The transportation industry works alongside a number of different industries in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Truck and bus driving are two kinds of jobs within this group where there are high levels of employment. Truck and bus drivers usually work for companies that are contracted by either the oil and gas or forestry industries, but there are also many other industries that must make use of transportation.

The demand for truck drivers with B-train experience (trucks with two trailers) is increasing. Companies require driver's abstracts (less than 30 days old) and drivers must be insurable. For more information on getting a Truck driving job, view the December 2007 Labour Market News.

Another job in high demand is heavy equipment operator. Heavy equipment operators are hired either by the major oil sands companies or their contractors, either in the mining industry or in construction. Syncrude Canada, Suncor Energy, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and Athabasca Oil sands project (Shell), formerly known as Albian sands are the only oil sands companies that have open pit mining.

Generally if you are hired directly by an oil sands company, you are required to move to Fort McMurray. If you are looking for a camp position, look for employment with the contractors in the area.

For more information on getting a job as a heavy equipment operator, look at the June 2009 Labour Market News (Heavy Equipment Operators).

For more information on getting a job Driving bus, look at the August 2007 Labour Market News.

For companies in the area that hire truck and bus drivers, and heavy equipment operators, visit our Employer Websites section. Also visit the Alberta Learning Information Service for more information on specific jobs, wages and education needed.