Truck drivers sought as Atlantic Transportation and Logistics Show returns to Moncton

Recruitment signs are on display at this year’s Atlantic Transportation and Logistics Show at the Moncton Coliseum as the industry looks to get more drivers behind the wheel.

“As many as we can, obviously,” said Jason Hargraft with Midland Transport LTD after joking that he was looking for 2,000 new people. “We’re looking for quality over quantity, so if we got five or 10 amazing drivers we’d be happy with that.”

Adding, “we have a mix and opportunity for all different roles.”

The trucking industry has faced an uphill battle in the past three years. The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges never before seen and the price of diesel has been skyrocketing, however, officials at the expo say hiring new drivers is a top priority.

“Right now, we don’t really have a cap on cross-boarder drivers, but I would say that for every 10 people that I interview, I might hire one or two of them, so it does require a certain amount of experience,” said Sarah Ralph with Eassons Transportation.

She adds that Eassons also does a lot of screening prior to hiring to make sure that drivers would be a good fit long-term.

“It’s a challenge to attract drivers, to make sure that you’re using all the right tactics, getting people through the doors, making sure that your advertising correctly, but also, you know, just a diverse amount of candidates… having women in the trucking industry and making sure that there’s avenues for them to preform at their best,” she said.

Around 10,000 people are expected over the two-day show, which wraps up on Friday. Organizers say it’s an opportunity for the entire industry to move forward together.

“There’s obviously still some problems with the supply chain,” said the national show manager, Mark Cusack. “There’s obviously still some problems with the staffing, whether that be drivers or mechanics, but that’s part of the focus here is to see each other again after three years, shake hands and say, ‘You know what, how can we help out your company?’”

He says it’s the largest truck show east of Montreal and represents the four provinces.

This year also brought forward storage and other technology that goes hand-in-hand with the trucking industry.

“It’s very important to introduce a material handling component to warehousing logistics and we’re here representing all Canadian lines of doc equipment, shelving, racking, everything that helps you move product across a dock,” explained Jeremy Ricketts with Stor-It Systems. “The integration is important for trucking logistics and how you properly store raw materials or finished goods in warehouses.”

With displays of new vehicles, demonstrations on how to store and transport new products, information sessions, and new job opportunities, the hope is the show will help keep trucks on the road and the supply chain accelerating.