A career in trucking is not what it used to be and the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association is trying to deliver that message as the industry copes with a severe labour shortage.
Executive director Jean-Marc Picard says there are good paying jobs in trucking and carriers have become more flexible in terms of a work and home balance.
“The average salary of a truck driver in New Brunswick is $55,000, so (starting out) you would probably earn a little bit below that. Every carrier is different but obviously the job has changed tremendously,” he notes.
Picard says the equipment is now more technology-savy and reliable and there are even semi-automated trucks.
He adds basic training lasts only 12 weeks and the majority of students who complete the course find work almost immediately.
