How things change! It was just over a month ago that we were gathered at the Pearson Convention Centre in Brampton Ontario with a full room of carriers looking to connect with attendees looking for jobs. The Covid-19 virus was just coming to the forefront at the end of February and when I think back to how many conferences I attended at that time based on the information we found out it can be staggering. Here we are now being told to stay home and keep a 2 metre distance between people we come across. Unfortunately that has brought many great events to a halt in the transportation industry with an unforeseen future as to when they will resume.

The real question is what does that mean for you, the driver looking for that new start in your career? In March I spoke to many young people roaming the floor looking for a job. People such as Nick who had just passed his licence in late December and was looking for any opportunity with a carrier. I was impressed that Nick had printed off multiple copies of his resume and was ready to talk with those interested in his future. I spoke with a couple just learning about the industry and didn’t even have their commercial licence as of yet but wanted to know what the industry had to offer. I spoke with a young woman who had been studying logistics in college and was looking for a job in dispatch or load planning. Finally I ran into two friends at the job fair looking for trucking jobs. One looking for a long haul job and the other looking for local work. All of these folks were hoping for new opportunities in the transportation industry. What happens now if we can’t walk around and talk to people? Are there any jobs available in the industry? What does this mean for new people? Trucking has had a rise of fame in the recent pandemic.

As I talk to drivers around the Country through social media many are being hailed as heroes. In the industry we have struggled to gain the respect we deserve and with the shelves showing signs of running out of certain products it has changed the profile of the industry and the professional driver. Instead of being cut off, we are being waved at from other vehicles. We are being thanked on mainstream media for remaining on duty during these trying times. Depending on the type of freight that a carrier hauls determines on whether they are busy or not. A carrier hauling food or medical products will be exceptionally busy at this time. Carriers hauling auto parts may not be so busy at this time due to the shutdown, but some of those trucks are being rerouted to haul other products. What should you do as a driver looking for a new career?

This is a time where you may be forced to stay at home but that doesn’t mean the job search needs to stop. Just take your job search virtual. If you think of a traditional job fair carriers are set up around the room and you go up and learn about what they have to offer. Why not do the same thing from the comfort of your home. Anyone with an internet connection and a device can create their own virtual job fair. The reason you don’t want to stop that job fair is that trucking will be even busier when things return to normal and those that already have a relationship will be the first to get the jobs. Here’s how you do it. Visit www.thetruckingnetworkevents.ca and make a note of all the carriers that attended the last two job fair events for your area.

Write down your criteria that you would like for your future job and read through the information provided. I suggest planning your search by choosing ten companies and sitting down at one time to apply. Then follow up with those carriers at a later date. Carriers are still hiring they just may be holding off on things like road tests but that doesn’t mean they won’t be taking applications and verifying information. Don’t stop your job search just because you’re stuck at home, go online, good luck.