Stats Can updates Canadian trucking pool; Ontario home to third of small carriers

OTTAWA — There were 44,400 firms active in the truck transportation industry in 2003. Overall, 35,000 firms identified themselves as owner-operators, followed by 5,900 small for-hire carriers, or those with less than $1 million in revenue, and 3,500 for-hire carriers above that threshold, Stats Canada reports.

Intra-provincial hauls make up about 75 percent
of operating expenses for small carriers

Small for-hire carriers generated total operating revenues of $1.63 billion, for a $273,000 per carrier average. Their operating expenses totalled $1.52 billion or about $255,000 per carrier. Their main operating expenditures were salaries, wages and benefits representing 27 percent of total expenses, fuel cost (21%) and other expenses (19%).

For these carriers, intra-provincial movements were responsible for almost three-quarters of the total operating expenses (73% or $1.19 billion). A little more than half (53%) of these carriers were specialized in local transportation. Geographically, Ontario was home to almost a third (31%) of these small for-hire carriers, followed by Quebec with 26 percent.

Meanwhile, owner operators generated total revenue of $6.80 billion or about $194,000 per carrier. At the same time, their operating expenses totalled $6.19 billion for an annual average of $177,000 per carrier. The main operating expenses incurred by owner operators were salaries, wages and benefits, and fuel expenses (both with 23%), followed by other expenses (14%).

Intra-provincial movements accounted for 67 percent of the total operating revenues generated by owner operators ($4.55 billion). On a distinctive note, 53 percent of these carriers specialized in long distance transportation. However, their geographic distribution was similar to the one observed for small for-hire carriers, according to Stats Canada.