Pat Hasler:
The CSA points don’t show on your licence record, just the DOT records. I am not sure how it exactly works but I know that on my company for instance when you reach over 25 points you are in big trouble.
I may be wrong but apart from a bit of fuss when CSA was first introduced, I’ve never heard any Candian company (Maritimes at least) even mention it since. It may be a huge issue for US drivers but I don’t think many care all that much about it up here. Perhaps its because so many drivers in this part of Canada run so stupidly bent that its assumed that everyone’s got a high score so they cant be picky.
If you’re even getting points for non-offences or offences that have being kicked out of court then I should think every US driver would be on a race up to 100 points or whatever it goes to and just stay there so the whole thing becomes silly and pointless. I know a lot of the local companies in this area have carrier profile scores in the 90s and as its much easier to get the points than it is to lose them on clean DOT checks they just stay right up there and plod on at round about 100 points on a continual basis.
The problem as I see it over here is that the system has been abused over the years by both the workers and the companies.
I was in freightshaker in Winterpeg other month where they was telling me about a certain group of people (all from the same family think it was about 6 of them) had purchased a truck and all living in it,they was ALL living in the truck and the ‘owner’ was paying a few cents a mile to each member therefore able to do the job cheap as chips, they had taken it in to do get some work done it. No grease monkey in the shop would touch it the shop supervisor questioned why, when told to take a look himself he found they had cut a hole in the floor right above the drive shaft to do your daily bussiness!!! needless to say it was thrown out the shop and told never to return. Yes that was an extreme case but also goes to show that people will do anything to try and get a ticket for over here.
Companies are not so willing to raise the pay and standards while there will be a steady flow of drivers to take the place of others that leave because they are not happy for one reason or another, so in effect we are our own worse enimies, because we wanna move over here and will do almost anything to make it happen we are willing to put up with standards that we wouldnt if we stayed in the UK same as when the ex eastern block invaded the UK. I dont think its if it will be when the laws are made stricter to employ people on a TWP then hopefully it will mean better conditions for the drivers that are here already but also a bit tougher for the genuine guy that wants to move and better life for his family.
As for the DOT checks I find CA to be a lot stricter then anywhere else I have been, had a tug at the scales top of Donners other month was a little over on my drives due to just topping up the tanks in Fernly NV, had a chat with the kind officer inside expalined this and that I havent had a scale ticket from when I had scaled out at load point and not a problem at the othe other 5 or so scales on the way down. He expalined to me that CA do not give any allowance for the tri pac i got fitted or the chains I had to carry or the fact I had just topped up my tanks :S I caught him on a good night though and advised me to shift the weight around abit and I’ll be ok as he was fed up with giving tickets for overweight on the drives that night ( was bout 02:00). This I admit was a one off and I was puckered up for a big ticket. Never had a problem with level 2 checks not had a level 1 yet but I do find the states a lot more strict then Canada but BC is getting stricter.
taffy trucker…do you realy think conditions over there will ever get better i would say no .supply and demand dictate otherwise .hauliers will aways get drivers dont know why but thats how it will always be…dont know about standing costs over there but probably not as high as here… hauliers probably dont mind standing trucks if they can afford to travel here on recruitment drives hope its still good there taff…south wales is sunny here at the moment…
Nothing will change here until they bring in the EOBR and hourly pay:shock:
They also need to enforce the law properly, at present as long as you’re under the weight limit and your lights are working there’s a 99.9% chance that you won’t get pulled for an inspection, that’s if the scale is open in the first place:-o
A massive shake up is needed and drivers need to stand up and be counted, putting up with 16hr days, poorly maintained equipment and no regular routine is the norm over here. Drivers are scared to say anything as the companies will cut their miles, so they keep quiet and that gives the companies the power to carry on with their intimidation tactics. For immigrant drivers without PR the situation is even worse, make waves and you could end up at the airport, the whole thing needs changing and changing fast…
Only then will the stuck in the 70s time warp drivers and bosses will become extinct:shock:
The worst thing so far about the almost universal or so it seems adoptation of e-logs by US companies is that absolutely nothing has changed. They still work for the same crap milleage rate and their companies doctor their logs from their end so that they can and WILL drive all night after waiting on a loading dock for 7 and a half hours to load 20 poxy pallets.
I think things will improve in Canada far before they ever do in the US, but then that begs the question, if things improve for us, will we then just get undercut by US firms who are carrying on the same as before? Its long being assumed that most Americans cant or wont come to Canada and as such our position in Canadian exports is secure but in the past few months I’ve seen a huge increase in US registered trucks coming in to Canada, even in the Maritimes, a place where they’ve generally being very rare save for the odd local Maine truck from over the border.
newmercman:
Nothing will change here until they bring in the EOBR and hourly pay:shock:
They also need to enforce the law properly, at present as long as you’re under the weight limit and your lights are working there’s a 99.9% chance that you won’t get pulled for an inspection, that’s if the scale is open in the first place:-o
A massive shake up is needed and drivers need to stand up and be counted, putting up with 16hr days, poorly maintained equipment and no regular routine is the norm over here. Drivers are scared to say anything as the companies will cut their miles, so they keep quiet and that gives the companies the power to carry on with their intimidation tactics. For immigrant drivers without PR the situation is even worse, make waves and you could end up at the airport, the whole thing needs changing and changing fast…
Only then will the stuck in the 70s time warp drivers and bosses will become extinct:shock:
Blimey all of which seems to contradict the ( correct ) nostalgia here amongst old time uk drivers for the days before speed limiters and tachographs.While they already had a way of dealing with intimidation from employers there just like here it was called the unions but that was before Thatcher and Reagan fixed that. 
So they take your advice and just replace up to 16 hour days under good old fashioned DOT regs of log books and unlimited trucks but weak unions,with euro type ones of tachographs and 15 hour days running around North America at 90 kmh with weak unions to match.While also making sure to shut the engine down every time you’re parked up in the Summer heat and humidity of the US East or a Canadian winter. 
Carryfast:
newmercman:
Nothing will change here until they bring in the EOBR and hourly pay:shock:
They also need to enforce the law properly, at present as long as you’re under the weight limit and your lights are working there’s a 99.9% chance that you won’t get pulled for an inspection, that’s if the scale is open in the first place:-o
A massive shake up is needed and drivers need to stand up and be counted, putting up with 16hr days, poorly maintained equipment and no regular routine is the norm over here. Drivers are scared to say anything as the companies will cut their miles, so they keep quiet and that gives the companies the power to carry on with their intimidation tactics. For immigrant drivers without PR the situation is even worse, make waves and you could end up at the airport, the whole thing needs changing and changing fast…
Only then will the stuck in the 70s time warp drivers and bosses will become extinct:shock:
Blimey all of which seems to contradict the ( correct ) nostalgia here amongst old time uk drivers for the days before speed limiters and tachographs.While they already had a way of dealing with intimidation from employers there just like here it was called the unions but that was before Thatcher and Reagan fixed that.
So they take your advice and just replace up to 16 hour days under good old fashioned DOT regs of log books and unlimited trucks but weak unions,with euro type ones of tachographs and 15 hour days running around North America at 90 kmh with weak unions to match.While also making sure to shut the engine down every time you’re parked up in the Summer heat and humidity of the US East or a Canadian winter.
The curryfart agenda strikes again.
The thing is i liked the log book it meant i could run a little over to get parked up somewheredecent but never had tge urge and wasnt expected to run bent but the system is open to abuse abd as in most things the few ruin it for many
kr79:
The thing is i liked the log book it meant i could run a little over to get parked up somewheredecent but never had tge urge and wasnt expected to run bent but the system is open to abuse abd as in most things the few ruin it for many
Exactly using a log book as opposed to a tacho often benefits the driver in such cases whereby suitable parking needs to be found with time running out and/or maybe a driver wanting to have a break while the guvnor expects the thing to be kept running which is why the unions here ( rightly ) opposed tachos when they were introduced.
The issue of mileage based pay won’t make a lot of difference even if it’s changed to hourly based pay.Because what matters is the amount which the guvnor is left with to pay the driver’s wages after paying for fuel and all the other overheads and that amount remains the same and can only be earn’t to start with on a mileage basis from the customer.That’s because not many customers are prepared to pay for the costs of a truck that isn’t rolling for whatever reason etc.They only ( probably rightly ) expect to have to pay for the actual cost of taking the load from point A to point B based on the mileage between the two.In the real world of uk conditions that obviously translates to just still paying the driver the same amount but just calling it hourly pay not mileage which in general is an accurate description of uk type working.
In general the reality is you’re paid for a day’s work regardless of wether it’s mileage or hourly based with hourly rates being just a calculation of how many hours were spent during the day compared to the amount of wages paid.But the actual amount will be the same regardless of wether you call it mileage or hourly and it’s based on the actual rate for the job received from the customer and in general most transport jobs aren’t quoted based on an hourly rate.The idea of hourly pay in haulage is just a red herring which is why many class 1 haulage jobs are only paying £7-8 per hour when the mileage rate paid by the customer is converted to the amount paid to the driver for a ‘day’s work’ but is just stated in hourly terms instead of the mileage terms as paid by the customer. 
Carryfast, bless ya, usually you’re entertaining, but usually you have a small amount of knowledge on the subject, in this case you do not
The rates over here are in a different league to Europe, trust me there is plenty of scope for hourly pay without increasing rates
newmercman:
Carryfast, bless ya, usually you’re entertaining, but usually you have a small amount of knowledge on the subject, in this case you do not
The rates over here are in a different league to Europe, trust me there is plenty of scope for hourly pay without increasing rates
^^This^^
I think a basic day rate with a millage bonus would be a good way forward. That would prompt companies in to planning things better to reduce the chronic down time truck drivers suffer between loads or during loading/unloading and the bonus would encourage drivers to crack on with the job when they can and prevent the bone idle laziness that plagues the UK now. I think we’ll be waiting a very long time until things change with regards truckers wages though.
I have no issue with my mileage pay, but I don’t spend much time hanging around and if I do, I get paid for it anyway, so I’m alright thanks Jack 
Take last week, I left on Saturday, ran a trailer up into Winnipeg, picked one up in Portage la Prairie and ran that back to the yard, then went to Portage to grab one going to BC, it had three drops, Salmon Arm, Burnaby and Langley, I had all those done by Monday afternoon and made my way to Kamloops for my reload (I had to chain up to get over the Coquihalla Pass, but that’s the job up here) I loaded Tuesday morning in Kamloops and dragged that back to Calgary, switched with another driver that night and camped out there, the next day I went back over the rocks into Vancouver, arriving that night. I had 24hrs (paid) off there as my reload was an overnight back to Calgary, there was a Winnipeg trailer sitting there waiting for me and I got home again on Saturday afternoon. Nearly 4300 miles and $450 in extras which gives me approx $2300 before tax for a week’s work. That ain’t bad at all, it was a long week and you can’t do that every week, still it’s a decent start to the month, so I’m happy enough, but, from what I see and hear, I’m the exception rather than the rule, so anyone thinking of making the move better get used to the job that Robinhood describes, as that’s what you get at 99% of the companies that need to import labour from overseas 
Once you’ve done your time and can move on without jeopardising your status in the country, it can be a different story, there are lots of good jobs out there, once you served your time you can almost walk into most of them too, so the situation is not bad as a driver over here, but be prepared for some serious tests to your patience and bank balance in the early days
To be fair to flying eagle there was no problem been on mileage as they made sure you got decent miles and no a lit of sitting.
But we all know there are plenty of firms especaly the big players who can afford to leave motors sitting for a day or two at a time.
My first trucking company had us wait a max of 2 hours with no pay, then it was hourly pay or come home empty, we were paid empty miles so I didn’t mind. My present company has a really good pay deal and any waiting time is included in the trip pay for those who are one contracts where they don’t get a fixed minimum.
I’m paid yet another pay variation to all of the above (but still based on a per ‘mile’ rate)
I’m paid 43c per mile.
My company guarantee’s LMO drivers 5000 mile’s bi-weekly which adds up to a guaranteed minimum basic of .43 x 5000 = $2150 (before tax) every two weeks.
I’m paid every 2 weeks for trips started 1st to the 15th, then paid for trips started 16th to the end of the month.
Canada to USA is classed a one trip, running empty is classed as another trip, USA to Canada is classed as another trip, etc.
If i sit somewhere all week watching the telly and doing ‘buggr all’ (Just like i did a week ago sitting around at Fort Mackay! 
) i still get paid the minimum rate.
I get paid all empty miles, which is just as well as we can sometimes run 500 to 1000 miles empty for a re-load . Odessa to Laredo (a classy place on the Mexican border ) is just short of 500 miles and is a regular run for us… (Fantastic mileage pay back to Edmonton though!)
If i drive over 5000 miles within the two weeks, i am still paid 43c per mile for the extra miles… so 7000 miles will pay me 7000 x .43 =$3010 (before tax) every two weeks.
The only extra bonus i get on top of my pay is $75 every two weeks towards my mobile phone bill’s, i get nothing for loading, tarping or tipping (company says it’s all part of the job and sometimes it can take all day to load and tie stuff down).
I don’t think i’m making the ‘big money’ some of you are making, but i’m really happy with my job (love it! 
) and i know if Fox’s cant find a ‘paying’ return load or there are any delays loading, at least i know i’m going to get paid a ‘living wage’ and receive enough money to cover all my family household bills in Canada.
The only downside with the job is being ‘on the road’ and away from my wife and daughter for up to two or even sometimes three weeks at a time… but mobile phones, the internet and Skype make this so much easier. 
Col
As I have said before Colin, you have one of the few good companies to work for
Pat Hasler:
As I have said before Colin, you have one of the few good companies to work for
I am beginning to realise this now Pat
Fox’s Transport still struggle for drivers because it’s ‘flatbed trailer’ work which many people either don’t want to do (because they think it’s hard work) or are afraid of trying because they have never done it before, even though the company will run you and your truck with another driver in his truck ‘loading and unloading’ at the same places until you ‘suss the chaining, strapping, tarping and all the other gubbins etc out’.
I ran fat beds from 1975 to 80 and then it was a rare event for me to get a tautliner so I mostly stayed on them untill I joined Fed Fex in November 88. I was alway proud of my sheeting and I tried to do my best to keep the sheets as tight as a drum.
Pat Hasler:
As I have said before Colin, you have one of the few good companies to work for
There are a few decent companies around, you just don’t usually find them looking for drivers overseas
robinhood_1984:
newmercman:
Carryfast, bless ya, usually you’re entertaining, but usually you have a small amount of knowledge on the subject, in this case you do not
The rates over here are in a different league to Europe, trust me there is plenty of scope for hourly pay without increasing rates
^^This^^
I think a basic day rate with a millage bonus would be a good way forward. That would prompt companies in to planning things better to reduce the chronic down time truck drivers suffer between loads or during loading/unloading and the bonus would encourage drivers to crack on with the job when they can and prevent the bone idle laziness that plagues the UK now. I think we’ll be waiting a very long time until things change with regards truckers wages though.
Blimey there hasn’t been any scope for drivers to even be able to take a break unless the guvnor approves it since the introduction of tachos let alone bone idle laziness now.
I think nmm has missed the point which I was making.As I said the fact is it doesn’t make any difference what you call it the wage for the job will remain the same it’s only the name that would change wether a day’s work is paid on the basis of dividing the amount paid by the amount of miles run or if it’s calculated by dividing the same amount of money by the hours spent on the same day’s work.It’s obvious that if it’s a firm that’s spending a lot of time parked up waiting for loads etc then just calling the same wage an hourly rate instead of a mileage based one won’t make any difference whatsoever because the actual amount available to pay in wages will be just the same.
The real issue is just about the level of work in the form of miles run and therefore wages available and that applies regardless of wether wages are calculated based on mileage run,or on hours worked.Which is probably why it’s possible to earn more there paid based on mileage than would often be the case here working for one the many places paying ( often a lot ) less than £10 per hour and maybe sometimes vice versa.The fact is if a truck’s wheels aren’t turning and covering the miles then it’s not earning and there’s no way to pay a driver out of money that’s not being earn’t.
Which just leaves the issue of pay rates in those cases where the work is being done but wage rates are being held down to increase profit margins.In which case that issue applies just the same wether the wage is based on mileage or hours worked.