BCTA Publishes Guide to Hiring Immigrant Drivers

Langley, BC— The B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA) recently published the International Trucking Reference: Roads, Rules, and Drivers, a guide to the truck driving environment in 10 countries to help motor carriers understand how the skills and experience of an immigrant driver might translate to a professional career in B.C. 

“Immigrants who call B.C. home bring a wealth of talent to our province – talent that employers can tap into as long as they know how to recognize the skills and experience. BCTA’s project will help employers understand the working environments of qualified professional drivers who have immigrated from other countries, and give them confidence they are hiring people with the skills their companies – and our economy – need,” said Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour, Shirley Bond.

The BCTA’s guide offers reasons for recruiting drivers from the immigrant labour pool, tips for finding and recruiting immigrant candidates and considerations for successfully interviewing candidates from another culture.

“Given that most BC trucking companies are small to mid-sized, they may not have the staff to research the background of a job applicant with foreign experience. BCTA is pleased that funding from the federal and provincial governments has allowed us to create the International Trucking Reference, a dependable, easy-to-use resource that will save employers time and help them make better-informed hiring decisions,” said Louise Yako, BCTA president and CEO.

BCTA developed the International Trucking Reference with input from motor carriers about the type of information they need to make hiring decisions about potentially employing immigrant drivers who gained the bulk of their commercial driving experience outside Canada.

BCTA carriers recommended a “top 10” list of countries to include in the guide: India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, the Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The Reference includes a profile of the driving environment in each country, a description of the terrain and climate, commercial vehicle types, typical driver responsibilities, licensing and training standards, infrastructure and regulations, among others.


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