Canada and USA.Question

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EX-PAT BRITISH TRUCKERS (INTERACTIVE)
21

18,000 miles a month :exclamation:

that can under no circumstances be legal FFS and if you cant do it legal it aint worth doing, you must have averaged over 4500 a week to do that.
I went self employed for a short time before joining my present company and for 28 days in december of 2006 I covered 2200 miles, this involved ripping up every flaming log sheet and starting a new week every monday, I never stopped for more than 5 hours in one go in all that time, never saw home and broke the law a thousand times over.
I would want a thousand a day to do it again, thats not good for anyone and it’s totally ■■■■ pay for that work, the average in Canada or the USA is 2500 a week, so anyone driving here should expect that amount of miles per week …

If someone wants to come over and work they should know whats legal to earn not what they can make by working every waking hour.

By the way ! … 38c canadian per mile isnt a pot of gold :smiley: Having to do more than 2500 a week to live isnt either … it’s slave labour ffs
You should hope for 45 USD minimum or dont bother.

22

Pat Hasler:
18,000 miles a month :exclamation:

that can under no circumstances be legal FFS and if you cant do it legal it aint worth doing, you must have averaged over 4500 a week to do that.
I went self employed for a short time before joining my present company and for 28 days in december of 2006 I covered 2200 miles, this involved ripping up every flaming log sheet and starting a new week every monday, I never stopped for more than 5 hours in one go in all that time, never saw home and broke the law a thousand times over.
I would want a thousand a day to do it again, thats not good for anyone and it’s totally [zb] pay for that work, the average in Canada or the USA is 2500 a week, so anyone driving here should expect that amount of miles per week …

If someone wants to come over and work they should know whats legal to earn not what they can make by working every waking hour.

By the way ! … 38c canadian per mile isnt a pot of gold :smiley: Having to do more than 2500 a week to live isnt either … it’s slave labour ffs
You should hope for 45 USD minimum or dont bother.

38c does me just fine, I live in Canada so I don’t have to give up half my wages to healthcare insurance & a 401K.

18000 is pushing it a bit, but I had one leg of a trip from the previous month that missed the cut off so it was added to the following month, I don’t run bent as a rule, I may nick 15mins here & there so I can run at 65mph rather than 75mph & still get the same amount of miles done in a day, but I don’t take the ■■■■.

My runs to the East Coast take me from 30 miles over the Border down through North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio & PA, the only hold ups I can encounter are Minneapolis & Chicago & I time it so that I run through them when traffic is light, the rest of the time I’m cruising at 65mph & if I keep the drivers door closed I can & do ■■■■ 700miles a day, I get to my delivery point an hour or so before my appointment & I’m usually on my way within an hour, my reloads are usually pre-loaded trailers so most of my working week is spent driving, my body clock works best if I get up at 9ish & go to bed at 1ish, I go to bed every night for 7-8hrs & I never use an alarm clock, in fact I don’t even possess one.

The average may well be 2500miles, but look up average in the dictionary, it’s the middle ground between the lowest & the highest, some only do 1500, some do 3500, it all depends on the job & each job is different, mine is much different to yours Pat, so you can’t compare the two. My company operates a very well managed system, we are never given a job that we cannot do legally & our safety man checks all our logs against fuel & toll receipts, border crossings etc so if we are more than 30mins out on any of those we are hauled in for a bollocking, as a matter of fact I’ve never been questioned so I can’t be running that bent can I?

23

2500 miles per week with those big open roads with no traffic. piece of cake.
i’m taking it easy at the moment, just doing ireland and england, and i’m doing 1800 to 2100 miles per week.

have you ever seen a bottle of ■■■■ at the side of the road over there? :laughing:

24

limeyphil:
2500 miles per week with those big open roads with no traffic. piece of cake.
i’m taking it easy at the moment, just doing ireland and england, and i’m doing 1800 to 2100 miles per week.

have you ever seen a bottle of ■■■■ at the side of the road over there? :laughing:

Plenty of them, they call them Trucker Bombs, the lorry parks stink of ■■■■ too as the lazy arsed drivers can’t be bothered to walk to the clean toilets but ■■■■ up the trailer wheels instead, some things are the same wherever you are :unamused:

To clarify the stuation on miles, as Pat says the average IS 2500, most companies base their mileage rates around that so that you get a living wage, but most companies spend a lot more time hanging around waiting to tip or load than me, this allows me to put in more miles, also my average one way trip is at least 1500 miles, a lot of companies average 500-700 mile trips, so not only do I not wait around while tipping & loading, I also do a lot less tipping & loading in the first place. Also as Pat says, wages are higher in the US, but then they only average 2500 miles a week so they need to be, yeah I’m driving more miles for the same wage packet, but I bet I’m out of the house for the same amount of time & personally I’d rather be going down the road than waiting around at a loading dock.

Work it out, I can drive for 11hrs a day, 6 days per week (before I need a 36 hr break to reset my logs) at an average of 60mph (easy to do) I can cover just under 4000miles a week, in a 5 week month, that can give me up to 20000miles LEGALLY. My actual average per month is 15500miles, during that month I leave my yard with a loaded trailer, go 1500+ miles, unload & then head up to 500miles to collect a usually pre-loaded trailer, then run back to yard, have a couple of days off & start all over again, easiest job I’ve ever had :wink:

25

18,000 miles a month is mental, Mark. That can only be a one off surely, but Pat 2500 miles a week seems a bit light also.
My average round trip is approximately 10,000kms and i get 2 trips a month in with a few of days off at home in between so i guess i average 20,000kms/12,000 miles a month as a conservative estimate. I am on 40 cents a mile so i think my pay is good to average and more importantly, am happy with it.


26

Hi a slightly :unamused: off subject question for newmercman- I see you mentioned that you were a tester for Truck, do you mean you did the road tests for fuel consumption etc?
Many years ago I read an article by the late Pat Kennet in which he mentioned road test MPG and everyday MPG, he said something like you would never match road test MPG’s as the trucks were ‘set up specially’. I can imagine that engine tune and tyre pressures would be spot on but what else would have been done? Thin oil in the transmission?
I did write to either Truck or Truck & Driver at the time but never received a reply.
Curious - Gavin

27

Firstly, Mark, no not mental, just had a month where it all fell into place, I said it’s not usual, that’s more like 15000, for me anyway, but I don’t have my family here yet so I have my 36hrs off & get down the road again, your trips are longer so as with Pat, it’s like comparing apples & oranges, most of our drivers do 12000 & have plenty of time off, I do it differently & that’s how I get the miles in. I also get bonuses & can push my money up a few cents a mile, but even though I achieve them I don’t count them as wages, it seems most Canadian firms, the decent ones anyway, pay roughly the same.

Gavin, yes I was a road tester for TRUCK, in my experience the trucks we tested were the same as you can get at any dealer, but they were presented to us in 100% order, by that I mean tyres at the correct pressure, axles aligned, they probably had synthetic oils in them etc, nothing that shouldn’t be done to every lorry on the road really, they were all loaded with options though, alloy wheels, top spec interiors & the like. We had a representative from the manufacturer ride along with us, not to tell us how to drive (we would’ve told them to shut up if they did :laughing: ) but to make sure that we didn’t do anything stupid which could affect the results.

The test itself had all the variables worked out so that you could compare figures between lorries, we had a formula for wind speed, fuel temperature, time spent in traffic etc & the route itself encompassed pretty much every kind of terrain that you would encounter in the UK so you could use different sections of the test that replicated your normal work area to compare one truck against another.

I started reading TRUCK from the very first issue in September 1974 & I think it was the best of the trucking magazines past & present, it was a great honour to follow in the footsteps of the greats like Pat Kennett & Phil Llewellyn, I used to dream about doing a Long Distance Diary & in 2001 that dream came true.

I’m quite lucky with my dreams really, I used to push my Christian Salvesen Peterbilt around the floor of the kitchen dreaming I’d do it for real one day & here I am, god I hope the one with Kim Bassinger & a can of squirty cream comes true too :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

28

Hi newmercman thanks for the info. Iwasn’t sure that the trucks could be that different, there wouldn’t be any point in the road test otherwise! Sounds like you had a good job there, I too used to be a regular reader of Truck.
Re K.B. and the squirty cream . I found her a bit of a disapointment, :open_mouth:
Gavin

29

toby1234abc:
Can any USA or Canadian drivers shed light on why no tachographs are fitted to US and Canadian trucks to record driving hours.Is it something to do with the constitution?

According to a radio station I was listening to in the states the other day they reckon electronic on board recorders will be mandatory within about 2 years, bring it on I say, the only ones worried are the ones running bent :wink:

30

onboard digital recorders? take thats meant to mean a digi tacho then, god i hate those things with a vengeance.

31

BigJon:
onboard digital recorders? take thats meant to mean a digi tacho then, god i hate those things with a vengeance.

No, most of the recording will be done with current technology already fitted in a large majority of trucks, Qualcom and equivelant satelite tracking and communication systems :open_mouth:

32

Gavin,

Yes the TRUCK gig was a very good job, it’s the only job I’ve ever regretted leaving, not only did I enjoy the work, but my colleagues were all nice people & lorry enthusiasts too, it’s something I would like to return to one day, I’m having too much fun at the moment, but one day…

EOBRs are part of the next Highway Bill which is going through Congress at the moment, chances are it won’t make the deadline so it will be a couple of years before the Bill is passed, it then depends on how the Bill is worded, at present it is only applicable to persistent offenders of the Hours of Service laws, whether that will change I don’t know, but not all companies use a ‘Qualcomm’ type system & none of the independant owner operators will have it either so we may have a choice of both the satellite based systems or a form of digi-tach. It will put the cat amongst the pigeons whatever system they use & from what I hear it will be trialled on Canadian trucks first so watch this space!

33

Does anybody know of a Canadian company called H&R Transport Ltd based in Lethbridge/Calgary, Alberta? Got an interview with them in the UK in a weeks time any info would be apprieciated.

34

mattcollin:
Does anybody know of a Canadian company called H&R Transport Ltd based in Lethbridge/Calgary, Alberta? Got an interview with them in the UK in a weeks time any info would be apprieciated.

H & R are known as Hit & Run.

There are lots of bad reports about driver retention and disatisfaction on another forum. H & R may be OK if you are prepared to put up with the way this firm operates or are desperate to get into Canada any way you can. There are better firms in Canada that still recruit UK drivers, and Canada is out of recession now so will be wanting more drivers.

Try looking for British Truckers Abroad dot com, Canada forums. H & R have a whole section to themselves. From reports from previous recruits to H & R the promises made by the recruiter are soon forgotten and earnings are not what you expected.

Do not under any circumstances let the recruiter know you post to, or read, these forums. If the company finds out you read the bad reports about them, it virtually guarantees you won’t be offered a job, judging by comments other people have made previously.

BJD

35

Lol looks like my dad beat me to it :stuck_out_tongue:

Yeah basically, Dont mention anything about truckers forums to any company you are looking to start with. Ive been refused by 2 companies so far that found out i was using the Forums, both here and on another site, im not sure if were allowed to mention the other site, but send me a pm and ill give you the address for it. One company, said i met all their criteria for hiring, I sent off my application etc, with my references, and as i am Canadian already, i was able to put myself through my Class 1 myself. I have my Canadian passport, so crossing the border to the states is no problem, but they found i was on this other forums, and then said i didnt meet their criteria. They didnt say why, just said ‘sorry, no job for you’ basically.

H&R i tried aswell, They said i didnt have enough Canadian experience … But they take on Immigrants with no experience… Go figure.
H&R have censored a lot of peoples personal blogs, And basically upon hiring you have to promise to them that you wont use any trucking forums, You cant take pics of the company trucks either… which is kinda weird.

So im currently doing Class 5 (7.5 tonner w/out airbrakes) for $14.50 an hour. Not ideal but better than sitting around earning nothing. Im hoping some of the local Class 1 companies are going to take on again soon, They should do as soon as the Oilfield Truckers go back on the Oil work.

36

Thanks to you both for the info guys and I hope you get your Class One out there in Canada. One more thing If I could ask you or your dad about the salary? They say and Im no expert here thats why Im asking you guys that the average mileage payment is 40 cents a miles, which equates to 20 pence over here, is that right? I was trying to work this out with my current salary. Forgive me if am coming across as pat and mick, but I work nights and Ive just finished a 14 hr shift, anyway. I do on average 400 miles per night on a four on four off basis. hence 1600 miles on avearge per week. Which if I am doing the Maths right equates to £320 on top of which your taxed, is that right or a round about figure you can expect? If so I’d be taking a fair wage cut.

I know its not all about money but we all know it helps, there are other factors like the quality of life you have and if you take abit less home do your bucks buy you more out there? On the other hand if your working all the hours god sends to make a decent living are you jumping out of the frying pan into the fire if you get me?

Cheers

37

mattcollin:
Thanks to you both for the info guys and I hope you get your Class One out there in Canada. One more thing If I could ask you or your dad about the salary? They say and Im no expert here thats why Im asking you guys that the average mileage payment is 40 cents a miles, which equates to 20 pence over here, is that right? I was trying to work this out with my current salary. Forgive me if am coming across as pat and mick, but I work nights and Ive just finished a 14 hr shift, anyway. I do on average 400 miles per night on a four on four off basis. hence 1600 miles on avearge per week. Which if I am doing the Maths right equates to £320 on top of which your taxed, is that right or a round about figure you can expect? If so I’d be taking a fair wage cut.

I know its not all about money but we all know it helps, there are other factors like the quality of life you have and if you take abit less home do your bucks buy you more out there? On the other hand if your working all the hours god sends to make a decent living are you jumping out of the frying pan into the fire if you get me?

Cheers

Jon or one of the expats can answer this better than I can, but you can’t really compare mileages or currency in the way you are attempting. Distances are huge there and you can rack up a lot of miles very quickly. No WTD or tachos. Speed limits the same for trucks and cars, no 3rd lane restrictions. Cost of living and disposable income are the key factors.
I have lived in the UK for the last 40 years, apart from vacation trips back, so my knowledge is a bit rusty. Vacationing which isn’t really like living there. I would go back tomorow but I have a non trucking business in the UK which isn’t easily transferable to Canada and makes too good a living to give up. So I settle for visits and reading others adventures.

BJD

38

Almost all Long Haul driving jobs are paid by the mile at a rate ranging from $0.30 / mile to $0.45 depending who you work for. Ontop of this you get additional pay for things like Tarping, Crossing the Border into the States etc.
Over here you will rack up big miles so you should get the money your after. The average wage for driving long haul here is $50,000 or thereabouts.
Once you have PR / Citizenship , you can move onto local P&D work (Multidrop) which is usually paid by the hour, at roughly $20 an hour.

Factor in that the cost of living here is also slightly cheaper than the UK. The only thing that does cost slightly more is your Groceries, due to the distances they are transported by truck. Canada is huge, Alberta alone is 3 times the size of the UK, Canada as a whole has only 33.5 Million residents. compared with the UK’s 61.3 Million.
The total landmass of Canada is 9,093,507 Square Km. Compared with The UK’s 245,000 Square Km. Quite a big difference, and that all pays part in a better way of life being here, There are loads of Parks and open spaces to go and do activities outside.

39

Beats me why they even bother with tacho’s in England.There’s so many camera’s everywhere big brother know’s your location and duty status anyway, :cry: and probably who’s in the bunk with you too! :laughing:

40

Bosses can track the trucks movements with a satelite system and gps to the office.