The History of The Trucking Industry For Those Interested in Dispatcher Training

You might want to build a career for yourself in trucking and dispatching, but do you know how it all began? The commercial trucking sector is an industry that has seen significant growth and developments over time, particularly in North America. 

However, Canada’s trucking industry, in particular, has quite the history behind it, with roots that can be traced all the way back to the early 1800s. From wartime to the present day, there’s much to learn about how trucking in Canada developed, and how it continues to successfully get goods from point A to B. 

Here’s a history lesson on the Canadian trucking industry.

Early Developments in Trucking Within Canada

Within Canada, it can be argued that the seeds for the trucking industry were sowed around 1821. To put this in perspective, Karl Benz’s construction of the world’s first internal combustion engine did not take place until toward the end of that century. 

1821 was the year when the North West Company and the Hudson Bay Company joined forces, after which goods were traded more widely across the country. 64 years later, the Canadian Pacific Railway had completed construction, allowing for a transportation system to carry those goods throughout Canada by rail. 

However, trucking by itself would not truly take off until truck manufacturing became increasingly common during World War II, due to them being frequently used for moving goods. Following the war’s conclusion, the Trans-Canada Highway would be proposed and later completed, allowing for even further growth of Canada’s trucking industry.

What dispatch school students might not be aware of is that the increase in influence of trucking in Canada came in part due to the country’s transportation system being overwhelmed by the demand for materials like ships and airplanes, while trucks were at a significant shortage. 

Following this, the Canadian government declared the trucking industry to be an essential service during the war, and would remain an incredibly important industry for Canada afterward as the Trans-Canada Highway was being developed.

Later Trucking History in Canada Explained for Dispatch School Students

Once the war had ended, the Canadian trucking industry would be subject to widespread regulation in the years that followed. In 1954, the Privy Council would introduce stricter regulations, which were needed as shipping goods continued to expand within and beyond Canadian soil. 

Rules for shipments between provinces would vary as a result, and much of the specifics would be decided upon by each province. This was particularly true with regards to transportation and traffic within the provinces and between them. However, the federal government would still maintain control over certain regulations, including safety.

Students in dispatcher training should also note that 52 metro areas with a minimum population of 50,000 are served by Canada’s trucking industry, in addition to a selection of cities in the United States. 

This makes shippers and other providers more accessible, so that goods reach their intended destination as soon as possible. Furthermore, Canada’s trucking sector operates within both countries, so that goods being moved between the two are compliant with regulations for both Canadian and American customs and transportation. 

Among the most significant goods transported by Canada’s trucking industry includes crude stone, sand, lumber, and gravel, and the percentage of goods going between both Canada and the U.S. by truck is estimated to be around 70% — including goods that are purchased online.

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