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Labor Shortage in Transportation: Why Mastering Your Fleet Is the Best Response
Trends labor shortage transportation trucking logistics TMS fleet optimization Quebec operations management

Labor Shortage in Transportation: Why Mastering Your Fleet Is the Best Response

The shortage of drivers and logistics personnel is not a passing crisis. It is a structural reality reshaping the rules of the game in Quebec's transportation industry. But for businesses ready to act smartly, it is also an opportunity to gain a competitive edge.

A Deep Crisis Rooted in Demographics

For several years, Quebec's transportation and logistics sector has been grappling with a chronic labor shortage. Truck drivers, forklift operators, logistics coordinators, inventory managers: positions remain vacant, operations slow down, and supply chains show signs of strain.

The figures speak for themselves. According to Job Bank (Service Canada, 2024–2025), truck transportation alone accounts for 31.2% of total employment in Quebec's transportation and warehousing sector—and that is precisely where pressures are most acute. An aging workforce significantly compounds the situation: the average age of truck drivers is expected to exceed 49, up from 44 in 2006. The share of young drivers aged 25 to 34 in the profession fell from 18% to under 15% between 2006 and 2011—a trend that has not reversed.

The assessment by the Quebec Ministry of Labour is unequivocal: across the province, 14 out of 16 administrative regions face a shortage or slight shortage for the truck driver occupation.

On the ground, the consequences are immediate and costly:

  • Companies forced to turn down contracts due to a lack of available personnel

  • Recurring delivery delays that strain customer relationships

  • Rising wage costs to attract and retain drivers

  • Increased pressure on existing teams, raising the risk of turnover

A Structural Trend, Not an Anomaly

It would be tempting to view this shortage as a temporary post-pandemic effect. That would be an analytical mistake.

According to a CRHA consultant cited by Carrefour RH (2024): “Until 2030, the number of people retiring will continue to outpace the number of young people entering the labor market.” The structural shortage is far from behind us.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) has modeled various scenarios and estimated a potential deficit of up to 48,000 drivers across Canada, depending on productivity trends and the industry's appeal. In Quebec and Ontario, the gap between driver supply and demand is expected to remain among the highest in the country.

Faced with this reality, two approaches emerge:

  1. Endure the shortage and manage crises on a case-by-case basis

  2. Adapt structurally by doing more with available resources

This second path is the one Opsivia invites you to take.

The Real Question: How Many Miles Are You Losing Each Week?

Before hiring an additional driver, ask yourself this: are your current resources genuinely utilized to their full potential?

In the vast majority of transportation and logistics companies we support, the answer is no. And the data backs this up.

According to the 2024–2025 TMS Benchmarks (FAQ Logistique / Everest):

  • A well-deployed TMS can reduce extra freight costs by 8% to 12%

  • Companies with consolidated visibility over their flows increase their ability to anticipate cost variances by more than 25%

  • Route optimization can reduce total distance traveled by 10% to 15%, directly unlocking additional capacity

In other words: a poorly managed fleet is the equivalent of one or more drivers working… for nothing.

Mastering Your Fleet and Operations: A Concrete Lever Against the Shortage

Operational control over your transportation activity is not just about technology. It is a comprehensive approach that transforms how your human and material resources are utilized.

1. Route Optimization and Eliminating Empty Miles

A driver with poorly planned routes takes unnecessary detours, returns empty, and completes fewer deliveries each day. Implementing a route optimization tool—whether integrated into a TMS or standalone—maximizes the number of stops completed per driver and vehicle.

The direct result: you deliver more with the same number of drivers.

2. Reducing Administrative Burden and Lost Time

A logistics coordinator who spends two hours a day manually dispatching assignments, entering delivery receipts, or chasing tracking updates is not dedicating that time to managing operations. Automating repetitive tasks (planning, billing, shipping documentation) frees up teams for higher-value activities.

According to Dashdoc (2025), a properly configured TMS delivers:

  • Automated invoicing and transport documentation

  • Real-time shipment tracking with automatic updates

  • A significant reduction in administrative time for dispatch teams

3. Better Driver Retention Through Improved Working Conditions

The driver shortage is also a matter of industry attractiveness. Truckers are far more likely to leave a poorly organized company with fragmented communication, unpredictable schedules, and stressful routes. Better operational planning directly improves working conditions:

  • More predictable schedules

  • Reduced dock wait times

  • Clear communication via dedicated mobile apps

  • Recognition of individual performance through shared KPIs

Retaining an experienced driver costs far less than recruiting a new one.

4. Data-Driven Management: Anticipate Rather Than React

Visibility into your operations is the cornerstone of any effective decision. Without reliable data on your transportation costs, fill rates, on-time delivery metrics, or driver productivity, you are managing in the dark.

Performance monitoring tools (KPIs, dashboards, automated reporting) enable you to:

  • Identify bottlenecks before they escalate into crises

  • Make resource allocation decisions based on facts

  • Justify capital investments (fleet renewal, targeted hiring, subcontracting)

  • Build compelling cases for grant applications

5. Freight Cost Audits: Uncovering Hidden Waste

In many organizations, a significant portion of transportation spend goes unchecked: poorly negotiated accessorial fees, outdated contracts, sub-optimal transport modes. A rigorous freight cost audit recovers margins without adding a single employee.

Technology in Service of People, Not the Reverse

It is essential to emphasize: technology alone solves nothing. A poorly configured TMS, telematics rolled out without change management, or data collected but never analyzed—these are wasted investments.

Real value lies in the synergy between expert guidance, business process transformation, and tools tailored to the reality of your operations. This integrated approach makes all the difference on the ground.

How Opsivia Can Help

At Opsivia Conseil Inc., this comprehensive approach is precisely what we deliver to our clients across Quebec and throughout Canada.

Our service offerings cover the entire operational spectrum:

  • 🔍 Logistics Network Analysis and actionable, quantified recommendations

  • 🛠️ Implementation of Selected Solutions—never leaving your teams alone through change

  • 📊 Performance and KPI Monitoring—ensuring decisions are grounded in real data

  • 💰 Grant Application Support—reducing the net cost of your investments

  • 🖥️ IT Architecture Audits—ensuring your systems serve your business goals

  • 🚛 Freight Cost Audits—identifying and eliminating hidden expenses

With over 60 mandates delivered across 10 years for Quebec businesses across diverse industries, Opsivia delivers field-tested expertise tailored to your operational realities.

The labor shortage is not an inevitability. It is an opportunity to rethink how you manage your operations.

Looking to evaluate the optimization potential of your fleet or logistics operations? Contact the Opsivia team at opsivia.com.

Sources

  1. Job Bank – Service Canada (2024–2025). Sectoral Profile: Transportation and Warehousing in Quebec. https://www.guichetemplois.gc.ca/analyse-tendances/rapports-marche-travail/quebec/transport

  2. Ministère du Travail du Québec (2022). Rapport sur la pénurie de chauffeurs et de mécaniciens de camions. Via Transport Routier: https://www.transportroutier.ca

  3. Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) / Truck Stop Québec (2020). La pénurie de camionneurs augmente plus rapidement que prévu par les analystes. https://www.truckstopquebec.com

  4. Carrefour RH (2024). Priorités et défis 2024 : une main-d'œuvre diversifiée pour déjouer la pénurie. https://carrefourrh.org

  5. FAQ Logistique / Everest (2024–2025). TMS Benchmarks – Transport cost savings and visibility performance. https://geteverest.io

  6. Dashdoc (2025). Solutions TMS : meilleur comparatif 2025. https://www.dashdoc.com