Why You Should Become a Long-Haul Truck Driver

Trucking is an industry that offers tons of career opportunities and growth. One of the most sought-after types of commercial drivers is for long-haul routes. Long-haul truck driving is a challenging but rewarding career that can offer many benefits. Here are some reasons you should consider becoming a long-haul truck driver, according to our recruitment experts at Nova Driver Services.

 

Competitive Pay

It often surprises people how much money they can make as a commercial driver, especially as a long-haul trucker. Long-haul truck drivers can earn a competitive salary, with many drivers earning over $50,000 per year. Some companies also offer bonuses for safe driving or other performance metrics, which can increase your earning potential even more.

 

Job Security

The trucking industry is always looking for qualified drivers. The demand for long-haul truckers is high, and the industry is projected to grow in the coming years. This means that there are plenty of job opportunities available, especially if you are efficient and experienced. You’ll be able to enjoy job security and stability throughout your career.

 

Travel Opportunities

One of the biggest perks of becoming a long-haul driver is that it allows you to travel across the country and see new places. You’ll get the opportunity to explore different regions, meet new people, and experience the unique cultures of different areas. So if you have the travel bug but also want a stable career, trucking might be the right fit for you!

 

Independence and Flexibility

If the thought of being micromanaged by your boss sounds terrible, the independence and flexibility of being a long-haul truck driver might appeal to you. Long-haul routes do require commitment and time away from home, but experienced drivers get a lot of independence in making their schedules and selecting their routes. You also have the benefit of working without someone watching you at every moment.

 

Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, trucking fleets also offer their drivers benefit packages. These benefits can include medical, dental, and vision insurance and retirement benefits. This can provide peace of mind and help you stay healthy and productive on the job and feel set for your life after you’re done working.

 

Quick Career

You’ll be hard-pressed to find another career that offers such great pay and benefits without needing a high-education degree. Starting a career in trucking is easier than you’d think. You can get started with very few steps and start making great money right away.

 

If you’re interested in starting a career as a long-haul trucker or are looking for new trucking jobs, check out our online job board or contact us today! Our hiring experts at Nova Driver Services work with some of Canada’s top companies and trucking fleets and are ready to help you find your next position.

 

What is a FAST Driver?

If you’re interested in starting a lucrative career as a commercial truck driver, one aspect to consider is whether or not you want to do cross-border trucking across the U.S.-Canada border. These jobs pay higher than strictly local or domestic jobs. However, fleets often want FAST-approved or eligible drivers to take on these jobs. So, what exactly is a FAST driver, and how do you know whether you’re eligible to apply? Our driver recruitment experts at Nova Driver Services break it down for you.

What is FAST?

The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program is a commercial clearance program for low-risk shipments entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. This program is meant to help expedite the shipping process for commercial carriers entering the United States from land border ports. In order to participate in the FAST program, every part of the supply chain, from manufacturers to fleets to drivers, must be certified under the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program.

Who is eligible to become a FAST driver?

There are a few qualifications in order to be eligible for the FAST program. Only drivers that are U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian citizens, Canadian lawful permanent residents, and Mexico nationals are eligible to apply for FAST membership. All applicants must be 18 years or older and possess a valid driver’s license as well.

What are the reasons for FAST program ineligibility?

Even if drivers meet all of the eligibility criteria, they may still be denied approval into the FAST program. Applicants that provide false information, have convictions or pending criminal charges, have previous customs or immigration violations in any country, are subjects to an ongoing investigation, or are inadmissible to the U.S. under immigration regulations are deemed ineligible.

What are the benefits of being a FAST driver?

Becoming a FAST driver has tons of advantages and can advance your commercial driving career. Not only do FAST drivers go through border customs faster, but carriers are always looking for FAST-approved drivers meaning you’ll have more job opportunities and can earn more!

If you’re a FAST driver looking for work, contact Nova Driver Services or check out our online job board. Our driver recruitment experts are always looking to fill positions at some of Canada’s top fleets.

6 Major Recruitment Mistakes Employers Commonly Make

A company is only as good as its employees but finding and hiring the right people for the job isn’t always easy. It’s not that the talent isn’t out there. Often, companies make some common recruitment mistakes. Here are some things to avoid doing, according to the experts at our hiring agency.

Not Defining Your Ideal Candidate

If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you won’t know how or if you’ve found it. Before you post a job opening, take the time to determine what you’re looking for in a candidate. Defining skills and experience is important, but also consider what personality traits would make someone successful in the role.

Not Looking Internally

Sometimes the best person for the job is already working for you! Hiring externally is a good way to add fresh blood to the office, but internal hires have the advantage of already knowing the company. Promoting internally is a great way to show others there is career growth within the company, and it rewards loyal, hardworking employees.

Making the Hiring Process Too Complicated

A lot of companies forget that hiring is a two-way street. Your business is looking to attract quality talent, but job seekers are also evaluating your company to see if they want to work there. Making the hiring process too long or complicated is a quick way to show candidates you’re not really serious about finding someone. Good hires are in hot demand, and making them jump through a lot of hoops isn’t likely to appeal to them.

Taking Too Long or Rushing

Finding the right person for a job opening can take time. Rushing the process might fill the opening sooner, but it could result in your hiring the wrong person and having to do the process over again. On the other hand, taking too long is equally as detrimental. You can’t expect quality candidates to sit around waiting forever to hear if they’ve gotten the position. A long hiring process also puts additional strain and stress on the team already in place. Be mindful of your hiring timeline.

Not Thinking About the Job Posting

Many companies make the mistake of thinking of the interview as the first impression, but it’s really the job posting. A good job posting should tell the candidate everything they need to know about the job and company. Be sure to include things such as what your company does, what the job entails, what you’re looking for in a candidate, and how they can apply.

Not Utilizing Help

Recruiting is a skill, and if your company doesn’t have a dedicated department for it, you should consider outsourcing help. The hiring process can be long and time-consuming. Rather than taking time away from other duties, let the hiring experts like Nova Staffing do it for you. Recruitment agencies have the skills and experience needed to find quality candidates within your timeline.

If you need recruitment help, contact Nova Staffing today. Our team of hiring experts has over 200 years of combined industry experience, and we’re ready to fulfill any open job positions you have.

Canada-U.S. Border Saw $35B in Truck Shipments

Trucks move the majority of goods between Canada and the United States, and they transported over $35 billion in freight across the border in October 2022. Trucks moved US$35.1 billion in goods, accounting for more than half of the $65.4 billion transborder freight.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the trucking industry also moved $48.2 billion in freight across the U.S.-Mexico border. Combined with Canada-U.S., this marked a 12.9% increase in North America’s transborder truck freight compared to 2021.

The report also highlighted the top three truck ports along the Canada-U.S. border, including Detroit, Michigan ($10.2 billion), Port Huron, Michigan ($5.8 billion), and Buffalo, New York ($5.8 billion). All three of these land ports accessed through Ontario, making them popular crossings for Canada-U.S. day trip truckers. The top three commodities moved by truck across the border included computers and parts ($5.7 billion), vehicles and parts ($4.7 billion), and electrical machinery ($2.4 billion).

The remaining shipments across the Canada-U.S. border were moved by pipelines ($10.3 billion), rail ($9.2 billion), air ($3.3 billion), and vessels ($3.2 billion). The value of oil increased by 7.4% between October 2022 and October 2021, contributing to the increased use of pipelines and vessels.

Transportation and trucking continue to be important industries in the U.S. and Canada. With rising demand and a need for qualified drivers, there are tons of lucrative career opportunities for those interested. If you’re interested in truck driving positions, contact Nova to avail job from driver recruitment agency services or check out our online job board.

3 Skillsets Driver Recruitment Agencies Look for in Hires

Commercial trucking is a highly lucrative career path. Trucking is an integral part of the global supply chain, and drivers are in high demand right now. This means that truck drivers are experiencing job security and pay rates like never before. While driving is a crucial part of the job, it’s not the only skill set our employment experts at Nova Driver Services are looking for when hiring new candidates. Here are some skillsets that driver recruitment agencies look for and that you should hone to stand out from the competition.

 

Reliability

It cannot be understated how vital trucking is in the global supply chain. In fact, around 90% of all goods in Canada are delivered by truck. Even goods shipped by rail, air, or sea are eventually moved to their final destinations by trucks. Given how much the transportation of goods, and the economy by extension, relies on trucks, trucking fleets only want to hire candidates they can rely on. This means being there when you said you would and doing what you’re supposed to. Drivers aren’t sitting at a desk under the watchful eye of a manager. There is a degree of independence and responsibility with the job, which is why reliability is so important.

 

Organization

Many driver candidates are surprised when our hiring experts ask about skills such as time management and organization. After all, don’t drivers just drive? Not really. Driving is, of course, a huge part of the job. But drivers are also responsible for keeping track of everything they’re transporting. There are lots of vital documents and pieces of information that commercial truck drivers have to keep organized. This includes applicable licenses, permits, inventories, invoices, paperwork, and more. Drivers also have to keep track of personal information such as hours worked, receipts for meals and fuel, and paperwork for repairs or maintenance on the vehicle. Many in the industry would argue that organization is the most important skill set to have.

 

Mechanics

One question our driver recruitment agency gets is, “do I need mechanical skills to be a commercial truck driver”? The answer is- yes and no. No fleet will expert their drivers to have all of the skills of a fully licensed and experienced mechanic. However, all truck drivers should have some basic mechanical knowledge of their trucks. Having some mechanical knowledge is helpful in emergency situations or with minor repairs so that you don’t have to wait for help. While some fleets don’t like drivers to work on the vehicles for liability reasons, it’s still crucial for commercial drivers to have enough mechanical knowledge to be able to identify and diagnose if there is an issue.

 

Are you interested in starting a lucrative career as a commercial truck driver? Contact Nova Driver Services today to talk with one of our driver recruitment experts, or check out our online job board!

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!

4 Reasons to Become a Commercial Driver

Are you looking to start a new career? Consider becoming a commercial truck driver! Drivers have a ton of job opportunities and are always highly sought after. At Nova Driver Services, we always have companies coming to us ready to offer competitive salaries and benefits to qualified drivers. Still not convinced? Here are just a few of the best reasons to become a commercial driver.

 

Job Security

Commercial drivers are a hot commodity. There has been a truck driver shortage for a few years now, which means that companies are willing to do a lot to secure and keep the best in the business. If you’re a qualified commercial driver with a clean record, you can rest easy knowing your job will be safe and that there will always be opportunities available to you.

 

Lucrative Career

People are often surprised to learn how much money commercial drivers can make. The average truck driver makes about $46,886 per year in Canada, with entry-level positions starting at around $39,000. This only goes up the longer you work, and many companies offer lucrative benefit packages as well. Salary will depend on the type of driver you are, what routes you drive, which company you work for, how experienced you are, and the load you haul.

 

Variety of Opportunities

When people hear commercial drivers, they often think of long-haul drivers that are on the road for weeks on time. There are actually a variety of commercial driver jobs available. There are many different routes, such as cross-border, last-mile, local, and regional routes. There are also different types of haul you can specialize in, such as dry bed, reefer trailers, auto haulers, tankers, flatbeds, or hazardous materials.

 

Quick Training 

Commercial driving doesn’t require any sort of extensive education or training. Most companies ask for a high school diploma at most. Those interested in this industry will need to have some kind of certification, though. Most commercial driver jobs require AZ or CZ licenses. Check out our complete guide to Ontario driver’s licenses to learn more.

 

Are you looking for work as a commercial driver? Contact us or check out our online job listings! Our team of hiring experts at Nova Staffing is ready to find you the perfect position.

 

6 Qualities Driver Recruitment Agencies Look for in Candidates

Truck drivers are in high demand in Canada right now. From long-haul truckers to last-mile delivery drivers, qualified drivers are some of the most sought-after people for companies right now. But what exactly do companies look for when hiring new drivers? As one of Toronto’s top driver recruitment agencies, here are a few qualities our hiring experts look for.

 

Reliable

Reliability is one of the top qualities all drivers should have. The majority of goods in Canada are moved by truck, and with people relying on deliveries more than ever due to COVID-19, it’s incredibly important to hire people you can depend on. Companies need to be able to count on drivers to arrive when scheduled, follow their routes, and make their deliveries in a timely and efficient manner.

 

Good Driving Record

It goes without saying that drivers need to have a clean driving record. This is one of the first things any driver recruitment agency will look at. Companies want to ensure they’re hiring safe and responsible drivers. In addition to a clean record, drivers should have all of their updated licenses and will probably have to pass a drug test.

 

Communication

Communication is critical in the transportation industry. No matter what type of driver you are, you’ll have to be able to effectively talk with shippers, carriers, dispatchers, clients, and more. Companies want to know that drivers can effectively communicate if an issue arises. Good communication also makes it easier for managers and co-workers to work together.

 

Alert

There is a reason commercial drivers have to undergo extra training and certification compared to normal drivers. Commercial vehicles like trucks are typically much heavier and larger than normal vehicles and can cause much more damage. Drivers must always be alert and responsive to driving conditions on the road. People that easily get distracted when driving don’t make for good hires.

 

Truck Mechanics

Drivers don’t have to be full-blown mechanics, but all drivers should know the basics of truck operations and maintenance. This means being able to perform basic emergency repairs such as changing a tire. Driver recruitment agencies also look for candidates that know how to read all the gauges, dials, and other indicators of a functioning vehicle.

 

Experience

Experience is one of the top things any driver recruitment agency will look at. While having a ton of experience isn’t necessary to land the job, it certainly does help. Experienced commercial drivers know the business and are usually better at handling any issues that arise and the stress of the job.

 

Looking to hire qualified drivers? Contact Nova Staffing today! We’re one of the top driver employment agencies in the GTA and have a team of staffing experts ready to help.