Just look at this thread, 160 odd posts, 14 thou hits. What’s happened to the ex-
Pat section that we don’t get stuff like this any more?
A combination of things I think Chris, the restructuring of the LMIA scheme meant that interest in Canada fizzled out. Then the negativity about the job over here from the doom and gloom merchants made that even worse.
A lot of people gave it the swerve after the hermaphrodite saga, others completely lost the plot during that time.
Really we should work a bit harder ourselves too, you and I can both knock out a decent enough diary, so we should. We could also share good restaurants and other useful info and all the other every day things that we encounter out on the road.
It’s our forum, so it’s up to us to make it worth a look really.
newmercman:
…A lot of people gave it the swerve after the hermaphrodite saga…
Is that a requirement for getting a job over there now Mark!! At least if someone tells you to go (zb) yourself you could!! 
bullitt:
newmercman:
…A lot of people gave it the swerve after the hermaphrodite saga…
[emoji8] [emoji8] [emoji8] [emoji8]
bullitt:
newmercman:
…A lot of people gave it the swerve after the hermaphrodite saga…
Canadian immigration advice film.They’ve added ideally wears a saree and a turban to it now. 
newmercman:
Really we should work a bit harder ourselves too, you and I can both knock out a decent enough diary, so we should. We could also share good restaurants and other useful info and all the other every day things that we encounter out on the road.
I love reading the diaries in the Euro section and would love to see something similar in the Expats bit. Im not looking to move abroad but I do like to read about life and work from our foreign brethren! Get writing chaps!
newmercman:
bullitt:
newmercman:
…A lot of people gave it the swerve after the hermaphrodite saga…
[emoji8] [emoji8] [emoji8] [emoji8]
Mr Bombastic, Mr Fantastic…Shageee
I have a brther in Toronto who keeps telling me to move to Canada, I’ve been driving for 3 years and in my early 50’s…maybe too late. Kids are grown up over here (UK) and I quite fancy a change, suppose my question is. What are the employment options like? We (the wife) and I can settle at my brothers to start with and he has offered to sponsor us. Would it be better to get paperwork sorted before applying for work or will I still need to go through the newby stages of working for a canadian company?
Also I agree there should be more diary type entries from Canada. 
Unless anything has changed in recent months, you may struggle to get a work visa to drive trucks in Canada. You’d need to find a company able to employ migrant workers, they would need a LMIA in order to do so, and those have been in short supply ever since the government tightened the migrant worker rules a couple of years back. Companies that have LMIAs available were - last I heard - using them for foreign drivers already in Canada but looking for a new employer for whatever reason.
I suspect the pressure on driver shortages might have eased too, with lots of redundant workers from the tar sands oil production facilities which closed when the oil price dropped.
I speak from a position of mostly ignorance, though…
What you do is:
- Get your rear end here: canadalive.co.uk/
- If you have 1 year Class 1 experience you give them your money
- Then they take a bit more and import you into Canada and give to one of the big boys like Strobards Bisons etc smth of North America
- Then you progress into good company and send me message with this info so I know as well as reward for enlighting you on this forum while others didnt
This process involve undergoing Class 1 training over there and costs as roumors say 6k or so to these guys you will meet down there, there are multiple of theme there so price may vary
And you need around 11 000 CAD in your account if going alone + some adds for each other member of family
So around 20k investment probably - no go for hobo… or must be good at making papers…
Once youre there you either join status of Britishexpats soap opera Shtruudelbah… reputation or divert from them try to pretend to be native or just accept being the same as Romanian truck driver in UK just being UK truck driver in canada
Good luck, and dont forget to thank me for showing you the way that others here didnt and saving time on googling
P.S. Don’t forget about step 4… Karma you know… 
Warning: Only for living in cab 2+ weeks, in reality probably 4+ weeks at a time until find better company if this is not acceptable then probably better stay in UK layby
Its not as easy now as it was a couple of years ago.
Ontario might not be a good bet for you, truck driving does not qualify for PNP so you wont be able to apply for PR there. Your brother cant sponsor you in Canada so theres no real advantage to being in ON.
There is a new initiative in the Maritime provinces cleverly called the Atlantic Provinces Immigration Program. It does apply to truck drivers, and a lot of companies here are looking to import fresh meat on it, although theres only 2000 places a year. It does away with the need for LMIA, cuts the long wait to apply for PR and won’t tie you to one employer, but its almost like applying for PR up front, lots of paperwork. So much paperwork in fact it’ll probably deter most applicants which is no bad thing, leaves more space for the seriously keen.
The situation in Canada changes all the time but this is currently a route in.
You are not too old, but you should probably get a move on if youre determined to try it.
Read as much as you can and try to be open minded. For some people its a great life for others its a living nightmare, theres truth in kyk’s post but if you avoid the pitfalls perhaps you’ll be one of the ( maybe ) 10% of sucess stories.
Good luck.
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AFAIK you can come in on the family stream, or whatever its called. A brother definitely satisfies that condition, if he’s a citizen, even more so. As for working here on that scheme I have no idea. I think you will still need an LMIA, but you won’t need PNP as you don’t need the provincial nomination if you’re being sponsored by a family member. But I don’t know for sure.
Google is your friend here.
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newmercman:
AFAIK you can come in on the family stream, or whatever its called. A brother definitely satisfies that condition, if he’s a citizen, even more so. As for working here on that scheme I have no idea. I think you will still need an LMIA, but you won’t need PNP as you don’t need the provincial nomination if you’re being sponsored by a family member. But I don’t know for sure.Google is your friend here.
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You can only be sponsored by a brother if you are the only living relative he has.
Really! Wow! Does that apply to everybody or just us WASP types?
If that is the case then it puts to bed another misconception about how the brown people get here.
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newmercman:
Really! Wow! Does that apply to everybody or just us WASP types?If that is the case then it puts to bed another misconception about how the brown people get here.
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Haha, everybody, you can only sponsor certain relatives under certain conditions.
Hi im looking in to making the move to canada and manitoba is looking the best area for us to settle and was wondering what are the best companys to approach for getting started. i cant seem to download big freight systems application form at the moment.
I know as an immigrant the jobs wont be the best ones avalible but am willing to start at the bottom to gain experince and would be grateful for any help.
Do not mention this site, or any other for that matter, they don’t like the slagging off that they get.
BFS is the only one I have personal experience of, it’s the worst job I’ve ever had and that’s not an opinion, it’s a fact, I think they’re a BOCs who exploit foreigners, but, I have friends there who do quite well and they’re happy so it may just be me… & at least 20 other Brits who left them and now have other jobs
I still recommend them, if you don’t get along with it, well, they don’t chain you to the truck, not yet anyway
I hear that they’re recruiting from India these days, I’m not being racsist, but the Indian people have a very bad reputation in the North American trucking industry, much worse than the Eastern Europeans do in Britain, that is not my opinion, it’s a fact, it has nothing to do with their ethnicity, but due to the way they’ve [zb]ed the job in certain sectors.
Thanks for that il keep trying to download the aplication.
How long do you have to stay with them if they sort out your visa driving test etc. Im willing to put up with a crap job for a while to get some miles under my belt before getting the blinged up kenworth
Trust me after a KW at BFS youll never want another however much bling its got on it :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: When i came over with them i signed for 3 yrs or pay them $3000 this come down a $1000 per year i lasted 7 months there and paid $0 its not woth the paper it written and they know it so dont worry about that just sign and let them get you over here.
Since leaving em i had 2 calls & 2 letters asking me to work there again, death would be a better option than going back there,
but as newmercman says i recomend them for getting started and to find your feet over here.
Was with a few brits from there for a beer the other week and they say there now getting around 3000 mile a week,
i had 4000 for the whole month of december and being paid by the mile it was time to move on, i had my PR before i left the UK and i don`t think they were ever to happy at that
I`d say best option is to give em a ring as i think that sites not been updated for a while
Best of luck to you and keep us posted how you get on this link below is from one of the brits drivers who`s been there about 4yrs if you want to see what the jobs is like.
chrisarbon-roadtrips.blogspot.com/
Cheers
Ah come on, guys. You both arrived at a time when they were finding more goons than drivers and we all suffered as a consequence. I know I had left before that (I met NMM as I was waiting at the gate for my inverter to be given back) but I was aware of what was happening. Things have to have changed or the company wouldn’t have survived. Things have to have improved or some of those that have been there a while would never have stood for it.
Not convinced about the 3000 miles a week though. I still think they have some ridiculous practices there when it comes to reloads.
The main secret to success at BFS is to stay below the radar. If you keep your head down so they don’t notice you then you will be fine. I am pretty sure they are not hiring from abroad at the moment, but keep at them.