Thank you, Mr. Iacono.
Good evening, everyone.
There is no universal solution to the trucking sector labour shortage. We really need to look at the trucking sector more broadly.
The issue is determining how to make the industry more attractive for youth and women.
Currently, there are young people and women who don’t have a job, but are looking for one. And yet the sector is experiencing a labour shortage.
We need to invest in training, but also make the sector more attractive.
We need to value the trucking sector. To do so, we must recognize that it’s a professional sector. Currently, employer associations and unions need to get on the same wavelength, which is significant. The trucking sector needs to be recognized as a professional sector. Not everyone can become a trucker. They have to pass a test to get their license, and there are training and apprenticeship programs, just like in the construction sector.
We therefore need to value the trucking sector, just as we value the construction sector.