Scraggy88:
I moved to Canada in September 2016, did my class 1 in December after I settled in with my friends and tried to get in with bison in Calgary. Long story short, they will not touch me until I have held a Canadian licence for 12 months. Don’t know if they changed the way they work because the people I am living with have a friend who came over from the uk and went straight in with bison. As for making the move to Canada, I am only 28 so I went through the IEC program, if you are under 30 and not married or have no kids then you can apply through international experience Canada. I had to retake my class 1 though when I arrived in Canada. Swapped my britsish class 1 for a Canadian class 5 (car) so got a bum deal. Got it all done now so I am applying to companies around the area but yeah, bison told me I need a Canadian licence for 12 months before they would even look at me and I went to the terminal in Calgary to see them to basically be told to ■■■■ off.
Don’t understand why Bison turned you down, a few years ago they were employing anyone that could manage to get a truck into gear.
If you’re in Calgary, just go round with your CV banging on doors, dozen’s of transport companies in Foothills Ind Est SE.
yeah, I know, There are loads of advertisements around for them on the internet, All their trucks have the “Drive with us” stickers on them. funny thing is, I told them as soon as I landed that I have just arrived from the UK so one would think they would tell me they won’t touch me from the start hey!
I sent a load of resumes off and had a couple of call backs so it shouldn’t take me long to get back on the road!
You didn’t get a “bum deal” when you swapped your UK class one for a Canadian class 5, that’s just how it is, and I’m not sure what the Alberta air brake test is like but if you do the Manitoba one you can see why they won’t convert a UK licence over given we do zero testing on any of that in the UK, the best we get is being asked by the examiner where we would fill the washer fluid up or how to check the oil level.
Your UK experience does count with bison as I was technically employed by them before I even had my Canadian class one, it’s possible you just spoke to the wrong person who didn’t know the score. Still, if you have an IEC visa then you can work for anyone so I would not limit yourself to the companies who need to recruit from abroad, find a decent smaller company and as mentioned, go door to door as the best ones probably don’t need to advertise, they’ll have positions filled before its necessary to take out an advert.
Yeah, I am really glad I did the air brakes course, I really learned a lot! Gonna keep the airbrakes book around too. I got in with another company anyway which is nice, westcan bulk. Gonna be pulling hoppers from Edmonton to Yellowknife which is gonna be a new experience, looking forward to getting back out there too! It does make you understand why I had to retake my class 1 over here, just another hurdle to jump over to get where I wanna be I guess it at the end of the day, it will all be worth it!
Scraggy88:
Yeah, I am really glad I did the air brakes course, I really learned a lot! Gonna keep the airbrakes book around too. I got in with another company anyway which is nice, westcan bulk. Gonna be pulling hoppers from Edmonton to Yellowknife which is gonna be a new experience, looking forward to getting back out there too! It does make you understand why I had to retake my class 1 over here, just another hurdle to jump over to get where I wanna be I guess it at the end of the day, it will all be worth it!
You may get on Expats.co.uk and look up the trucking forum and in particular a thread about Westcan Bulk and the Edmonton depot,
good reading it ain’t!!![emoji52]
Scraggy88:
Yeah, I am really glad I did the air brakes course, I really learned a lot! Gonna keep the airbrakes book around too. I got in with another company anyway which is nice, westcan bulk. Gonna be pulling hoppers from Edmonton to Yellowknife which is gonna be a new experience, looking forward to getting back out there too! It does make you understand why I had to retake my class 1 over here, just another hurdle to jump over to get where I wanna be I guess it at the end of the day, it will all be worth it!
Westcan the red army . Best of luck with that Scraggy , you may have to dig deep into your MTFU pills to enjoy or even endure that particular part of “living the dream” . Hope it works for you
I have had a couple of folks say they are not really that great to work for but I guess I’ll have to make up my own mind. . . The guy who did my assessment was from the uk and there were a couple of Brit drivers there too, they all seemed happy and friendly enough. I’m gonna be working out of Calgary terminal but for the winter road season, I’ll be running out of Edmonton. I’ll see how it goes and take it from there I guess! Got nothing to loose by trying hey!!!
Scraggy88:
I have had a couple of folks say they are not really that great to work for but I guess I’ll have to make up my own mind. . . The guy who did my assessment was from the uk and there were a couple of Brit drivers there too, they all seemed happy and friendly enough. I’m gonna be working out of Calgary terminal but for the winter road season, I’ll be running out of Edmonton. I’ll see how it goes and take it from there I guess! Got nothing to loose by trying hey!!!
At least, if they are crap, you’ll be able to tell them to shove it and move on.
You’re in a win win situation.
Well, my first couple weeks with westcan, running out of Calgary terminal, first week was training, computer training and time in cab with another driver round Calgary (who was a scouser) driver trainer is a good lad, really helpful (also from the uk) and now I’m up in Yellowknife, hauling prill from Edmonton to Yellowknife for a couple months. Bit of a ■■■■ with my employment status though as they won’t take me on completely full time due to my “immigration status” so I’m full time but on a seasonal basis so I forfeit the benefits that come with full time, until I get myself PR. Still, a job is a job, I’m happy enough at the moment and they seem to be looking after me! Guess I’ll see what happens!
Scraggy88:
Well, my first couple weeks with westcan, running out of Calgary terminal, first week was training, computer training and time in cab with another driver round Calgary (who was a scouser) driver trainer is a good lad, really helpful (also from the uk) and now I’m up in Yellowknife, hauling prill from Edmonton to Yellowknife for a couple months. Bit of a [zb] with my employment status though as they won’t take me on completely full time due to my “immigration status” so I’m full time but on a seasonal basis so I forfeit the benefits that come with full time, until I get myself PR. Still, a job is a job, I’m happy enough at the moment and they seem to be looking after me! Guess I’ll see what happens!
Seasonal, my ■■■, conning ■■■■■■ if you manage to stay there 2yrs, you’ll be one of the longest serving drivers.
You’re being taken for a ride, quite literally. If you stick with them your IEC will come to an end and you will need them for a PR application and then you’re stuck with them for god knows how long, you’ve been warned now by several people and a million threads about westcan. You have an open visa, something many people can’t get and you are choosing to work for westcan, it’s borderline insanity.
Kiowan:
You’re being taken for a ride, quite literally. If you stick with them your IEC will come to an end and you will need them for a PR application and then you’re stuck with them for god knows how long, you’ve been warned now by several people and a million threads about westcan. You have an open visa, something many people can’t get and you are choosing to work for westcan, it’s borderline insanity.
Hi I really want to move to New Brunswick but my problem is the better half! She’s worried she won’t have anything to do. Also I never knew that I had to re sit my class 1. Is that a must?
if its a euro class1 then yup retest and air brake test. in some provinces if you let your class 1 licence lapse for more than 4yrs its gone and retest needed .
Roblittle10:
Hi I really want to move to New Brunswick but my problem is the better half! She’s worried she won’t have anything to do. Also I never knew that I had to re sit my class 1. Is that a must?
Robinhood on here is the man to ask . IMHO New Brunswick might look attractive but a lot depends on your visa/status , work is sparse and relatively poorly paid , your better half might have to work to subsidize your wages . How deeply have you researched , or is this a pipe dream ?
Would any one of you chaps know if there is age limit you need to apply for your PR to have a good chance of being granted it after two years in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan?
From what I have read on Manitoba’s immigration website, the most points you get when being no more than 45 yo, and then with every passing year you get significantly less points towards your PR application.
I’m wondering what’s situation like in those two other provinces,
my mate mid 40s just received his pr in Manitoba well within his 2yrs was on a TWP through Express entry. , are you going to try for a TWP or just apply as a Manitoba nominated PR.?. have you looked at Morden /winkler community driven immigration scheme. (towns in Manitoba ) that have there own immigration project or if you are a good French speaker (franco Manitoba)programme de immigration (sorry spellin) immigration to certain rural towns).
So, if your mate is in his 40s, say 45 , he then got max amount of points in Manitoba.
Past 45, the number of points you get for your age decreases with every passing year.
I’m wondering if the same type of system applies in Saskatchewan and Alberta, as I couldn’t find any information about it on their websites.
I’m not quite sure what’s the difference between TWP and Manitoba nominated PR.
What’s TWP express entry?
No, I don’t speak French at all, lol.
Morden, Winkler community driven immigration scheme, sounds to me like a small community needing people to settle there for many years to come, maybe even for ever, and I don’t think I would be willing to live in such a small place, tbh, so I wouldn’t want to be taking advantage of some small , nice community, promise themI would settle there for good, and then disappear as soon as I got my PR.
Does anyone know what are drivers options in Manitoba and Saskatchewan when a driver finds a company with LMIA works for them for 6 months, applies for PR and has had enough of them for some reason and wants to change his employer?
Is this the same as in Alberta or does he have more rights and can change his employer without having to start the whole process from the beginning?