This guide is designed to assist you as you complete the Annual Trucking Survey. If you need more information, please call the Statistics Canada Help Line at the number below.
Business Survey Section/Central Region, Statistics Canada, toll-free at: 1-800-386-1273
A – Introduction
Main Business Activity
Please indicate the main activity which most accurately represents your principal source of revenue. This is to ensure that you have received the appropriate questionnaire. Below is a description of the trucking industry, the population included in this survey.
Truck Transportation: The sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in the transportation of goods by truck. These establishments may carry general freight or specialized freight. Specialized freight comprises goods that, because of size, weight, shape or other inherent characteristics, require specialized equipment for transportation. Establishments may operate locally, that is within a metropolitan area and its hinterland, or over long distances, that is between metropolitan areas. Owner operators are included in the survey.
Business Type
Please indicate if you are an owner operator or not. You may wish to refer to the following definitions of the main types of trucking businesses.
Owner Operator: A business whose main activity is to provide hauling services under contract (short or long term) to for-hire and/or private carriers. Owner operator businesses are typically made up of drivers that have their own trucks. Apartfrom their smaller size, the main characteristic of this business type is that owner operators do not deal directly with shippers, but with the carriers to whom they are under contract. For this survey, independent truck drivers - truck drivers that own their own equipment, work for themselves rather than for a larger carrier and are responsible for collecting their own accounts - are also classified as owner operators. Owner operators may also be referred to as lease operators, or brokers.
For-Hire Carrier: A business whose main activity is to undertake the transport of goods by truck for compensation. For-hire carriers operate a fleet of trucks (owned and/or leased) and hire salaried drivers and/or owner operators.
Private Carrier: A business whose main activity is not trucking (e.g., manufacturing, retailing, wholesaling, etc.), but which maintains a fleet of trucks (owned and/or leased) to haul its own freight. A private carrier’s first function is to provide logistical support to the business’ main activity. Private carriers may employ salaried drivers and/or hire owner operators.
B – Revenue
Please report your revenue earned during the reporting period (in dollars).
- Include all revenue within or outside Canada recorded in your accounts for sales to other businesses and for transfers to other units of your business.
- Exclude GST/HST, PST and TVQ
1. Operating revenue from trucking
- Include all trucking-related charges such as fuel surcharge fees, trace charges, etc.
- Include all revenue received from services performed by owner operators on behalf of your business.
- Exclude interest and dividend income. Please report this amount in this section, in question 4 in this section.
2. All other operating revenue
- Include all operating revenue from sources other than trucking, such as storage and warehousing, van line commission and insurance, vehicles and equipment rentals, packaging and crating, etc.
- Exclude interest and dividend income. Please report this amount in question 4 in this section.
3. Total operating revenue
- Add the amounts reported in questions 1 and 2.
4. Investment revenue
This is defined as the portion of a company’s income derived from its investments, including dividends and interest on stocks and bonds.
5. Total revenue
- Add amounts reported in questions 3 and 4.
C – Trucking revenue by type of movement
Please ensure the sum of the parts adds to 100%.
D – Trucking revenue by region of pick-up
Region of pick-up represents where the company picked up the shipment, as opposed to the ultimate origin of the shipment.
Please ensure the sum of the parts adds to 100%.
E – Trucking revenue by type of product hauled
1. Bulk liquids and bulk gases
- Includes bulk liquids and gases that must be temperature-controlled or pressurized such as crude petroleum oil, petroleum products, liquid and gaseous chemicals, milk and water.
2. Dry bulk
- Includes bulk commodities such as coal, mine ores, cereal grain, sand, gravel, cement, dry chemicals, dry plastics, fertilizer products, wood chips, flour and sugar.
3. Climate-controlled boxed, palletized and other packed goods, including intermodal containers
- Includes goods that must be kept within given ranges of temperature and/ or humidity, packed in boxes, crates, sacks, drums, or on hangers, hooks or pallets, and intermodal containers.
4. Not climate-controlled boxed, palletized and other packed goods, including intermodal containers
- Includes goods not requiring climate control, packed in boxes, crates, sacks, drums, or on hangers, hooks or pallets, and intermodal containers. Includes small packages, documents and letters.
5. Automobiles and light-duty trucks
6. Live animals
- Includes farm animals, such as cattle, horses, hogs and poultry.
7. Waste, without collection
- Includes solid and liquid waste, residential and non-residential waste, hazardous and non-hazardous waste, and specialized intermodal containers.
8. All other goods
- Includes goods that are not packed, such as logs, pulp, lumber, structural steel, pipe, and glass; large items, such as construction machinery and equipment, and industrial machinery and equipment; and loose goods that are contained only by the vehicle in which they are carried, such as fresh produce travelling short distances, and scrap, but not dry bulk or waste.
9. Moving services
- Includes household, office and institutional goods, and goods requiring special handling and protection.
10. Please ensure the sum of the parts adds to 100%.
F – Expenses
Please report your expenses incurred during the reporting period (in dollars)
1. Salaries, wages and benefits for employees who have been issued a T4 – Statement
- Include vacation pay, bonuses and commissions.
- Include the employer portion of employee benefits such as Canada Pension Plan, employment insurance, medical/life insurance, etc.
- Exclude payments to owner operators. Please report this amount in question 2 in this section.
- Exclude expenses associated with employment agencies or personnel suppliers (agency drivers). Please report this amount in question 10 in this section.
2. Payments to owner operators
- Include all costs related to the use of owner operators. In special cases, this might also include owner operator vehicle fuel expenses.
- Exclude expenses associated with employment agencies or personnel suppliers (agency drivers). Please report this amount in question 10 in this section.
3. Purchased transportation services, warehousing and storage expenses
- Include linehaul and local trucking, rail and any other multimodal purchased transportation expenses, e.g. water carriers, airlines.
- Exclude payments to owner operators. Please report this amount in question 2 in this section.
- Exclude expenses associated with employment agencies or personnel suppliers (agency drivers). Please report this amount in question 10 in this section.
4. Vehicle fuel expenses
- Include fuel expenses only for vehicles owned or leased by this business.
- Include excise taxes.
- Exclude fuel purchased for heat generation and lubricants.
5. Repairs and maintenance
- Include expenses for the repair and maintenance of buildings and structures, vehicles, machinery and equipment.
- Include costs related to materials (e.g., lubricants), parts (e.g., tires) and external labour associated with these expenses (e.g., janitorial services).
6. Rental and leasing
- Include both short (rental) and long term (capital) leases of motor vehicles, equipment and real estate.
- Exclude amount paid for drivers.
7. Insurance premiums
- Include professional and other liability insurance, motor vehicle and property insurance, executive life insurance, bonding, business interruption insurance and fire insurance.
8. Utilities and telecommunications
- Include light, heat, water and power expenses, telephone, fax, cellular phone, or pager services for transmission of voices, data or images, Internet access charges, wireless telecommunication services, satellite telecommunication services, online access services, online information provision services and satellite transmission of radio and music programs.
9. Depreciation of tangible and intangible assets
- Include direct cost depreciation of tangible assets and amortization of leasehold improvements, amortization of intangible assets (e.g., goodwill), deferred charges, organizational costs, and research and development costs.
10. All other operating expenses
- Include financial, legal, accounting and other professional and business service fees, property and business taxes, licences and permits, payments to employment agencies or personnel suppliers, advertising and marketing expenses, office supplies, postage and courier expenses, accommodation and meals while travelling, allowance for bad debts, donations and inventory adjustments, etc.
- Exclude interest expenses, such as interest on loans to buy vehicles and equipment. Please report this amount in question 12 in this section.
11. Total operating expenses
- Add the amounts reported in questions 1 to 10.
12. Other expenses
- Include interest expenses such as interest on loans to buy vehicles and equipment and the interest portion of mortgage payments.
13. Total expenses
- Add the amounts reported in questions 11 and 12.
G – Employment
Please report the average number of people employed during the reporting period.
- Include full-time, part-time and temporary employees and employees absent with pay.
1. Salaried drivers
- Exclude owner operators. Please report this number in question 4 in this section.
2. All other salaried employees
- Include office staff, mechanics, garage hands, etc.
- Exclude owner operators. Please report this number in question 4 in this section.
3. Total salaried employees
- Add the amounts reported in questions 1 and 2.
- Please ensure the total number of salaried employees is consistent with the salaries, wages and benefits expenses reported in Section F, Question 1.
4. Owner operators
- Do not count yourself if you are an owner operator.
- Exclude drivers from employment agencies or personnel suppliers.
- Please ensure the total number of owner operators is consistent with the payments to owner operators reported in Section F, Question 2
H – Fleet and equipment
Please report the number of vehicles and equipment in service at the end of the reporting period.
Powered and non-powered units
- Include units owned and/or leased by your business.
- Exclude vehicles and equipment owned by owner operators.
- Please ensure the total number of vehicles and equipment is consistent with the depreciation expenses reported in Section F, Question 9 and the rental and leasing expenses reported in Section F, Question 6.
Powered units
- Please ensure the total number of powered units is consistent with the vehicle fuel expenses reported in Section F, Question 4 and the repair and maintenance expenses reported in Section F, Question 5.
To reduce the need for follow-up, please review the questionnaire for completeness
Thank you.