andyb10:
Wow Ive missed a lot since I was last here.So yeah I would be a bit concerned having to front $4 or $5 k up front after all who knows whether it would work out? I guess I would have to any job offer on it’s merit if and when it was offered.
The kind of lifestyle I would like is a work hard play hard lifestyle. It does sound quite relentless work with being paid by the mile.Do you get held up in traffic a lot?I cant imagine it being as bad as the UK.I think it wouldn’t bother me at first to be on the road all that time as it would all be new to me, new truck, new job, new environment, new people, new experiences . Would the novelty wear off maybe? I don’t know until I’ve tried.You guys are all out there for a reason. If it doesn’t work out still better to have tried than to wait here and wonder!!
Getting held up in traffic isn’t really much of an issue. The problem is waiting times at shippers/receivers and/or once you’re empty, waiting for your company to find you your next load. In my experience, fridge work is by far the worst. I’ve sat more than 24 hours getting tipped or loaded in RDC’s many times (Loblaws!) and at some firms you’ll get absolutely nothing for this time, at others you’ll get whats called a “layover” but it’ll only be something crap like $60 per 18-24 hours and they will often try and find any reason not to pay it. Dry van work I found to be totally different, most places you go, you’ll be in and out in about an hour. In my last job, which was dry van, waiting time wasn’t an issue, I would often be doing 6000km per week, all legal. On fridge work I’d be doing about 4000-4500km per week usually, and I’d be running as bent as a two bob nail to even get that, hence why I got out of that game the very day I received my permanent residence. Fridge work would be different out west I expect because the distances are usually much longer but doing it for a Maritimes company is complete nonsense because most of their work is whats called the “Triangle” which is basically leaving the Maritimes for a delivery in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, reload there for Toronto and reload there for the Maritimes. The distances are too short to pay for the waiting time at each stage and its a completely crap lifestyle. You dont mind waiting around a bit if you’ve done a long trip of 4 or 5 days, but triangle work of drive a day, wait a day, drive a day, wait a day etc is soul destroying. The worst part is, that the waiting days aren’t yours to do with what you wish, you’ll be tipping and loading, looking at the green/red light on a loading dock while the pricks in the coldstore take two pallets off per hour, while you sit there earning nothing, in the full knowledge that if you dont then drive all night to get to Toronto you’ll earn absolutely nothing.
So to sum up, dont come to the Maritimes, and if you do, do not work for a fridge company.
andyb10:
Wow Ive missed a lot since I was last here.So yeah I would be a bit concerned having to front $4 or $5 k up front after all who knows whether it would work out? I guess I would have to any job offer on it’s merit if and when it was offered.
The kind of lifestyle I would like is a work hard play hard lifestyle. It does sound quite relentless work with being paid by the mile.Do you get held up in traffic a lot?I cant imagine it being as bad as the UK.I think it wouldn’t bother me at first to be on the road all that time as it would all be new to me, new truck, new job, new environment, new people, new experiences . Would the novelty wear off maybe? I don’t know until I’ve tried.You guys are all out there for a reason. If it doesn’t work out still better to have tried than to wait here and wonder!!
I done boxvan work it wasnt hard work physicaly. Used to do between 600 and 700 miles a day and not a lot of sitting waiting around. Used to get between 3000 and 3500 miles a week which paid a half decent wage. Only downside was not a lot of time off between trips. Wasnt a major problem for me as i was on my own but could be hatd for a family man.
Once you get residency a lot more options open up as you might want a local job or even get out of truck driving.
Yes its a gamble espesaly shelling out a few grand but you will regret it if you dont try it.
andyb10:
Wow Ive missed a lot since I was last here.So yeah I would be a bit concerned having to front $4 or $5 k up front after all who knows whether it would work out? I guess I would have to any job offer on it’s merit if and when it was offered.
The kind of lifestyle I would like is a work hard play hard lifestyle. It does sound quite relentless work with being paid by the mile.Do you get held up in traffic a lot?I cant imagine it being as bad as the UK.I think it wouldn’t bother me at first to be on the road all that time as it would all be new to me, new truck, new job, new environment, new people, new experiences . Would the novelty wear off maybe? I don’t know until I’ve tried.You guys are all out there for a reason. If it doesn’t work out still better to have tried than to wait here and wonder!!
I would rather have tried and failed then sit there in years to come wondering what if. Traffic isnt that much of a problem from what I have experianced apart from cities which of course is the same anywhere in world. Good thing is though that the posted speed limit is what you can do so if it says 75mph and its safe to do so and the truck will do it then carry on drive
taffytrucker:
I would rather have tried and failed then sit there in years to come wondering what if.
This is very true. If its something you really want to do, its there for the doing. Just be careful, do as much research as you can and don’t dig your self in too deep until you know its what you want and you’re going to stay. Trying it and going back because you don’t like it is one thing, trying it, buggering yourself right up financially and returning broke is an altogether other thing, which unfortunately is a well trodden path with the British contingent who do return.
unless you end up in sassketchwan
