Best Cities for Trucking Jobs in Ontario

Are you interested in starting a career as a truck driver, or are you looking for a new trucking position? Smart move! Trucking is a lucrative career that has tons of exciting opportunities. Right now is a great time to branch into this industry as transportation companies are looking to hire quality commercial truck drivers. Here are some of the best Ontario cities to look in if you’re interested in commercial trucking, according to our driver hiring experts at Nova Driver Services!

 

Guelph

Located about an hour away from downtown Toronto, Guelph has a lot to offer and is one of the GTA’s fastest-growing suburbs. In addition to beautiful scenery, Guelph is also one of the top cities for commercial trucking jobs. On average, truck drivers make about $25.36 per hour. Of course, this depends entirely on experience, routes, and more, but that’s still above the provincial average.

 

Cambridge

Just a little bit away from Guelph is Cambridge, Ontario. Cambridge is an industrial city, even boasting a Toyota manufacturing plant. This makes it ideal for trucking jobs. In terms of salary, Cambridge comes in second in Ontario, where the average salary is around $24.34 per hour.

 

Hamilton

Halfway between Toronto and the Niagara region, Hamilton has become a popular commuting city for both areas. Traditionally, this city has heavy ties with manufacturing, making it a great city for trucking. Professional truckers can make about $24.29 an hour in Hamilton, putting it above the provincial average.

 

Barrie

North of Toronto sits Barrie, Ontario. It’s grown significantly over the past few years due to its close proximity to downtown and is home to some great trucking jobs. Truck drivers in Barrie make around $24.16 per hour on average.

 

Windsor

Windsor is known as the “Automotive Capital of Canada” and is a major contributor to Canada’s automotive industry. It’s also located across the river from Detroit, cementing its position as one of the most important cities for transportation. Professional truckers, on average, make $23.95 an hour.

 

Brampton

Brampton is known for its trucking opportunities, and its close proximity to downtown Toronto makes it an ideal location for those who want to enter the industry but don’t want to leave the GTA. Commercial truck drivers make, on average, around $23.92 an hour.

 

Mississauga

Mississauga is one of the biggest suburbs in the GTA. It’s the third most populous municipality in Ontario and is even home to the Toronto Pearson Airport. Truck drivers are set to make $23.14 an hour on average, making it a great city for people looking to start a trucking career that still wants to stay close to Toronto.

 

Ottawa

Canada’s capital has more than just politics. It’s also one of Ontario’s top cities for trucking jobs! Trucking jobs make around $23.14 an hour on average. So, not only will you get a lucrative job, but you’ll also get the benefit of being in the capital city.

 

Are you looking for a commercial trucking job in Ontario? Contact Nova Driver Services or check out our online job board!

How to Attract Quality Hires During the Truck Driver Shortage

It’s no secret to anyone in transportation that the industry faces a severe truck driver shortage. Reports have found that Canada is short around 25,000 truck drivers while the U.S. reports a shocking lack of around 60,000 drivers. Drivers are a vital part of North America’s supply chain, but finding quality candidates is hard despite many job openings. Trucking companies are in a heated competition to woo new drivers away from their competitors these days. According to our hiring experts at Nova Driver Services, here are some ways you can attract quality new hires despite the truck driver shortage!

 

Competitive Wage

Money is the top factor people consider when it comes to selecting a job. While most people would love to do something they’re passionate about, we all have bills to pay! If you want to stand out from other trucking companies hiring, you’ll have to offer competitive wages. Trucking is a demanding job, so you’ll have to make it worth any new hires’ time.

 

Quality Benefits

Don’t stop just at wages. Candidates these days are always looking at benefits packages when determining which company to go with. What sort of bonus, sick days, vacation days, and other perks do you offer? If you can’t compete on salary with other trucking companies, benefits are one area you can try to woo quality drivers with.

 

Flexibility & Balance

The pandemic highlighted many problems in the current working world, with a big one being work-life balance. The Great Resignation Canada and the U.S. have been feeling is in part due to a lack of balance and flexibility. While truck driving demands chunks of time, companies that encourage world-life balance and offer flexibility for routes and schedules will attract more workers than those that stand by the rigid, old way of operating.

 

Company Culture

A huge reason behind the truck driver shortage is that drivers felt like they weren’t respected. Drivers are a vital part of the global supply chain and integral to keeping Canada running during the pandemic, and they deserve respect and quality working conditions. If your company culture reflects this, you’ll attract quality drivers.

 

Training & Growth

One solution to a lack of quality drivers is to train them yourself! Another aspect of the driver shortage is that many commercial drivers are nearing retirement age. Appeal to young workers by offering them support in training and certification and clear growth paths once they’re hired. A big appeal to trucking is the long-term career opportunities. Young drivers are more likely to commit to this career if they feel supported and like they have a real future ahead of them.

 

Are you looking to hire quality drivers? Contact us today! Nova Driver Services is one of the top truck driver recruitment agencies in the GTA, and we’d be happy to help fill open positions in your company.

 

When to Renew Your Driving Documents

The transportation industry has tons of amazing career opportunities. In order to access them, you’ll have to have the necessary driving documents. Thankfully all you usually need is a record of driving training and the correct commercial driver’s license. While these aren’t too challenging to get, don’t make the mistake of letting them lapse. Our driver recruitment experts at Nova Staffing explain how often you need to renew all your driving documents so that you can keep on trucking!

 

Standard Driver’s License

Some transportation jobs just require a basic Ontario driver’s license. In this province, your license is valid for 5 years. After that time, you’ll have to renew it online or at a ServiceOntario centre. If you don’t renew before it expires, you may have to start the graduating system over again if you don’t have your full G yet or pay a fee to get a new one.

 

Commercial Driver’s License

Most commercial trucking jobs in Ontario require a special class of license, such as Class A, B, C, D, E, or F. These allow you to try specialty vehicles like tankers, semi-trucks, buses, and more. You will get a notice 90 days before your license expires in Ontario, either via e-mail or mail. Most licenses last five years before needing to be renewed.

 

Drivers under 80 with a class A, B, C, E, or F, and drivers over the age of 65 with a Class D license are required to pass a vision and knowledge test in order to renew their license. Class D drivers under the age of 65 are required to pass a vision and knowledge test to renew their license. Depending on their age, some commercial-class license holders will be required to periodically submit a medical report to maintain their license. Failure to do so will result in them being downgraded to a Class G license.  

 

How to Renew Commercial Driver’s License?

Unlike standard G-class driver’s licenses, commercial-class licenses cannot be renewed online at this time. If you are not required to take any tests, you must renew your commercial license in person at any ServiceOntario centre.

 

Take the form to any centre in the province. You will be asked to sign the form, show identification, pay a fee, and have a new photograph taken. You will get a temporary license on the spot, and a permanent one will be mailed to you. Carry the temporary one with you until the permanent one comes so that you can produce it if needed.

 

Are you looking for a lucrative commercial driving job? Contact Nova Driver Services today or check out our online job board! We’re one of the top driver recruitment agencies in the GTA, and our team of experts would be happy to help.

 

How Nova Driver Services Can Help Your Business

The transportation industry is one of the most vital ones in Canada, especially with the holiday season coming up. Having the right drivers working for your company can make all the difference in your business’s success. Finding qualified drivers isn’t always easy, though. That’s where a driver recruitment agency like Nova Staffing comes in! Here are a few ways our hiring experts at Nova Driver Services can help your business thrive and grow. 

 

Recruitment Made Easy

Recruitment isn’t a simple thing, especially for driver positions. Canada is dealing with a driver shortage, and there are many qualifications commercials drivers need to meet. Most trucking companies just don’t have the time necessary to find quality candidates to meet their needs. That’s where a driver recruitment agency comes in. At Nova Driver Services, we take care of the entire recruitment process. We craft job postings, vet resumes, and create a list of candidates we think would be best for your company. This leaves you time to focus on running your business! 

 

Curate Quality Candidates

One of the most time-consuming parts of recruitment is sifting through resumes and applications to find qualified candidates. The transportation industry is heavily regulated in Canada, and commercial drivers have to meet specific qualifications in order to be eligible for the job. Ontario commercial drivers need specific types of licenses, clear a background check, and complete a certain number of training hours. Our hiring experts at Nova Driver Services are well versed in screening driver candidates in these things, as well as assessing whether someone would fit within your company culture. We have the tools and experience to curate a list of quality candidates to find you the perfect hire efficiently!

 

Focus on Flexible Hiring

The transportation industry ebbs and flows, certain times of the year are busier than others. As the holiday season ramps up, trucking companies aren’t always looking for long-term hires. They often need to fill short-term, temporary, or seasonal positions. Nova Driver Services can help you focus on flexible hiring, finding qualified drivers when the workload picks up or when your full-time drivers are unavailable. Flexible hiring means you’ll never have to worry about being short-staffed, especially at crucial times. 

 

Are you looking for qualified drivers in Ontario? Contact Nova Staffing Driver Services today! Our team of HR experts is experienced in staffing driver positions. We even have a dedicated team ready to help companies fill driver jobs with qualified candidates.