Hi i’m new to these message boards…i would like to hear from brit truckers that have taken the leap and now live and work in canada.
i have wanted to do this for some years now, but have not researched it to much.
Still tryin to convince the wife.
i currently work for fergusons transport in the north east of england…yes a “geordie”
if anyone can tell me how there experience has went…the up’s and the down’s
i’d love to hear from you.
thanks
Steve McSwain
Look up www.truckscan.ca and go into the “Canadian ambitions” forum and read ALL the posts.You really need to do alot of research before you go over to Canada as alot of people have gone over and found its not for them 
. A big problem is that over the road (OTR) drivers can often be away from their families for weeks at a time because N.America is so vast.Also the majority of the pay is mileage related (no hourly rate!!) so if your stuck at some warehouse/docks with no load for a couple of days it means no pay,no such thing as holiday pay either!!! 
hi there macswain
you really do need to all really want to do this it wouldnt be fair on your wife if she was alone in a different country and unhappy
research it well as big truck says
you DO get holiday pay and my husband is not paid by the mile
maybe a holiday first would be good it might give your wife a better idea
we love it here its the best thing we ever did but it isnt for everyone so make sure it is what you all want
if you need to know anything just ask! 
It’s like a lot of jobs to be honest. Shop around and see what people offer. It may be an idea to fly over for a couple weeks, and rent a car (check for milage costs, you’ll be doing a lot of it) and run round a few provinces and check it all out. You’ll get an idea of the country, the roads, and the trucks you see around the place. Ask a lot of companies what they offer. And don’t forget to ask the Cannucks about the [zb] ones…
Canada has statutory holidays for which pay is required, however some will swindle you by cutting your milage rate to cover it for that pay period…
If you’re a smoker, it’s best to get some regular runs into the states (a 48 hour stay in the US allows you to bring a carton back into Canada).
It works best if you’re single to be honest. It is a very big job to shift a family, however house prices can be lower if you live out of town. There’s a lot of little things to remind you that you’re not in blighty any more, like the food (tho you can get tea and semi-decent choc) and wierd packs of 25 smokes…
There are some single people who just rent a mailbox, and live in the truck, which you can do in the bigger US spec motors. Some have been doing that for 2 years, and save stacks that way.
Look around, and ask lots of questions. Try and get a company that doesn’t swindle you, works you reasonably hard, doesn’t force you to break the law, and lets you take your 34 hour resets in nice tourist spots 
it works well too if your married!!!
- i see my hubby a lot more now we have moved to canada and we have a lot better quality of life than we hoped for he is only away 3 nights a week and home every weekend so i would disagree that it works better if your single - its not for everyone but as a family it worked for us great
there is really no need to live out of town either house prices are cheap enough here in the city we live… you do adjust to the food after a while - some things arent as good some things are better -
sez
Allikat:
and wierd packs of 25 smokes
You don’t need to go that far, my wife buys her Gauloises in 25s here in France, slightly cheaper that way 
Salut. David.
Gauloise. fabrique en pays etranges.
allikat:
Gauloise. fabrique en pays etranges.
Oui, en Espagne, mais a vendu et fumé en France 
Salut, David.
We’re new to the board - but my dh said - you can yack on this one as you’re the ex-pat./ex-city slicker.
Cattleman/Sez is spot on. It really is a joint deal. You’ve got to both be wiling to try to make it work without anyone getting miserable.
I met my trucker husband (17 yrs and holding!) on a stop-over to NZ. Never did get to NZ! So here we are out in the wilds of BC - man, this is wild west stuff. We live in a ghost town/historic site. Population - 6 people and a few too many two-legged “critters”. More pieces of iron than people. But… our family company has survived in the trucking industry for 30+ years.
On the personal front, this kind of lifestyle is not for everyone (my mum still thinks I’m cracked). And it is lifestyle you’re buying into. I love it. I love the freedom, the space, the wild life coming right past my front door (and yeh, I have had to deal with bears on my front porch - banging pots and pans works just great); I’ve made lots of great friends. You get used to the idea of travelling 30-45 minutes to the nearest town on the off chance that a friend might be home and you can drop in for a coffee and a gab. I’d be lying to say that there aren’t things that I miss. Marks & Sparks. Homepride cook-in curry sauce. But I get my UK friends to send me care-packages. They come and visit. I get to go back once in a while. And then us ex-pats seem to reconnect like homing pigeons. I’ve got my network set up. So that’s it from the wifey point of view…
Now, with my hat on as part-owner of our trucking company, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a Brit or Canuck, long-haul trucking as a lifestyle is not for everyone either! If the driver’s partner isn’t into it, you are in for trouble. We lost two great drivers not because they didn’t like the work, the hours or the pay but because they were getting flack on the home front.
As for us, we do all sorts of flatbed work. Sometimes its long-haul, sometimes local. We’re plated to go all through Canada and the US. We don’t do the dedicated lanes that the big outflts do - in fact we steer clear of them because we make better money going places off the beaten track,. We mostly do our own mechanicking; I do all the office stuff like looking for some of the work, dispatching, billing, etc. If my dh gets too uppity I tell him to watch out or I’ll send him some place he doesn’t want to go - like Alaska in the middle of winter - LOL. Our biggest problem is finding experienced drivers. We’ve got two units sitting at the moment on account of that. Anyone want a job■■? OR hey, don’t tell my dh, anyone have a partner who’d like to take a chunk of my job too?
Guess I’ve rambled on enough.
V.I.P.
Great to hear success stories!
Its true that us expats reconnect - there are loads here i think we are taking over canada lol.
i would love to go to bc - my hubby drives thru bc all the time
Sez
Hi, first time “caller”.Would appreciate any info on Westcan Bulk Transport.Me and the wife have had interview up in Wakefield.Only I know a guy who went out there to work for them, took his wife and kids, spent a lot of money getting out there came back after 5 months and as slagged them off since returning.I need to be sure this is the right move for us so any info. would be helpfull in our decision to proceed any further. Thanks Bo.
and you still wondering to go with them after hearing that?
theres lots of stories similar to his he isnt alone be very careful and look into it well
have sent u pm check it
What do YOU expect to find here in Canada?
If you are looking for a job where you get home frequently; say every two or three days that’s NOT what these companies are offering.
What did your friend return home after such a short time?
Westcan is a reputable Canadian trucking company.
Look at what your expectations are; then see if anyone can meet them.
Steve Bonas:
Hi, first time “caller”.Would appreciate any info on Westcan Bulk Transport.Me and the wife have had interview up in Wakefield.Only I know a guy who went out there to work for them, took his wife and kids, spent a lot of money getting out there came back after 5 months and as slagged them off since returning.I need to be sure this is the right move for us so any info. would be helpfull in our decision to proceed any further. Thanks Bo.
I am logging in tonight through total boredom and disbelief at the calls for Canadian job info posts that still 
after all has been said in the past keep appearing
Put it straight … If you really want to move to Canada and drive trucks be prepared to not see your wife and kids for weeks If you are in a team (Which most of the jobs offered are) it may run into months. Life is very hard compared to the UK and the cost of living may seem low when you are a tourist, but it sure ain’t after a year or so of living this side of the pond
I am very lucky in that I live south of the border, I have driven for the same company for 4 years and they are small (16 trucks). I am home most nights and never work Saturday or Sunday. I earn about $50,000 (US) a year, thats a lot of Canadian dollars but still find it’s struggle to get by here and the cost of living is far lower here than in Canada.
Your wife must be fully aware of what is going to happen if you move here and drive a truck, she is going to be very lonely and get home sick in a very short time … It will be either go back to the UK or diviorce unless she is very strong willed.
Some living costs in the US are lower, but health insurance will bump that back up again… Swings and roundabouts mate. Best time i had was running out of Canada into the states, public healthcare in Canada to keep me alive, and cheap US smokes and caffine drinks to make me sick again 
And that good food in large quantities at the decent truckstops… yummy.
Steve Bonas:
Hi, first time “caller”.Would appreciate any info on Westcan Bulk Transport.Me and the wife have had interview up in Wakefield…
spend a bit of time reading this forum, the grass does not always look greener on the other side of the atlantic
Several of these people have tried it - believe what they say !
Pat,
I agree 110% with what you posted but it seems there are decent companies out there who won’t rip you off but it will take an awful lot of research to sniff them out, not just a casual post on a forum 
I keep reading all the “happy” posts by (Mrs.) Cattleman. I am happy to read them; because Canada needs it’s immigrants to be successful. Too many today aren’t.
Now most of those who aren’t are people from the THIRD WORLD who come to Canada. Born in hot climates; many have trouble adjusting to the weather. Today is a mild January day; +2 celsius; it should be -2 in Southern Ontario this time of year. The immigrants from the third world though are always bundled up from September to May.
Now, Mrs. Cattleman lives somewhere in Alberta; and her husband gets paid well and is home often. The cost of living is moderate and all is well ih her world.
That is NOT what the trucking companies who spend the money to go to England to recruit drivers are offering.
Most companies in North America pay their drivers by the mile:
IF THE WHEELS AINT TURNING: WE AINT EARNING!
Let’s look at some of the rates:
CHALLENGER MOTOR FREIGHT based in Cambridge Ontario
Van Division
Company drivers - Average gross revenue “up to” .50 per mile
Flatbed Division
Company drivers average gross revenue “up to” .60 per mile
Team Drivers get paid .28 cents each per mile.
BESNER TRANSPORT
.43 cents per mile + the driver pays for 50% of benefits
HARROW TRANSPORT ( running from Toronto to California)
single drivers .48 per mile
teams .38 per mile BISON ( these are eastern driver rates- western Canada rates might vary)
.40 per mile on all miles
.02 per mile on US miles
$30.00 per load and unload
$16.00 hourly rate ( 16.00 per hour isn’t a very high pay rate in Canada)
they don’t say in their ad when the 16.00 kicks in.
additional
Paid wait time
paid border crossing
passenger program
new equipment
great facilities, benfits and much more.
These rates are pulled directly from drivers wanted ads in the September 2005 TRUCK NEWS.
Yes, employed drivers get more employee rights and paid time than their counterparts in the USA. In Ontario, an employee gets 4% vacation pay or two weeks vacation a year by law. That is after a full year’s service.
None of these say anything about out of country medical expenses. An accident, injury or illness in the USA could bankrupt you if you don’t carry insurance.
A run that starts in Saskatoon to the States does not automatically mean a return trip back home. The next load might be going to Toronto or Vancouver.
Then back to the States and then back to somewhere in Canada.
The US hours of service are as convoluted as any anywhere else. Run out of hours and you must spend 34 hours ( likely in a truckstop) to re-set.
Canada has a different hours of service regimine and intra Canada loads are fewer.
Drivers here can work 13 hours a day legally.
Trucking companies are going to England to fill seats. They have trucks that must be driven. There is work; but trucking in North America has always been hard on families. Wives find the lonelyness hard to bear; divorce is an occupational hazard.
very true blue…great advice for those wishing to come over the grass isnt always greener on the other side
sadly its the companies who are offering to bring you here that you dont want to be working for!
it all comes down to a lot of searching for the right employer for your needs which can be hard - if its easy and falls into your lap and sounds fantastic its probably not going to be as good as you think it is
dont forget also and u peeps in saskatchewan and manitoba dont take this the wrong way please but the population is not great in these places and u need to think there is a reason for this! these places are the main places in which thee companies want you to live and work
unfortunately many people only find out once they get here
we were lucky but then there a feww british truckers here who are confortabke and happy too and a couple on their way in the next couple of months so it can be done
you can buy a very nice house here with the equity in your hom in the uk so maybe people dont need as much to live on
mrs C
Cattleman:
very true blue…great advice for those wishing to come over the grass isnt always greener on the other sidesadly its the companies who are offering to bring you here that you dont want to be working for!
it all comes down to a lot of searching for the right employer for your needs which can be hard - if its easy and falls into your lap and sounds fantastic its probably not going to be as good as you think it is
dont forget also and u peeps in saskatchewan and manitoba dont take this the wrong way please but the population is not great in these places and u need to think there is a reason for this! these places are the main places in which thee companies want you to live and workunfortunately many people only find out once they get here
Very well said You stand a better chance of finding a decent job by applying direct to a company you have researched, don’t reply to the ad’s you read in the British press or Truck mags, all those companies want to make a fast buck, there was one agent last year who got into a slagging match with me because I told him and everyone else what his game was, it didn’t end with verbal exchange I was actually given a physical threat by a annonymous caller from Canada Didn’t frighten me The company he was recruiting for was Yanke by the way and not that according to close sources more than half the British drivers they hired quit and went back to the Uk within months