TODAY'S TRUCKING -- New data from the National Household Survey has found that the average age of a Canadian truck driver is 46, higher than the previous age of 44, and significantly higher than the national average of 41.5.

The NHS, which is conducted by Statistics Canada, used data from a 2011 survey that replaced the previous information from the 2006 long-form census. The Conference Board of Canada analyzed the results of this new survey and found a drop in truck drivers ages 20 to 29, 11.6% in 2006 versus 8.8% in 2011.

The number of drivers between 30 and 34 has also dropped. In 2006, they made up 10% of drivers, whereas now they are just 8.5%. Driver population in the 50 to 55 bracket has spiked to 26%, up from 20% in 2006.

Alberta has a slightly younger workforce with the average driver age being 44.9 years. Meanwhile, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Manitoba all share an average of 47 years old.

The data found that truck driver is still the most common occupation among Canadian men, after retail sales person. Ontario is home to the most drivers in the country with over 92,000. Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia sit at 57,000, 39,000 and 32,000 respectively.

“It will ultimately be up to the industry to address this ongoing challenge and to make the occupation more attractive to younger drivers,” says the Conference Board. “But as we also put forth [in our earlier report], it will also be important to convince customers of the need to address this challenge now and to work with them to develop strategies that will make best use of drivers’ time, as the trucking industry has a long track record of sharing its productivity benefits with customers through lower prices.”