It has become increasingly attractive for farmers to own a semi to haul their grain to market rather than relying on custom truckers. It’s a trend likely to continue because farmers have a number of advantages commercial truckers don’t enjoy, and the trucking industry is short of drivers.
Everyone, including farmers, seeking to get a Class 1A driver’s licence to drive big trucks needs Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT). Susan Ewart, executive director of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association, says MELT has resulted in fewer people obtaining their Class 1A.
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Prior to March 2019, SGI had been working on a standardized curriculum for driver training schools to teach Class 1A drivers. Following the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy, training became mandatory.
A surge of people worked to get their licences before MELT came into effect, and then licence applications dropped off because of the significant cost charged by driver training schools.
Ewert says not a lot of new people are coming to the industry. The driver population is aging with many retiring. COVID pushed a lot of people into retirement. She says the average age of people working in the industry today is about 55, and that’s trending upward with an increased proportion of drivers 65 and older.
The Saskatchewan Trucking Association promotes careers in trucking and has had some success attracting female drivers. However, a large number of job vacancies remain. The median wage is $25 an hour.
Ewart notes that farmers doing their own trucking with an F-plated power unit have a number of competitive advantages over the commercial trucking industry. Their cost of insurance is less, and they are not subject to motor vehicle inspections twice a year.
As well, permits can be obtained for a reasonable cost to turn their truck into a for-hire, so now they can haul their neighbour’s goods.
Farmers are also exempt from carbon tax and excise tax on diesel fuel.
Semis are becoming standard equipment on many farms, and some farmers are able to justify a full-time employee by having them deliver grain through the winter months. Producers hauling their own grain like the opportunity to be at the delivery point in case they want to iron out any discrepancies with grade and dockage.
I don’t own a semi, don’t have my Class 1A and probably never will. As predominately a grower of specialty crops, my product is typically trucked considerable distances, often to another province. The freight is usually paid by the buyer with the crop priced f.o.b. the farm.
Over the years, I’ve met a lot of truckers, old and young, good and bad. Some are spry and lean while others can barely crawl out of the cab. Some are highly skilled, whereas you wonder how others ever got their licence. Some find your farm location on Google Earth or ask you to send them a location pin from your phone. Others can’t follow basic directions and call you when they get lost.
Many have a farming background. Sometimes, you’ll encounter someone who has immigrated to Canada and struggles with our winter weather. Sometimes you’ll get a husband-wife team.
It’s common for a grain hauler to have worked as a long-haul trucker into the United States or to have previously worked in the oil industry. The ones who own their own rigs lament the high cost of equipment, repairs and fuel.
The industry faces challenges as more farmers get their own trucks.
Kevin Hursh is an agricultural journalist, consultant and farmer. He can be reached by e-mail at kevin@hursh.ca.
