So are you still driving that Pete, Mark? I heard you had a new shaped one!!! 
Hey there again 
just wondered if any of you kind gents can answer me a few more questions on your move?
1.What is the holiday pay/entitlement over there?
2.How do you learn to cope with -40 temps when doing your job? I can imagine all kinds of probs seeing as we moan here when it is 0 or +20 
3.Is the summer hot so you have freezing winter boiling summer, or does it stay cool throughout the year?
Thanks in advance sorry if it looks like im being too nosey I just want to get a full picture of how life is over there it seems good at the minute 
You get used to the cold. It really isn’t so bad as long as you are careful, and winter clothing here is cheaper and more up to the job. The fashion part of it tends to be ignored and function is the key. -40 here is bearable provided you keep your skin covered and understand how your body is coping. If you start getting cold, go and warm up.
Summers are hot here. I have know several days over 40C, and 30C is not uncommon in summer. The thunderstorms are something else, too, and are what spawn the odd tornadoes. It seems weird to have a blistering hot day, then get a hailstorm.
Bottom line is that you can cope with it all. The cold doesn’t feel the same as the cold does in the UK. -25 would not induce me to wear a winter coat unless it is windy. The windchill is what makes it harder.
Nice pics Bob … The florida ones in particular bring back memories of a few years back and the Christmas mail runs from Mass to Tampa , Orlando and Miami. Travelled some of the roads in your pics mate 
Hey there again just wondered if any of you kind gents can answer me a few more questions on your move?
1.What is the holiday pay/entitlement over there?
2.How do you learn to cope with -40 temps when doing your job? I can imagine all kinds of probs seeing as we moan here when it is 0 or +20
3.Is the summer hot so you have freezing winter boiling summer, or does it stay cool throughout the year?Thanks in advance sorry if it looks like im being too nosey I just want to get a full picture of how life is over there it seems good at the minute
Yeah, exactly what BTD says. It is easier for me as as there is not much reason to be outside of the truck on reefer work unless something goes wrong. The weather is something you have to adapt to. Less than two years ago my work consisted of pulling trailers out of Immingham and before that containers out of Felixstowe so before i emmigrated here my idea of extreme weather was when the dock got winded off.
As for holiday entitlement. I get a percentage (i think it is 5% or something) of my wages extra added on to every pay check as holiday pay. It is up to me to save it up until i take a holiday but to be honest i can never be bothered to separate it so it just gets used up in general living expenses, etc. That is of course a failure on my part and means that when i do have time off i have no money to come.
Great post Wire, fantastic pictures too. Theres been too many negative posts on here about working over there chap, thanks for an upbeat down to earth approach to the subject its refreshing and I’m sure it will encourage those who are thinking of having a bash to give it a go.
Happy Safe Travelling
Fly Sheet
brit pete:
TRY getting one of ARTIC-FOX
Artic Fox are a great device but I found them only as good as the batteries, its great to wake up at 20 below with your temperature gauge reading normal & i found the warm air through the normal heaters a pleasure compared to those nasty average night
heaters!!! The truck I had mine on ended up in the UAE I believe & i’m ■■■■■■ if I know what them lot down there made of it & its tank heater!!!
Fly Sheet
Ollie Notts… in answer to your question about holidays, Wire is right 5% is the norm, but you only get 2 weeks at alot of places for the first 5 years, my wife worked in banking and only got her 4th week after 10 years, yes 10 years service, it really is p,s poor for holidays.
Wire, great diary keep it up, still waiting for some pics of H 11 in the winter.
Excellent diary Wire, cheers. Got some family in Brockville Ontario. The brother in law is a shunter at Proctor & Gamble in Brockville, and his son has just passed his test and got a start with by Kriska Transport in Prescott. Think he’s out with another driver at the moment being shown the ropes, but he’s loving it. Keep the diaries coming mate and take it easy.
Great diary Mark and I love the pics. When are you starting your blog? Keep it up mate, Dave
Cheers, Dave. I don’t think i have the talent to make an interesting blog though.
The truck I had mine on ended up in the UAE I believe & i’m [zb] if I know what them lot down there made of it & its tank heater!!!
That will be 2 tractor units down there. I sold my F10 globtrotter in the uae to. That had a home made artic fox fitted (made in Braintree) as it did 2 years of Russian work. It worked great the tank was warm to the touch when travelling at -30.
A good read that Mark, but can you & BTD go easy, I’ll have nothing new to flog to T&D if you keep this up 
PS was that you I saw looking all shiny a couple of weeks ago in the Flying J at Black River Falls? My mike was playing up so I never bothered calling you up on the CB
WOW Wire
i think you are truly living the dream
keep your diaries coming mate
lovely pete your’e driving
cheers & keep on truckin
gaz
looks really cool. sounds like a dream come true.
Do you know of any companies in Canada that will take on new drivers? i tried westcan and they told me i needed 2 years experiance. if you can help in any way please PM me thankyou
looks really cool. sounds like a dream come true.
Do you know of any companies in Canada that will take on new drivers? i tried westcan and they told me i needed 2 years experiance. if you can help in any way please PM me thankyou
I don’t think you will find anyone who will be able to help until you have gained some more experience. I have always thought that the requirement to satisfy the immigration authorities was 5yrs experiance without any career gaps. I had 15yrs class 1 experience and i still felt like a total novice when i started here if i am honest. If you were to ask my advice on what is the best way to get over here i would say first of all get a few years under your belt with a company preferably running to Italy or Spain so you can get some mountain driving experience.
top post mate, seem`s you must have come from the leeds/manchester area? please keep posting your “blog” every week seems to be a good story. regaurds the orange MEGA pete, it can only carry 7 cars!!! whats that about. as for your pete in the snow… well that is about perfect trucking ever, you lucky guy!
top post mate, seem`s you must have come from the leeds/manchester area? please keep posting your “blog” every week seems to be a good story. regaurds the orange MEGA pete, it can only carry 7 cars!!! whats that about. as for your pete in the snow… well that is about perfect trucking ever, you lucky guy!
Cheers mate.
top post mate, seem`s you must have come from the leeds/manchester area? please keep posting your “blog” every week seems to be a good story. regaurds the orange MEGA pete, it can only carry 7 cars!!! whats that about. as for your pete in the snow… well that is about perfect trucking ever, you lucky guy!
Cheers mate. I am from Ripon in North Yorks and used to pull Schenker trailers out of Immingham in a previous life. As for the car transporter, well the guys over here put the emphasis more on driver comfort and less on load capacity which to be fair is the way it should be, Eh 