Hi,
Just wondered if there are any English Owner Drivers in Canada, or is it very hard to start up as an Owner Driver and get work,
because at the moment I’m running 5 trucks doing UK/European and it’s a waste of time and over the last couple of years, I keep
looking on the ex-pat site and the one’s that have stayed, seem to have a good standard of living, So, depending on the replies,
it might be time to make a move from the Uk.
Regards
JJSL
A lot of factors here, to answer your question, yes it’s pretty easy to set up as an owner driver, the owner operator mainly subcontracts to a larger transport firm, some allow you to put extra trucks on & some want only owner drivers, you run on their Authority (O Licence) they charge you a rate per mile for insurance & licence plates, other things like payment terms & rates vary from company to company, but most pay enough to earn ok out of it, as long as you do your miles.
Just as an aside, technically you cannot own a business under a TWP, so you would have to wait until you gained your PR. Then again, better to put a company truck in the ditch than your own… Don’t you agree, Mark? 
Hi Newmercman and Bodthedog,
Thank you for the info, very interesting, what are the prices for trucks ? I know you can get Volvo’s, which I have in Uk, but what would you buy and why.
Regarding the (O Licence) you say that you run on their Authority, is this because it’s difficult to get your own “O” Licence.
Anyway, all the best for the future.
Many thanks
JJSL
(Tony)
Tony, Like you, Bob The Dog & I were both running a few motors in the UK before we went to Canada, both of us went with the intention of doing the same over there, as BTD said, you have to have PR (permanent residency) before you can go down that road, also things are very different over there so dipping your toes in the water driving a company truck is a very good idea, that way you have a better idea of what type of work you want to do, where you want to go, what truck you want, where you’re going to get it serviced etc etc etc, personally I think you need at least a year over there before you know what’s what.
Hi mark,
Yes you are right, don’t run before you can walk !!
Well it’s time to get my thinking hat on, get some more info from the net and make up my mind.
Many thanks
Tony
JJSL:
Hi mark,Yes you are right, don’t run before you can walk !!
Well it’s time to get my thinking hat on, get some more info from the net and make up my mind.
Many thanks
Tony
Tony,
Good luck, there’s a hell of a lot to learn You’ll be surprised at the differences over there, pleasantly surprised, you can actually make decent money 
If you’re looking to make money, you’ll need something like a pre EGR (03 & older) Freightliner Century/Columbia with a 60 series Detroit, geared to run at 62mph or a Volvo with a ■■■■■■■■ the Volvo engines are thirsty, unreliable & expensive to repair, anything 04 & newer will have EGR & 07 & newer have a load of emissions crap that is very unreliable & VERY expensive to repair, so they are best avoided. The pre EGR engines will get you 7+mpg in an aerodynamic truck, they’ll have big miles on but a 60 series will go 1.3million before it needs tearing apart & a full rebuild will set you back $20k but will give you another million miles.
If you want to pose, there’s only one to have, a 379 Peterbilt with all the chrome & lights is the dogs danglies, but they use more fuel, up to a full mpg or more less than an aerodynamic truck.
Another thing is rates, some may appear better than others, an extra 10c a mile may seem good, but, for example a run with a flatbed, tarped both ways & heavy from Winnipeg to LA at $1.30 a mile will not earn you as much as a run with a box or fridge from Winnipeg to Houston at $1.20 a mile, running through the Rockies will mean all those extra 10c will end up straight in your diesel tank, hanging around a couple of days for a reload will kill it too, much more freight comes back out of Texas than California, so what makes sense on paper means nothing in the real world.
Another aside…
Something else which others have found is that the firms which promise big rates are full of nonsense or have very little work in the first place. No point taking a $4 a mile load if that is all you get for a week.
Hi Mark & Btd,
You have both been very helpful and Many thanks, I have been looking at property prices around Winnipeg on the Net and
they seem very good plus a Car/Pick-up etc to do my costings and then how much to live on ? thats the problem, so I think
I will use Uk prices as a costing base, and then look for a job and go for my Licence, and in this respect, (I know it’s on hear
but, what are the stages that you have to do for your Licence and what does each one involve, Say Brake Test ?
Best Regards
Tony
JJSL
Think the fact that BTD and NMM who are both experienced ex-OD’s from the UK and have been in Canada as company drivers for a few years now,yet they haven’t “yet” went down the O/O route tells a story in itself.
IE,when you look at the big picture your probably better off staying as a company driver as the money isn’t there to justify the hassle of being an O/O 
Hi BigTruck,
In someways I would agree with your comments, but running trucks in the Uk/Euopre for the last 18 months as not been hassle free !
and I can see where you are coming from, because if I could have earned the correct money in the UK being employed, then I think
I would have gone that route, but I have been doing this for the last 20 years plus and upto 18 months ago I earned a very good living.
Both Mark and Btd are employed and seem to be happy with the way thing have gone, because they are doing a job they like
and earning enough money (thats if you can ever earn enough money !!!) but they like what they are doing and maybe one
day they will become O/D’s
So, all in all I think that from the info given, which really helps, I think that the way to go is get a job and become an employee and
keep your head down for a few years till you know the ropes, and then have a look at buying a truck.
Many thanks to all for this infomation, because without your help and experiences, there could have been another Mad Brit on his way
to Canada without properly doing there home work !!
Many thanks again to all
and keep the diaries coming.
Best Regards
Tont (JJSL)
T
Not entirely accurate, BT. I was in the process of buying the truck I am driving when I had my accident last June. Because I had to sign off the company payroll in order to get sick pay I have to work another 6 months with this company, as is their policy, before I can start again. That period is up now, but the winter roads are supposed to start so I shall get the ice out of my system for the year then approach the bosses again in April.
To tell the truth, I would not have been so keen to do it with other firms. I know the kind of miles I get here and there is no reason for the firm to skimp me at all when I do go O/O because it was their truck to begin with. With all that said, I have got 4 years behind me now in North America. I think I know my way around fairly well and am fairly up to date with the rules. I may, at some point, go for my own Operating Authority but not yet.
Also, I was a company driver in the UK and Europe for 10 years before I bought my own. It made sense to stay on someone elses books for a while.
That will be interesting come April as it will mean (as far as I’m aware) you will be the first ex-UK Canadian O/O on the trucking forums 
Will the extra money you take home as an O/O for Keystone justify all the extra hassles/stress instead of remaining a company driver
When you go “own authority” does it mean you can bid for work direct from the shippers or does it go via a broker
Not so sure that the hassles will be that much greater really. The main difference will be that the bills will be mine, but the additional rate and tax differences should be compensation really.
The truck will be maintained by the same people, driven by the same driver and in the same manner. If the truck ceases to perform in the way it has then there will be a rethink on my part as won’t buy rubbish.
But having been in the situation before, I do think it will be worthwhile. The only real reason I didn’t go for it in the past was because I did not want it to consume all my time and make things any harder for my family. I think the time is right now.
Own Authority means you have the opportunity to compete with the big boys in your own right, same as over in the UK really. But it also gives you the right to have broker trucks under your plates and then you can do their dispatch and get your wad off them without turning a wheel, always assuming you can find the work and the trucks.
I could be an O/O tomorrow, I reckon I’ve got an idea of how things work now, my current company will do me a very good deal on my ■■■■ Pete, no money down, lots of miles, a decent rate, blah blah blah, the only things standing in the way are, my residence, my application hasn’t gone in, It’s complicated & as usual in my experience it involves a woman The other reason is I’m an experienced small fleet operator & I’m a bit apprehensive about the Peterbilt, they guzzle a bit too much diesel for my liking, everything else about them is top drawer, but that fuel economy makes a big difference to my bank account, I’m torn between using their money to buy the Pete or buying an older pre EGR Detroit powered whatever with my own money, that money will come from selling the house in England, notice I say ‘will’ that’s another factor.
As ex O/Os BTD, JJSL & I will all testify, you don’t become an O/O to earn more money, even if you do put more in the bank, you work twice as many hours to get it, if you’re good at it then you will earn enough to compensate, but it’s not just about the money, it’s the challenge & ability to be in control of your own destiny that mean the most
stay away from volvo engines at all costs
I have to agree that a large part of being O/O is the chase. I have no idea what it is, but it is a major factor. But I do believe I can earn more money, even if it is down to the tax allowances. I always felt better working hard for myself, and my work ethics are pretty much ideal for O/O life. There is also the winter roads. I would buy a beater truck just for that gig because you really can make money on that work, although it is not without risks, obviously.
Those of us who have done it before will have a good chance of making a decent living from buying our own. We have all seen some who think it will be so much better and have landed on their knees because they lack some of the necessary gumption.
I know a few British O/O’s down here, Longwayround … who works with me on Foodliner and some others. I tried doing the self employed bit for about 6 months, it was FOOOOOOOOOOOkin hard work for totally crap money, the truck was actually owned by one of the other brits, I was hardly home and it almost destroyed my family.
I see how hard Longwayround works compared to when he was a company driver like me and cant see why he does it ?
I make more money now than I ever did as self employed, the truck is not my problem if anything goes wrong and I know it will be replaced when it gets knackered.
I think it is maybe a little more cutthroat down there, Pat, rather like the UK is now. The way I see it, if the firm treat me the same way as they do now then I should do fine. Have to see.
thought i would add my two penneth as i have not been on for a while, what bob and mark say is good advice as for bt well !!! i too had trucks in the uk and in the 5 plus yrs over here for the same employer have had many chances of being o/o and being in the position at work where i have a decision in what trucks we get i know what truck to have to suit what type of work, the only reason i have not is becuase i have a good position at work and i like to be at home, but if i wanted to be on the road i could be an owner as soon as next week and would be. things here are so much simpler than in the uk, for instance a young guy at our place who is now 21 owns a 2008 379 pete ( he was 20 when he got the truck ) i myself would go for an older truck.