Canadian truck drivers say unpaid on-duty work is costing them hours every week — and putting safety at risk — with our most recent survey results showing most drivers face frequent detention and uncompensated tasks that they say add up to significant lost time.
The October Pulse survey, which drew 401 responses, was conducted as Air Canada flight attendants were set to strike over pay for time spent boarding planes — an issue that resonated with truck drivers facing similar unpaid labor, putting a spotlight on the trucking industry’s own challenges with uncompensated work and detention time.
Respondents gave current compensation practices for non-driving tasks an average score of just 2.3 out of 5. Nearly half (45.3%) said they receive detention pay when held up at a customer’s site, for example, with over half of respondents saying detention at customer facilities happens “frequently” or “almost always.” Wait times were substantial, with 34.95% typically delayed one to two hours, and 24.27% facing delays of two hours or more.
More than a third of respondents (35.9%) estimated they lose five to 10 unpaid hours per week, while 30% said they lose 10 hours or more. Forty-two per cent reported their company has no policy for paying non-driving tasks at all. And 73% said there is no overtime pay, with most of those who do receive it reporting it begins after 40 hours.
As one reader put it: “As an employee working in a factory I would be compensated for my time working” Another one added, “A driver invests X amount of their time into their workday, and time spent waiting for a forklift is the same as time spent driving. It’s just time. Drivers should be paid by the working hour, regardless of task.”
Even where policies exist, drivers said they often fall short. One explained: “I once had a week where every shipper and every receiver took 1:45 to get me out the door. Detention pay started at 02:00. Did 3 live/live loads that week. Ever wonder why drivers quit?”
A few respondents pointed to the Canada Labor Code, specifically the part that states: “The standard hours of work of a highway motor vehicle operator may exceed 40 hours in a week but shall not exceed 60 hours, and no employer shall cause or permit a highway motor vehicle operator to work longer hours than 60 hours in a week.”
However, as Jim Park wrote last month, truck driver pay schemes are among the most complex of any labor sector in the country. Some combine mileage pay with hourly pay for non-driving tasks, others pay a share of trip revenue, and many rely on straight mileage with small add-ons for delays or border crossings, he wrote, adding that while these systems vary by company, but over-the-road truckload carriers are generally the least likely to pay drivers for all on-duty, non-driving time.
Nonetheless, most readers repeatedly stressed that all hours worked must be paid and suggesting better enforcement would help address unpaid labor. Yet survey data shows wide variation in how fleets handle specific tasks. Fueling (40.1%), pre-trip inspections (39.7%), and loading or unloading (44.8%) were among the most commonly paid duties, while paperwork (34.1% paid) and vehicle cleaning/sanitizing (28.4% paid) were often unpaid.
One argued that carriers should not be the only ones absorbing inefficiencies — one respondent who moved into an office role learned that when customers were informed they had only two hours included for loading and unloading, they were much faster to ensure drivers were turned around in that time. “When they have to start paying detention for truck, trailer, and driver, they seem to be much more cognizant of drivers’ time,” they wrote. Many others argued that on-duty non-driving tasks should be paid per hour at the same rate as hours behind the wheel, or, “Pay for miles and hourly when the truck is in operation but not moving.”
Unpaid work also raises safety concerns. More than 83% of respondents believe that unpaid delays push drivers to drive faster or more aggressively. Over a quarter (26.2%) said they have rushed trips, skipped breaks, or made schedule changes because of unpaid time.
As one put it: “Look at the average driver…passing in the 3rd lane, being a bully tailgating, and aggressively trying to make up time. It’s unsafe, detrimental to our health and to the welfare of all those around us. Yet Industries continue to expect the driver to make up for lost time that is out of their control.”
Many drivers also highlighted confusion over overtime rules and logging requirements, calling for clearer and more consistent policies.
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