i am going to canada in the new year but not moved off first base just yet but there is a lot of talk about the money so here is my way of looking at it.
here i work solely for agencies so the rates i get paid vary from day to day and so pay from week to week changes but i would guess i clear about 350 for 5 days. now out of that i have all my bills to pay like rent(cant and will never be able to buy a house now)gas, electric,and so on, including my car running costs come to approx 1100 per month which doesnt really leave a lot.
now in canada from bit i can suss my bills should come to approx the same but in dollars(obviously but some dont think that way) but i should be able to earn or clear at least 2000dollars a month so to me it seems clear i should be better of financially.
o and just for ppl like steveo1 the bulk of bills is rent and here i pay 600 for a 2bed flat and then utilities on top whereas in canada i can rent a 2bed flat for 600dollars with utilities included so there is where most of the savings are.
now who can really say that they are going to be worse off■■?
I think the problem is the conversion thing. They look at 2000 c$ and say wow thats only a grand in pounds 
but basically a $ there buys what a pound does here 
more in many cases.
earn in dollars spend in dollars is what it is all about.
also i have worked out that to earn 2k then i will have to do approx 6k miles and at a average of 20days driving in a month that is only 400miles per day which if your not doing then you prob wont get the work anyway(yes it doesnt add up but it will once the tax is taken off, see thought of most angles.)
have put 20 days also as i know that i will be on the road for more than that but will lose a day here or there due to layovers and the like, plus if you remember there are a few other payments such as un/loading and border payments so shouldnt really be a prob
any one got other ideas on my maths so far■■?
oops that should be 8k miles as said tax has to come off(approx 25%)
ref to tax,you should work on nearer 33% deductions,dont forget,your dental and hospital etc deductions.
plus your out of pocket expenses are involved with the taxman,i cannot weigh it up but they are involved with the taxman some way or another and its not in your favor.
so it is bit nearer to uk tax amounts, at least it not loads, but i did also think that there are other things that you are paid for like border crossing and loading such like, then the payments for these would probably cover any shortfall and was fingers crossed make me bit more money lol
to my knowledge there is no payment for border crossings.
what you should not do,or try not to do is compare. money,wages,utilities,rent,mortgages,food,cars etc.if your going to canada go there forget the pound,live, think,work,play in $.
We get $10 each way on the border crossings. You also get paid to load, secure and tarp, along with other odds and ends.
I got layover for a day last week because there was a screwup with the address and it was booked in the wrong place.
It all adds up but you do need to leave the £ behind as it is different.
You’ll take home at least $3.000 a month, and more if you’re getting the miles in.
You’ll find your rent to be much lower than in the UK as long as you’re not in Vancouver, Edmonton or Calgary. Keep in mind that in smaller towns and cities the rent is much cheaper. I have look at flats in the UK, and what you pay in the UK, you get much more for less in most places in Canada.
I’ve said before on this forum, it will take a bit of time before you get to the higher pay scales. Once there you will know who is paying the mpst and offer the best conditions.
Best of luck.
bobthedog:
It all adds up but you do need to leave the £ behind as it is different.
This is true anywhere you go to live. I find now that if I hear a price of something in pounds I convert it back into euros before getting my head round the real price. Means nothing to me to hear on the news today that diesel will be £1/litre soon except to say that I remember the fuss that was made a few years ago by the newspapers who were shouting that the ten bob gallon was just around the corner. 
What does mean something to me though is that when we changed to the euro at the start of 2002 diesel here was €0.70/litre, and now it’s around €1.07. A 50% increase in almost 6 years.
3k a month, well if that happens i will be the piggy in the sticky stuff
was only thinking that i might maybe clear about 2k, i know that aint a lot but im sure that would cover my bills and give me a few quid to spend on time off
3k a month, well if that happens i will be the piggy in the sticky stuff
was only thinking that i might maybe clear about 2k, i know that aint a lot but im sure that would cover my bills and give me a few quid to spend on time off
The only drivers I knew who cleared around 2K a month were in town class 2 delevery drivers. If you’re on the highway you’ll be taking home closer to 3K a month.
I have lived in the UK and Canada for most od my life, and I’ll never say which is better, but what I can tell you, is that your total cost of living will be lower. You do get more bang for your buck in Canada.
You sound like a realist and your expectations don’t seem out of this world. Get into the groove of your new life and leave the winers behind.
at the min it is not very often that i can clear 2k in a month, then that is what i was basing my earnings on in canada as i can live quite ok here on that and as from what i can find then a dollar nearly buys the same amount of stuff as a pound then was more looking at a one on one basis. its all sounding better and better
really wondering how come some ppl go and then return saying they cant afford to live if you can earn a similar amount in dollars, if not more
Many Brits do return. This has been going on for years. When I lived in the UK in the 70’s, I met many who had lived in Australia, Canada and the U.S. I think some who have kids and have made the move to Canada had large expenses at the start.
Personally, I think Canada is a great place to live, and others have the same thoughts as I. It’s just not that easy to start a new life past the age of 40.
The only problem I have with Canada is the employers. They are better now than they were. What I have found is that they didn’t invest much in training. Things are better now.
You are right about what cost a pound in the UK costs a dollar in Canada, except for the big supermarkets, which are about the same as in the UK.
As long as you’re working, you’ll be fine.
Mr James, what’s wrong with being over 40, I’m 53 and Im moving out this month to Canada, my friend did it 2 years ago and he was 54, he loves it. Give us oldies a break. ha ha.
Mr James, what’s wrong with being over 40, I’m 53 and Im moving out this month to Canada, my friend did it 2 years ago and he was 54, he loves it. Give us oldies a break. ha ha.
I made a broad generalization. I’m sure there are many older folks like myself who can adjust to life in a new country just fine. Just from my own experience working and living in differernt countries, I have found that being transplanted gets more difficult with age.
Presently I live in South Korea, and I’m in the process of moving to the UK or back to Canada my country of birth. When I was young (24) I was offered a good job in Hong Kong, and without giving it much though, just did it. Now at the age of 45 I know that it is much harder.
Age is a factor in making and adjusting to the move, and attitude is the most important thing. It takes time to made the adjustment, and I’m sure that once you’ve put the 3 years in, it’s clear sailing after that.
I must laso say, that most of my experience in Canada has been in Alberta, and you’ll find that my comments about Canadian employers is about those in that province. Western Canada is very different from other parts of Canada, just like how the UK’s S.E. is much different from the North. I lived on the Isle of Wight for 6 years and knowing that area and way of life is much different from that of much of England.
I read this forum to get a better grip on life in the UK. I do like the UK for the most part. Canada is my home and my Korean wife has been sold on the “Canadian Dream”, from what she has seen and heard. It’s a good place to live and it’s not to hard to adjust to life there.
Anyway, I will take my wife to the UK for a visit next year and then we can decide where to live.
All the best to those who want to make the move to Canada. Just remember that the first few years will take time to adjust.
go on dieseldog i am 54 i have been here 12 months,
As I understand it, in order to get the work permit for Canada, you must be at least 25 years old and have a few years experience. Also from what have read, work permits are for the most part issued for long haul drivers. This can be good for young drivers who might yet have children and the job might be more appealing.
Long haul might not be that great of a job for those with young children, and having a wife at home or working with young chidren in a new country with a husband gone for days at a time coul pose a challenge on their daily life. These are things to give careful consideration before crossing the pond.
I’m sure that many of the plus 50 guys will do just fine in Canada, and sorry for my previous generalization.
Some people return to the UK for many different reasons, and I doubt that it really had anything to do with landing a job from hell.
My parents made the move to the UK in the 50’s and my mother returned to the UK many times. She was a good customer for the removal companies. She’s 80 now and lives in Canada for 6 months, and the UK for the remainder, but from next year she will only stay in Canada as she has found that she’s much more comfortable in Canada though she loves her home in England. Home is always home but there comes a time for some when they want to go down a different road.
The good news is that it’s becoming easier for truck drivers from the UK and Europe to emmigrate to Canada. It might not be all that what you think it is, but hats off to all those who have taken the move across the pond. It’s not easy at first, but nothing good in life comes easy.
Nicholas James:
[ I’m sure there are many older folks like myself who can adjust to life in a new country just fine.
Dead right there Nicholas, I emigrated to France at the age of 56 and started work straight away. It ain’t the same but if you have the skills and enthusiasm you’ll come good.
Even if you have to learn a new language 
.
Something Brits going to Canada don’t have to bother about - much.
I’d just like to say good luck to daycrawler hope everything works out for you in the future.
We’ve been here 12 months and still loving every minute of it.
mrs rocket