Page 7 of Irish Trucker has a half page ad by a company called Siemens transport looking for drivers for various work.
web: www.siemenstransport.com
and click on global recruiting link.
Anybody know anything about this company ?
my husband paul has an interview with them on the 23rd of may in saskatoon, i’ve been talking to a canadian on a expat forum and he says they are a well respected company out there.
Siemens Transport is the holding company of Kindersley Transport and Creekbank Carriers. Siemens also has a tank truck division.
Most of these jobs will be for Over The Road trucking; with the drivers out for 20 or 25 days a month.
These are respectable companies but the job that they hire for ; whether Kindersley or TransX; Yanke or H&R ; is difficult with great long periods spent on the road away from home wandering the roads of North America.
You must be prepared for that.
Go to www.truckscan.ca click on the “long haul” forum and read “Steve the bulkers tales extrodinaire”.This is a daily diairy of a geordie lad who went over to drive for Kindersley in August 2004,he just rented an apartment because he was only “home” a couple of days a month (his choice).Steve was single with no ties so he could “run hard,run fast” which is the golden ticket for going over the road (OTR) with these trucking companies,but reading right through even he was having trouble getting enough miles done to get decent pay.Remember 95% of wages in N.American trucking are mileage based so if your not getting the miles done your not earning and alot of it are not true miles so you can drive 1000 and only get paid for 800 
.
Steve’s last post was Dec 2005 and I don’t even know if he is still out there as I keep checking back to see if there are any new posts.I do know that “Pat Hasler” from these forums does keep in touch with Steve via TXT message.
P.S. There is also a thread written by Steve on the long haul forum titled “working within Kindersley” which will tell you all you need to know from the very beginning of the application.
Above all remember this, from what little I know about trucking OTR in N.Amercia you CAN’T regard it as a job its more like a LIFESTYLE 
.
BT,
I was also watching Steve’s posts. If you hear how he’s getting on now or what actually did happen, let us know.
It was Steve’s post coming to a ‘strange’ end, following such enthusiasm from him originally, that was part of Mrs tandy’s decision to ‘wait a couple of years’ and then look at it again.
As much as I can see the good side of emmigrating, i’m sometimes wondering if maybe it’s a case of ‘better the devil you know’. 
Do you ask yourselves WHY trucking companies from Canada have to go overseas to recruit drivers?
This is a letter written to the Toronto Star in response to an article about the so-called “driver shortage.”
It gives a picture of trucking from a Canadian drivers perspective.
People on this list keep asking:
“What about this trucking company or that trucking company?”
Basically they are all the same. I don’t blame the Canadian companies for driving the rates down but it is their competition…the US MEGA carriers like Schneider, Swift, Werner, JB Hunt all of whom can come into Canada. THEY are the ones who have made trucking a low priced commodity.
Let’s look at Schneider as an example: their Canadian based division is one of Canada’s biggest with 500 odd tractor units. In the States, though they have thousands of tractors roamimg the roads.
I’m sure this will not serve to disuade those who think there is a large amount of money to be made trucking in Canada. Those people post on here frequently too. I found this interesting reading and hope it shows the driver’s side.
I apologize for not replying sooner to your article but I am an over the road driver and just now had a chance to read it.
I question why you didn’t interview a current driver on the matter of a “driver shortage”?
Yes, there is a driver shortage. The shortage isn’t because a person doesn’t want to drive, but because the industry and the government has forced him/her to other avenues of employment.
Let’s look at the stated facts in your article. The age factor is one.
The unskilled labour classification is another.
Compensation is a third.
Thirty Five years ago, when I entered the industry my chauffeur’s class license was all that was required to start. Then a driver learned the “ropes” by riding and learning from another skilled operator, usually a father or older sibling.
To enter this industry now a person has to attend a truck driving school. The cost? $3000 to $5000 out of pocket expense.
The government classes driving as unskilled labour and will not accept the expense for carrier training.
(as of 2006 this is starting to change with the implimentation of an apprenticeship program being formulated)
To maintain a license, a driver has to be recertified every 3-5 years. ($100) and be medically recertified every 3 years.($100)
Now let’s factor in the other skills training/upgrading a driver takes during the year whether through seminars or safety meetings. (a driver’s own free time).
There are the regular load securement, defensive driving, skills upgrading (rules and regulations) that a driver is willing to do to maintain a professional staus.
Then there is the issue of cross border driving. To obtain a FAST (Free and Secure Trade card) to cross into the U.S a driver is again required to hand out $80 U.S, and a day off work to attend the interview with U.S Customs and Immigration at THEIR control points.
A professional driver has his driving priviliges under scrutiny 24/7. An traffic infraction while operating his private vehicle will affect the carrier abstract. A criminal offence will have his cross border travelling curtailed.
Above all this a drivers must play the role in public relations, have extensive knowledge of bylaws and regulations for every juristication he is required to travel in, a working knowledge of customs regulations, be knowledgeable of the mechanics of his vehicle and at times the operation of other types of equipment related to the job.
He is held responsible for load security whether on a flatbed or a sealed trailer and he is held responsible for any infractions of vehicle maintenance found during roadside inspections. He is required to maintain his cool when traffic around him is waiting for every opportunity to dart in front, around or behind him and should someone else make a mistake, the commercial operator usually takes the heat.
All of a sudden this unskilled labout force is highly qualified.
To quote your figures of average weekly pay ( $791 for 47 hours work). That’s PAID WORK. A driver could have another 20-30 hours a week of unpaid time devoted to the company in the form of waiting times at docks, sitting in traffic, customs delays, roadside vehicle inspections, waiting around for a dispatcher to decide where they are going to send you and fueling.
Now your quoted figure of $791/47 hrs or $16.83/hr has suddenly decreased to almost half or minimum wage.
An over the road driver is allowed a meal expense deduction of $15 per meal ($5/day)of which he can only claim 50% ($7.50 or $22.50/day) towards taxes.
A government employee can claim 100% of $70/day.
I defy anyone to live on the road in truckstops for $100 a week. Remember you have to eat, do laundry and shower while you’re out there. Don’t forget the currency exchange, by the way.
You state in a six year period our wages rose 2% yet the cost of living index rose 2.5 % or better per year.
And all of a sudden the industry is in turmoil over a driver shortage. I don’t blame younger drivers from shying away from the industry. My time is as valuable as the guy that works an assembly line.
At one time the common adage was"truckers are a dime a dozen".
It wasn’t until my peers started leaving the industry over all these above mention factors did the carriers start crying about a shortage of available employees. The industry itself created the problem and the government extrapolated it by keeping freight tariffs so low carriers couldn’t afford to pay their employees the wages the job deserved. Fortunately a few carriers recognized the problem in it’s early stages and tried to rectify it. The rest are forced to follow suit or go overseas to hire people that foremost are looking for a better life in Canada, and then look at the promises made by recruiting departments that are too good to turn down.(and for the most part to good to be true)
No offense to either Mr. Bradley or Mr. Thomas but their position on this matter speaks for itself. Mr. Bradley is President of the Ontario Trucking Association. His function is to save trucking corporations money at all costs. Mr. Thomas is an Operations Manager and Safety and Recruiting Officer. His function is to fill seats as cheaply as possible.
The above was snagged from Trucknet Canada, written by a poster named Buzzy.
Bluejaysfan:
Do you ask yourselves WHY trucking companies from Canada have to go overseas to recruit drivers?
This is a letter written to the Toronto Star in response to an article about the so-called “driver shortage.”
It gives a picture of trucking from a Canadian drivers perspective.
People on this list keep asking:
“What about this trucking company or that trucking company?”
Basically they are all the same. I don’t blame the Canadian companies for driving the rates down but it is their competition…the US MEGA carriers like Schneider, Swift, Werner, JB Hunt all of whom can come into Canada. THEY are the ones who have made trucking a low priced commodity.
Let’s look at Schneider as an example: their Canadian based division is one of Canada’s biggest with 500 odd tractor units. In the States, though they have thousands of tractors roamimg the roads.
I’m sure this will not serve to disuade those who think there is a large amount of money to be made trucking in Canada. Those people post on here frequently too. I found this interesting reading and hope it shows the driver’s side.I apologize for not replying sooner to your article but I am an over the road driver and just now had a chance to read it.
I question why you didn’t interview a current driver on the matter of a “driver shortage”?
Yes, there is a driver shortage. The shortage isn’t because a person doesn’t want to drive, but because the industry and the government has forced him/her to other avenues of employment.
Let’s look at the stated facts in your article. The age factor is one.
The unskilled labour classification is another.
Compensation is a third.
Thirty Five years ago, when I entered the industry my chauffeur’s class license was all that was required to start. Then a driver learned the “ropes” by riding and learning from another skilled operator, usually a father or older sibling.
To enter this industry now a person has to attend a truck driving school. The cost? $3000 to $5000 out of pocket expense.
The government classes driving as unskilled labour and will not accept the expense for carrier training.
(as of 2006 this is starting to change with the implimentation of an apprenticeship program being formulated)
To maintain a license, a driver has to be recertified every 3-5 years. ($100) and be medically recertified every 3 years.($100)
Now let’s factor in the other skills training/upgrading a driver takes during the year whether through seminars or safety meetings. (a driver’s own free time).
There are the regular load securement, defensive driving, skills upgrading (rules and regulations) that a driver is willing to do to maintain a professional staus.
Then there is the issue of cross border driving. To obtain a FAST (Free and Secure Trade card) to cross into the U.S a driver is again required to hand out $80 U.S, and a day off work to attend the interview with U.S Customs and Immigration at THEIR control points.
A professional driver has his driving priviliges under scrutiny 24/7. An traffic infraction while operating his private vehicle will affect the carrier abstract. A criminal offence will have his cross border travelling curtailed.
Above all this a drivers must play the role in public relations, have extensive knowledge of bylaws and regulations for every juristication he is required to travel in, a working knowledge of customs regulations, be knowledgeable of the mechanics of his vehicle and at times the operation of other types of equipment related to the job.
He is held responsible for load security whether on a flatbed or a sealed trailer and he is held responsible for any infractions of vehicle maintenance found during roadside inspections. He is required to maintain his cool when traffic around him is waiting for every opportunity to dart in front, around or behind him and should someone else make a mistake, the commercial operator usually takes the heat.
All of a sudden this unskilled labout force is highly qualified.
To quote your figures of average weekly pay ( $791 for 47 hours work). That’s PAID WORK. A driver could have another 20-30 hours a week of unpaid time devoted to the company in the form of waiting times at docks, sitting in traffic, customs delays, roadside vehicle inspections, waiting around for a dispatcher to decide where they are going to send you and fueling.
Now your quoted figure of $791/47 hrs or $16.83/hr has suddenly decreased to almost half or minimum wage.
An over the road driver is allowed a meal expense deduction of $15 per meal ($5/day)of which he can only claim 50% ($7.50 or $22.50/day) towards taxes.
A government employee can claim 100% of $70/day.
I defy anyone to live on the road in truckstops for $100 a week. Remember you have to eat, do laundry and shower while you’re out there. Don’t forget the currency exchange, by the way.
You state in a six year period our wages rose 2% yet the cost of living index rose 2.5 % or better per year.
And all of a sudden the industry is in turmoil over a driver shortage. I don’t blame younger drivers from shying away from the industry. My time is as valuable as the guy that works an assembly line.
At one time the common adage was"truckers are a dime a dozen".
It wasn’t until my peers started leaving the industry over all these above mention factors did the carriers start crying about a shortage of available employees. The industry itself created the problem and the government extrapolated it by keeping freight tariffs so low carriers couldn’t afford to pay their employees the wages the job deserved. Fortunately a few carriers recognized the problem in it’s early stages and tried to rectify it. The rest are forced to follow suit or go overseas to hire people that foremost are looking for a better life in Canada, and then look at the promises made by recruiting departments that are too good to turn down.(and for the most part to good to be true)
No offense to either Mr. Bradley or Mr. Thomas but their position on this matter speaks for itself. Mr. Bradley is President of the Ontario Trucking Association. His function is to save trucking corporations money at all costs. Mr. Thomas is an Operations Manager and Safety and Recruiting Officer. His function is to fill seats as cheaply as possible.The above was snagged from Trucknet Canada, written by a poster named Buzzy.
I think the people on this forum should ask why you seem to have a real agenda to keep trying to dissuade them from coming to Canada.!
You post an opinion from some disgruntled driver, whose main interest seems to get his name in print, and use that letter to try and prove your point.
We do have a shortage of qualified drivers, we dont have a shortage of idiots with commercial licenses who never were and never will be professional drivers no matter how much you pay them. These drivers that qualify to come to Canada are the best of the best, and maybe you should ask some of these "professional" drivers in Canada, why they seem to feel so threatened by these new drivers coming in?. Canada has a shortage of skilled labour, not only drivers but we also have Doctors being recruited to come to Canada to practise, and who do you blame for that Schneider or J.B.Hunt or who? its a fact of life in Canada, there isnt enough good workers to fill all the openings . And no , all companies are not the same, some are excellant and some are not. Some treat their employees like family and some treat their employees like enemies. These posters are doing the correct thing by asking questions about the different carriers. Would you and your family move to Canada without asking a few questions about your prospective employer This also is from a Canadian drivers perspective except I own the Company that I drive for.
in this month T&D thers an advert from a canadian company called westcan bulk transport wanting drivers to emmigrate through there driver scheme
www.westcanbulktransport.com if anyones interested
creamcrackered:
my husband paul has an interview with them on the 23rd of may in saskatoon, i’ve been talking to a canadian on a expat forum and he says they are a well respected company out there.
I have been invited for an interview with Siemens too, but it is looking as though it will be a couple of years before we can consider moving 
Good luck to you & your hubby, let us know how you get on 
[quote="Casey
I think the people on this forum should ask why you seem to have a real agenda to keep trying to dissuade them from coming to Canada.!
Casey, I haven’t seen an agenda in any of Blue Jays Fan’s post to disuade anyone from going to Canada. His posts are informative…
You post an opinion from some disgruntled driver, whose main interest seems to get his name in print, and use that letter to try and prove your point.
Having know the writer for many years and the fact that he has over 25 years experience in the industry, I know for a fact he is not a disgruntled driver…but rather a realist. If you’ve never written a letter to an editor, you’re no different than the majority of the world… you’re just apathetic. Those of us that do write letters to the editor don’t do it to see our name in print, but rather to convey another point of view.
We do have a shortage of qualified drivers, we don`t have a shortage of idiots with commercial licenses who never were and never will be professional drivers no matter how much you pay them.
Casey, the North American trucking industry is NO different. There’s lots of “steering wheel holders” or “meat in the seat” and the majority of them will unfortunately NEVER become professionals…
These drivers that qualify to come to Canada are the best of the best, and maybe you should ask some of these “professional” drivers in Canada, why they seem to feel so threatened by these new drivers coming in?.
What makes these applicants the “best of the best” Many North American carriers will hire drivers with less than stellar driving records so why would the carrier care whether the applicant is from a foreign country or not? We’re NOT threatened by new drivers…there just isn’t the perceived need/shortage in my estimation. When industry in general starts complaining that they can’t move their freight (freight that pays prevailing rates) then I will believe the driver shortage myth.
Canada has a shortage of skilled labour, not only drivers but we also have Doctors being recruited to come to Canada to practise, and who do you blame for that Schneider or J.B.Hunt or who? its a fact of life in Canada, there isnt enough good workers to fill all the openings .
Casey, you are partially correct. There is a shortage in SOME skilled trades. Industry and trade unions MUST bear some of the responsability for creating this. They are the ones in many cases who haven’t recruited and trained apprentices. Now due to attrition…they are finding it difficult to replace older workers. Concerning the alleged driver shortage, it is a myth. I am yet to hear about a shipper/manufacturer that is unable to move their freight. Carriers are perputrating this myth by adding trucks to their stables and are unable to fill them. As far as the doctor shortage…it’s worldwide. Many Canadian medical professionals have been moving south of the border for years as they can make more money in private practice as opposed to having their earnings capped by the Canadian Government.
And no , all companies are not the same, some are excellant and some are not. Some treat their employees like family and some treat their employees like enemies. These posters are doing the correct thing by asking questions about the different carriers. Would you and your family move to Canada without asking a few questions about your prospective employer
Casey, all employees are not the same, some are excellent and some are not. Some work as team/family members and some treat their employers and their assigned equipment like enemies. Yes, the posters are doing the right thing by asking questions…don’t chastise members for giving responses whether you agree with them or not…remember the questions are being asked.
One other thing to remember is the recruiters for companies are like wolves in sheep’s clothing…they are there to do one thing and one thing only. Hire/recruit drivers…nothing more and certainly nothing less or they will be out of a job. Many work on a small salary and are paid a per recruitment bonus…how ethical is that and how truthful do you believe they will be when discussing the job requirements when discussing it with potential new recruits?
This also is from a Canadian driver`s perspective except I own the Company that I drive for.[/quote]
Are you saying that you are a Canadian and own the company that you drive for?
joerockhead:
[quote="Casey
I think the people on this forum should ask why you seem to have a real agenda to keep trying to dissuade them from coming to Canada.!Casey, I haven’t seen an agenda in any of Blue Jays Fan’s post to disuade anyone from going to Canada. His posts are informative…
You post an opinion from some disgruntled driver, whose main interest seems to get his name in print, and use that letter to try and prove your point.
Having know the writer for many years and the fact that he has over 25 years experience in the industry, I know for a fact he is not a disgruntled driver…but rather a realist. If you’ve never written a letter to an editor, you’re no different than the majority of the world… you’re just apathetic. Those of us that do write letters to the editor don’t do it to see our name in print, but rather to convey another point of view.
We do have a shortage of qualified drivers, we don`t have a shortage of idiots with commercial licenses who never were and never will be professional drivers no matter how much you pay them.
Casey, the North American trucking industry is NO different. There’s lots of “steering wheel holders” or “meat in the seat” and the majority of them will unfortunately NEVER become professionals…
These drivers that qualify to come to Canada are the best of the best, and maybe you should ask some of these “professional” drivers in Canada, why they seem to feel so threatened by these new drivers coming in?.
What makes these applicants the “best of the best” Many North American carriers will hire drivers with less than stellar driving records so why would the carrier care whether the applicant is from a foreign country or not? We’re NOT threatened by new drivers…there just isn’t the perceived need/shortage in my estimation. When industry in general starts complaining that they can’t move their freight (freight that pays prevailing rates) then I will believe the driver shortage myth.
Canada has a shortage of skilled labour, not only drivers but we also have Doctors being recruited to come to Canada to practise, and who do you blame for that Schneider or J.B.Hunt or who? it
s a fact of life in Canada, there isnt enough good workers to fill all the openings .Casey, you are partially correct. There is a shortage in SOME skilled trades. Industry and trade unions MUST bear some of the responsability for creating this. They are the ones in many cases who haven’t recruited and trained apprentices. Now due to attrition…they are finding it difficult to replace older workers. Concerning the alleged driver shortage, it is a myth. I am yet to hear about a shipper/manufacturer that is unable to move their freight. Carriers are perputrating this myth by adding trucks to their stables and are unable to fill them. As far as the doctor shortage…it’s worldwide. Many Canadian medical professionals have been moving south of the border for years as they can make more money in private practice as opposed to having their earnings capped by the Canadian Government.
And no , all companies are not the same, some are excellant and some are not. Some treat their employees like family and some treat their employees like enemies. These posters are doing the correct thing by asking questions about the different carriers. Would you and your family move to Canada without asking a few questions about your prospective employer
Casey, all employees are not the same, some are excellent and some are not. Some work as team/family members and some treat their employers and their assigned equipment like enemies. Yes, the posters are doing the right thing by asking questions…don’t chastise members for giving responses whether you agree with them or not…remember the questions are being asked.
One other thing to remember is the recruiters for companies are like wolves in sheep’s clothing…they are there to do one thing and one thing only. Hire/recruit drivers…nothing more and certainly nothing less or they will be out of a job. Many work on a small salary and are paid a per recruitment bonus…how ethical is that and how truthful do you believe they will be when discussing the job requirements when discussing it with potential new recruits?This also is from a Canadian driver`s perspective except I own the Company that I drive for.
Are you saying that you are a Canadian and own the company that you drive for?
[/quote]
Yes , Im Canadian, and I drive a truck for the company that I own. Im also President/ GM of my Co.,so I can post from experience about hiring drivers in Canada.Can you?? I know the requirements that these people have to meet in order to qualify for the programs available. Do you?? I also know that these programs would not be in place if they were not needed., regardless of what factless theory you and your letter writing friend come up with.
As far as chastising other posters, maybe you should read your own post… I didnt say his posts were not informative, but they certainly lean one direction. Yes , recruiters are paid to recruit, what a revelation! Id discuss this further but it`s hard to take someone with the name Joerockhead seriously… Please tell the other posters what it means here in Canada, when some one is called a rockhead.
One of our drivers moved out there a year ago working for this lot. yanke.ca/2002/mainpage.html
Him and his wife love it. Drives a brand new Volvo mainley in the states and the gaffer flies him home if he needs to get back of a weekend. They recruited about 40 drivers I think.
These drivers that qualify to come to Canada are the best of the best,
BS
Most of these guys haven’t driven a North American truck 50 ft.
They probably don’t know which end goes down the road first.
They couldn’t find their own location on a map.
The have no mechanical knowledge of the equipment.
They aren’t even licensed.
Best of the best.
What a load of crap.
RuralRhodes:
These drivers that qualify to come to Canada are the best of the best,[zb]
Most of these guys haven’t driven a North American truck 50
I have been driving 150 ton Tank Transporters for 20 years the last ones being the new OSH KOSH H.E.T - American built and used by the US forces
They probably don’t know which end goes down the road first.
Doesn’t matter when your 150 ton most things move out your way anyway or you’ll suffer pain
They couldn’t find their own location on a map.
At 21 years old I was responsible for working in the Equipment Collection Point in the Middle of the Iraqi / Kuwati desert picking up and dropping off Armour for the Battle groups with only a map and a compass in the middle of the night to find your pick up / drop off point in the middle of the desert and in a combat zone.
The have no mechanical knowledge of the equipment.
As a fully qualified Tank Transporter crew you are soley responsible for the mechanics of your vehicle when on operations if the vehicle dies then so do you
They aren’t even licenced
I have been Licensed since I was 18 when I first joined the British Army…Licensed to kill Mr Bond
Best of the best.
You beter believe it Boyo
What a load of crap.
Edited to help you out with your bold italics Davie - welcome to TN - Spardo(Mod)