Hello I’ve contacted a few small companies in southern alberta with a view to gaining employment in 2014’ the companies are small specialise in long haul mainly north west USA and Western Canada they have all told me I would need to pay for my own brake test and relevant training and hotels 'can any lads give us an idea how much money I would need to bring to Canada to cover training and accomadation and how long does it take to do the brake test and training for truck liscence cheers
Don’t know about Alberta but I done class1 air brake test theroy and medical etc for around $1000 in Manitoba
I think it costs about $2000-$2500 depending whereabouts you take it, to cover your training, practical, computer (CA highway code), air brake & if pre-arranged can all be done in a week providing you pass it all.
Lethbridge would probably be the cheapest for hotels, a lot cheaper than Calgary.
You also have to think about your transport needs, a car is a must IMO, very difficult to get around without one, but that will add another $3000 to get you on the road.
Also food & money until your first paycheck which could be a month away.
If you are alone and going to live in the truck for a while I would guess that about maybe about $8K to start you off if you’ve got to pay everything yourself.
You do get a whack of your training money back off your taxes but that’s not till next year if you came now.
Drivers that have come in the last 12mths can give you a better estimate.
Thanks for your reply all in about $3000.00 for brake and truck test probjably would be looking at renting a car 'if all the above was passed I would be hoping to get on the road ASAP as I would be living in the truck and in hotels during time off .
Who you coming over with chef?? My training last year cost me $1600 that’s with taking air brake theory and general knowledge tests twice. Hotel bill depends on the company you are with. H&R pay $55 night in the sandman. You should be on the road in about 10 days after getting here. $5000 should be more than enough to see you through to pay day
Thanks for the advice taffy I’m going to pm you
taffytrucker:
Who you coming over with chef?? My training last year cost me $1600 that’s with taking air brake theory and general knowledge tests twice. Hotel bill depends on the company you are with. H&R pay $55 night in the sandman. You should be on the road in about 10 days after getting here. $5000 should be more than enough to see you through to pay day
Taffy didn’t you do a restricted licence ■■?
Taff, unless he is with H&R, he won’t get the Sandman for $55 a night & not likely to get the training for H&R price.
He also will have to pay for medical, ■■■■ & drug test, licence exchange etc, everything you take for granted with H&R.
That will all add up.
neilg14:
Taff, unless he is with H&R, he won’t get the Sandman for $55 a night & not likely to get the training for H&R price.
He also will have to pay for medical, ■■■■ & drug test, licence exchange etc, everything you take for granted with H&R.
That will all add up.
A mate did his 2 yrs ago he bought a car at auction so he could get about that worked out a a bit cheaper in the long run.
arrive change licence $70 open bank account get your bank card same day pop into Timmys for coffee 
neilg14:
Taff, unless he is with H&R, he won’t get the Sandman for $55 a night & not likely to get the training for H&R price.
He also will have to pay for medical, ■■■■ & drug test, licence exchange etc, everything you take for granted with H&R.
That will all add up.
H&R bill you for the drugs test and licence exchange so you end up paying for that anyway, test fees set by the province so not get them any cheaper lol I know my company has a deal going at the sandman lil bit more then $55 but still cheaper then normal rates. No need to but a car as most companies will take em down to get SIN bank account etc.
nick2008:
taffytrucker:
Who you coming over with chef?? My training last year cost me $1600 that’s with taking air brake theory and general knowledge tests twice. Hotel bill depends on the company you are with. H&R pay $55 night in the sandman. You should be on the road in about 10 days after getting here. $5000 should be more than enough to see you through to pay dayTaffy didn’t you do a restricted licence ■■?
What you mean Nick■■?
taffytrucker:
nick2008:
taffytrucker:
Who you coming over with chef?? My training last year cost me $1600 that’s with taking air brake theory and general knowledge tests twice. Hotel bill depends on the company you are with. H&R pay $55 night in the sandman. You should be on the road in about 10 days after getting here. $5000 should be more than enough to see you through to pay dayTaffy didn’t you do a restricted licence ■■?
What you mean Nick■■?
might be someone else fella . I heard that you could take a shorter route by staying (driving) in a set province , dunno how true that is though
Test fees will be the same province wide but the cost of training won’t, it’ll be what they want to charge.
Also even though H&R charged us for the medical, ■■■■ & drug test, it wasn’t an up-front cost, it came out of your earnings.
He was asking about the costs if he had to pay everything himself.
SK as far as i know will let you jump straight into a truck once you change your ticket over but as you said you only drive in that province. As for the drugs test when i changed jobs it was docked from my wages so i think that could be pretty much standard but not sure
taffytrucker:
SK as far as i know will let you jump straight into a truck once you change your ticket over but as you said you only drive in that province. As for the drugs test when i changed jobs it was docked from my wages so i think that could be pretty much standard but not sure
Where did you get this gem of info ? 
So I have a rough estimate now between 5 and 6 thousand Canadian dollars to keep me right until I finish all training’ flights would be extra how do you drivers find the price of hotels in Canada a lot more expensive than the USA 'apparently I can claim back training fee I plan to take a trip out to alberta in January to meet people face to face in January I also have read on another forum that some employers have started to charge for lmo’s.
chef sauce:
So I have a rough estimate now between 5 and 6 thousand Canadian dollars to keep me right until I finish all training’ flights would be extra how do you drivers find the price of hotels in Canada a lot more expensive than the USA 'apparently I can claim back training fee I plan to take a trip out to alberta in January to meet people face to face in January I also have read on another forum that some employers have started to charge for lmo’s.
that’s the cold season brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr get to a thrift shop (Charity shop) and pick up a decent coat cheaper an better than anything you can get over here , paid $10 CN for mine better than anything I’ve ever had
You can get rooms in the teavelodge type places 60 to 70 dollars a night.
flat to the mat:
taffytrucker:
SK as far as i know will let you jump straight into a truck once you change your ticket over but as you said you only drive in that province. As for the drugs test when i changed jobs it was docked from my wages so i think that could be pretty much standard but not sureWhere did you get this gem of info ?
Ex kindersly driver. He said thats what he got told when he started there. He is a few bricks short of a house mind so…
They charged you for a drug test 
WTF 
As for companies charging for LMOs, give em a swerve, they will not be good places to work, trust me 