Almost, what Dunchues has said above is spot on, you seem balanced enough to know that Canada is not for you & the job wouldn’t suit you.
Too many before have come & gone because they couldn’t cope with the high mileage’s, day in, day out, week in, week out, with little time off.
This was partly down to companies not explaining the job well enough in the first place & taking on anybody that wanted to come over without relevant experience, and partly, the drivers themselves thinking, because they did a 600km trunking job 5days/nights a week in the UK, it would be easy over here.
IMO, long haul is a way of life, not just a job.
@ dunchues, @ neilg14: Thank you for the kind comments, it is nice to hear that coming from others.
Pity it ended this way, but…one day I will visit, I just won’t be driving trucks.
neilg14:
IMO, long haul is a way of life, not just a job.
There is romanticism in that, an allure which draws people in, a bit like the Sirens of Greek mythology, and we know what happened to them…
Stay safe, thanks again for the replies.
Things are changing fast in Canada, for one 40cpm is a poor wage, especially if it’s made up of bonuses and targets. There are still companies that pay this way, but there are many more that pay a decent wage and pay you for layover and waiting time.
I’m just an owner driver with another truck and my driver earns significantly more than 40c per mile, plus he gets hourly pay for city work (tipping and loading) and a bunch of other extra payments on top. He usually works Sunday to Thursday/Friday and so far this year he has had a week on holiday in Cuba, has two weeks booked in June and will have at least a week at Christmas, so don’t believe all the gloom and doom you read, there are plenty of good jobs out here.
It used to be that the companies that brought over drivers from overseas didn’t have the best reputation, deservedly so, but immigration have really clamped down on them and they have to provide evidence that they are paying the going wage (which isn’t 40cpm) and that they are conforming to all the required regulations regarding immigrant workers.
The elog is now law to run in the USA, so running bent is no longer an option, this has led to some companies paying by the hour rather than the mile, it’s only a few at the present, but it will become more popular as time goes on, it’s a good way to attract new blood and the fact that companies are still looking overseas for drivers is proof that new blood is needed. The same applies to multiple weeks away on trips, there are lots of companies that still do that, but there are just as many that don’t, you’ll still be away all week, the vastness of the country dictates that, but there are a lot more scheduled runs available now as the industry is being dragged screaming and kicking into the 21st century.
As for where to go, that’s something only you can decide, personally I’m in Manitoba and I have a love/hate relationship with the place, there are better places to live and worse, but for me it gives a nice balance of earning potential and affordability.
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newmercman its not doom/gloom its honest facts as for layovers its mostly 1st 24hrs free then you maybe get between 100/150 depending where you are .even with elog the weeks work out here will not suit guys from uk many would gawp on mon morn if you say of u go see you fri aft after your 3000 miles .even on east coast yes pay is on the up .this particular guy seems a fair honest guy i truly think he would be crazy to leave decent life /work balance just to come here and start all pr nonsense just to drive a truck here . i can honestly say if i had known in2005 the way it really is here plus the awful winters here no way would i have put myself thru it but i did and many other guys did some lasting few mths. guys coming over from uk have basically dried up because word has gone round of the so called dream .now its mostly ex commi bloc who will normally put up with more c…p than uk/dutch/german. im glad ive seen all usa/canada just trying to help the guy
Steve, I’m not disputing what you said, what I’m saying is that it’s not like that everywhere. Just today I saw an advert for Kindersley Transport claiming $76,000pa earnings. You will be on a point to point run, rather than running wild all over Canada and the USA which makes it more of a job than a way of life, like I said, it’s not all doom and gloom.
Would I recommend Canada, not sure about that if I’m honest, it’s been good to me, but the UK was good to me too, I only came here to drive a big fancy lorry around for a year and then return to England, but I liked it and stayed, coming here expecting to find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is a recipe for disaster. To make emigration work you have to want to go to the country of your choosing, not just want to leave where you are.
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yes m8 i think betwen us weve gave a fair view as for kindersley lets not go there lol happy travels m8
That’s it Steve, a balanced view, helpful for others that are reading through this thread as well as to the OP.
Things are changing for the better here, it’s a slow process, but it seems to be starting from the bottom, meaning the really bad jobs are not as bad as they were, they’re still not good, but they’re not as bad as they were.
One thing’s still the same though, you ain’t getting rich by driving a lorry, no matter how much it changes.
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Sorry for the late reply…
@newmercman: Thanks for bringing some balance to the equation. From a personal point of view, it is good to see things are moving towards a more manageable workload with companies, like yourself, offering good working conditions and healthy remuneration: $76,000 is excellent (at least in terms of UK equivalent). However, I guess it will take a few years before the changes filter through and establish a new standard. Something to keep an eye on, for sure.
@stevejones: Thanks, as usual 
I have been in a similar situation before. In 2011, I went to work abroad for a year (nothing to do with driving) and before I committed myself I heard very contrasting views and opinions from people. Whilst this was useful in its own way, it made decision making a chore. Having you guys give a well balanced reading has been far more helpful and straightforward. Whilst I enjoyed my year abroad, I was very glad to come home. I think, given my different circumstances this time around and what I stand to loose here, I will remain in the UK and let you guys enjoy yourself on my behalf. I will check back in a few years, perhaps things will have changed enough to warrant a recce.
Thanks again to those who responded, for all the information and for helping out, much appreciated.
no probs almost glad to help a bit gd luck 
If you want to earn MEGA money and have decent time off look about doing your dozer/360 track digger tickets in UK.
Check out my thread on “Professional drivers forum” ref plant wages,
You can earn £1500+/wk SE if you put in the 12hr shifts!!!
If I was 30yrs younger that’s where I’d be heading!!![emoji6]
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I’ve got a mate that operates a 360, I call him Alan Whicker as he’s always off on holiday somewhere, long weekends in Marbella, a week in Ibiza and the like, he reckons the hardest part of the job is travelling to site each day.
It’s a growing industry too, HSE ■■■■■■■■ has slowed work rate significantly, so more machines are needed to complete jobs in the time allowed, this also restricts competition, so there’s no waiting around between jobs, as soon as you dump the final bucket, the machine is on a low loader heading for the next job.
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Thats the same situation up here is the North.There is a shortage of machine,wheel loader,tracks,excavators,dumpers and Heavy plant mechanics due to the expanding mining,road building,and in the Winter[5 months]snow clearing…
Yeah the tipper boys are keeping busy this year with the snow clearing, it’s been a ■■■■■ of a winter so far.
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Here the same,we’ve had the most snow this Winter for about 20yrs,and weeks of -30c.So much for global warming. 
.At least its good for tourism.
newmercman:
I’ve got a mate that operates a 360, I call him Alan Whicker as he’s always off on holiday somewhere, long weekends in Marbella, a week in Ibiza and the like, he reckons the hardest part of the job is travelling to site each day.It’s a growing industry too, HSE ■■■■■■■■ has slowed work rate significantly, so more machines are needed to complete jobs in the time allowed, this also restricts competition, so there’s no waiting around between jobs, as soon as you dump the final bucket, the machine is on a low loader heading for the next job.
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The same fella who showed me his mates wages on the txt on that thread says the banksmen that stand watching the track machine all shift with a “non working” long tail shovel are on £150day!!![emoji50][emoji848]
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hutpik:
Here the same,we’ve had the most snow this Winter for about 20yrs,and weeks of -30c.So much for global warming.
Same here with the cold, it’s been much colder than normal, which is cold enough as it is.
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Big Truck:
If you want to earn MEGA money and have decent time off look about doing your dozer/360 track digger tickets in UK.Check out my thread on “Professional drivers forum” ref plant wages,
You can earn £1500+/wk SE if you put in the 12hr shifts!!!If I was 30yrs younger that’s where I’d be heading!!![emoji6]
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Aye during the summer months , you can pull that on a dozer but you also need to the ■■■■■■■■ of an operator , and as soon as the clocks go back in the uk and winter sets in be expected to be laid off until the spring anyway who wanted to live in a damp Auld caravan during winter .
What’s the cut off age for Applying for Canada .
chef sauce:
Big Truck:
If you want to earn MEGA money and have decent time off look about doing your dozer/360 track digger tickets in UK.Check out my thread on “Professional drivers forum” ref plant wages,
You can earn £1500+/wk SE if you put in the 12hr shifts!!!If I was 30yrs younger that’s where I’d be heading!!![emoji6]
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Aye during the summer months , you can pull that on a dozer but you also need to the ■■■■■■■■ of an operator , and as soon as the clocks go back in the uk and winter sets in be expected to be laid off until the spring anyway who wanted to live in a damp Auld caravan during winter .
£1800wk think maybe could afford to upgrade from the damp caravan!!![emoji6][emoji4]
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It is quite possible to earn betwwen £1000-£1500 per week here on the loaders\graders\shovels ect.Normally you work 7 Days then 7days free but if you work your ‘‘free’’ week its paid at overtime rate which can bounce the money up.BUT,as has been said you want to be Young,fit and good to do it.My mate earned 600,000kr netto last year,but he '‘earned’'it.Also a lot of guys work double shifts,thats from 0500 through to 2300.I done some of that when i first came here just to fill the mattress.