucks, etc.

Why Should You Choose Truck Operator as a Career?

When choosing a career path, you must always analyze all its advantages.

• Work independence:
  It is indeed a plus point that you will not have “the boss” watching all your activities 24*7. Of course, you have to maintain a detailed logbook, but that is not the same as having your work monitored continuously.
• Traveling:
  This is a bonus you will gain. Being a truck driver, you will get to move around a lot. Apart from the adventure, and pleasure of traveling, you can use this opportunity to your advantage by making new contacts.
• No specific working hours:
  In this field, you do not have the fixed office hours. You have the benefit of flexitime! You can choose a localized trip or a long-haul of, say, a week or even more.
• New job opportunities:
  After gaining enough experience as a truck operator, you can also become a freight broker.
  Better yet:
  You can become the owner with complete freedom. You will be your own owner!
• Economic influence:
  It might come as a surprise to you but, economy influences trucking! Recent studies show that with the anticipated economic advancement of the country, the requirement for raw materials, food, and other products will increase. This, in turn, will create a demand for transportation by trucks.

Now, you might be wondering:

How Safe is Trucking?

Even though it is widely believed that trucking is an unsafe job, the truth is that the government regulations and industry standards make the safety of the truck operators a high priority.

Let’s face it, one major calamity will bring disrepute to the entire trucking company. This is why the safety of the truck drivers is given a lot of importance.

After the perusal of the gist of trucking as a career, if you have any queries, contact our professionals on 416 222 4190. S&A Sprint Driving School Toronto, will provide you with many programs and courses to become a successful truck operator.