Canada is a thriving economy, hence the need for more truck drivers, there are plenty of Canadians doing it, us Brits are a small minority, there are downsides of course if you want to look for them, it won’t be everybodies cup of tea that’s for sure but if you’re prepared to do a decent days work & don’t mind being away for up to 14days per trip then it’s about a zillion times better than it is in the UK.
As you say there are firms that will pay your airfare, that’s part of one of the programmes that you can get a Canadian work permit on, I’m on that one myself, as for moaning limeys, I don’t think you’ll find much to moan about, I’m not recruiting for anybody but honestly it’s the best thing I’ve done & I’d recommend it to anybody, it’s not just the job either, Canada is a better place to live & one of the best countries in the world to bring up kids too.
I’ve been here a few months & I’ve already been to all the Canadian provinces except Nunavit & the NW Territories, I’ve been to the US a few times & already been to N & S Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana & Michigan, sure as hell beats the M25 I gotta tell you!
Just remember the 14 day trips, that’s what they mostly are & as long as you can do them without it causing a problem to family or whatever then get your suitcase packed mate.
The move is only bulletproof if you choose to make it so. If you want to moan then stay there, as people are probably more inclined to listen.
As for who is making the money, who cares? As long as the drivers are making their living then it really shouldn’t matter if anyone is coining it in. I don’t think anyone is, as it goes, but I really don’t care if they are.
Canadians don’t want to drive trucks because of the same reasons they don’t want to in the UK. The grass is greener elsewhere, that’s all.
Im currenlty in the process of getting enough experience under my belt to make the move out to canada.
Ill give a little background info as my situation is gonna be slightly trickier to figure out how to go about the move.
Im a Canadian Citizen living in the UK all my life, i have family in BC.
I realise that the provinces eun the PNP program, which is meant for truckers who arent registered citizens, and ties them into doing the not so good jobs. ie the 14 day trips etc.
As a citizen it is my understanding that i can bypass having to be restricted to the long trips and can do any trucking job in canada that i choose to do and get the correct licence etc after retraining.
Would i therefore stand a better chance of finding employment over a non citizen ?
The guys coming pver on a PNP are for long haul as that is where the dmand is.
I’ve read your previous posts and you seem worried about what you can and can’t do. Like you, I’m canadian with British citizenship though I have never really worked in the UK.
I doubt that any firm will offer you a special package as like some on the PNP. My advice to you is just head to Vancouver, there are lots of jobs there as I was the just the other day. Take a look at www.trimac.com They have a training program with a training company, and you can find the link on their website.
It’s going to be difficult finding a good driving job in Vancouver at first as most Canadians want to live there. Also, driving in BC takes a lot of skill, and you have to be able to prove yourself as a driver. There is some local work around Vancouver and some runs down south to the States.
Don’t worry too much about things. Just prepare yourself with as much information as you can and take a year to get settled and you’ll be fine.
I found the link for the truck driver training. You can do it alone or with Trimac. It’s expensive but it will prepare you for a good job.
My advice would be If u have a house here rent it if u can and dont sell it, expect to to well over 500 miles a day, more like 800… u can legally drive for 14 hours straight in canada
Go for it, i had a great time, only stayed a month but no regrets, women are real friendly too ; ) i couldnt do the hours and didnt rate the companys care for the drivers… there’s probibably much better companys than the one i was with though
But the point is that it is simply a question of what would suit and what wouldn’t. Cliff. I have found that it suits me well. You, sadly, didn’t. It really doesn’t make much difference when it comes right down to it. The hours don’t bother me, and things like the vacation time don’t entirely apply. The more vacation pay you accrue, the more time you can take off.
All our paperwork is done now so we can afford to take a bit of a breath now. It has been a tense time. The question I would ask myself is, would I be any more relaxed in the UK? The answer is simple…No!
I agree wholeheartedly with you Bob each to his own, maybe 20 years sooner and I may have stayed longer, we did only intend doing it for 12 months anyway,In the end we just sat down and ask each other where we’re rather be, and we both said Europe, I didn’t think my Wife would want to go back, with her 2 grown up children living in Ontario, but she was more up for it than me. What I would say to anyone going over is this, go out there on your own, do a couple of months first before you move the family out, and don’t ship your household stuff out there , sell it off and buy new, you’ll find it cheaper.
Good luck to you Bob glad your all sorted, I’ll look forward to some photos eh!!