Job prospects Shunt Truck Driver in Northwest Territories
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Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "shunt truck driver" in Northwest Territories or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Northwest Territories

These outlooks were updated on December 11, 2024.

Prospects over the next 3 years

Good

The employment outlook will be good for Transport truck drivers (NOC 73300) in Northwest Territories for the 2024-2026 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

  • Employment decline will lead to the loss of some positions.
  • A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
  • There are several unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
  • Due to the seasonal nature of this occupation, employment opportunities tend to be more favourable during the summer months.
  • Canada has had a shortage of qualified truck drivers in recent years, though job vacancies for transport truck drivers decreased from 2022 to 2024 (Statistics Canada, 2024).
  • Supply chain challenges in the Northwest Territories have been exacerbated by record-low water levels in recent years. This led to barge service cancellations in 2023 and 2024. Depending on communities' resupply needs, demand for trucking services may increase during winter and ice road seasons until water levels recover.
  • Employers from all sectors in the Northwest Territories hire transport truck drivers.
  • Looking beyond the forecast period, the Northwest Territories Bureau of Statistics (2023) lists transport truck drivers as an occupation in high demand in the territory, forecasting 320 job openings for transport truck drivers from 2023-2032, driven by replacement demand.

Here are some key facts about Transport truck drivers in Northwest Territories:

  • Approximately 450 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
  • Transport truck drivers mainly work in the following sectors:
    • Transportation and warehousing (NAICS 48-49): 28%
    • Public Administration and Defence (NAICS 91): 19%
    • Wholesale and Retail Trade (NAICS 41, 44-45): 12%
    • Construction (NAICS 23): 11%
    • Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (NAICS 21): 11%
  • The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
    • Full-time workers: 89% compared to 88% for all occupations
    • Part-time workers: 11% compared to 12% for all occupations
  • 63% of transport truck drivers work all year, while 37% work only part of the year, compared to 71% and 28% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 42 weeks compared to 44 weeks for all occupations.
  • 7% of transport truck drivers are self-employed compared to an average of 7% for all occupations.
  • The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
    • Men: 91% compared to 52% for all occupations
    • Women: 9% compared to 48% for all occupations
  • The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
    • no high school diploma: 45% compared to 17% for all occupations
    • high school diploma or equivalent: 27% compared to 26% for all occupations
    • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 22% compared to 12% for all occupations
    • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 18% for all occupations
    • bachelor's degree: less than 5% compared to 17% for all occupations
    • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a

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Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "shunt truck driver" in Northwest Territories or across Canada.

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