During its study on labour shortages in the Canadian transportation sector, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities heard from witnesses who highlighted the major impact that these shortages have on supply chain fluidity. Some of the key common concerns raised by representatives from various sectors were recognizing transportation occupations as skilled trades, streamlining processes to allow foreign workers to fill vacancies and addressing the need to diversify the labour force and attract workers from under-represented groups.

In addition to these common concerns and the fact that many workers are retiring, some witnesses said that, in the road transportation sector, the shortage of truck drivers is caused by barriers to entry, such as the cost of training and access to a mentoring program. Other factors include safety considerations, such as access to adequate rest facilities, and work-life balance considerations. With regards to the air transportation sector, some witnesses called for additional funding to train new pilots, improved working conditions for occupations in various airport-related sectors and shorter time frames for obtaining documents issued by Transport Canada.

As for the rail transportation sector, some witnesses said that working conditions, staffing levels, and fatigue management could be improved. Agriculture sector representatives were concerned about labour disputes interrupting rail service, and they called on the Government of Canada to work with stakeholders to reduce the likelihood of service interruptions. In the marine transportation sector, witnesses indicated that the Canadian public should be informed of job opportunities in the sector and asked for Government of Canada support to increase training capacity, provide additional financial assistance for those in training and modernize training methods.

In the course of this study, some witnesses also encouraged the Government of Canada to support the measures in the National Supply Chain Task Force’s final report and recommended that a national supply chain strategy be implemented. Some witnesses further indicated that improving coordination along the supply chain would require having a better real-time understanding of bottlenecks and labour shortages. Lastly, some witnesses talked about the safety and efficiency advantages of technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence, but expressed that they are not a cure-all for the current and anticipated labour shortages in the Canadian transportation sector.