Im considering working in Canada for 6 to 12 months and have started looking at various immigration sites etc, but nothing beats peoples experiences of being over there, so im asking if anyone can give me some advice or share some of their experience over there.
I understand you can earn similar rates over there to here but main points i need to find out are accomodation costs, living costs, experience required plus any other points i havent thought of.
Im 28 with 3 years experience, 2 on class one, clean licence and no criminal record, i speak english well but no french, apart from Je Suis Un Chat which i learnt at school and for life of me cant work out how on earth it would ever be useful for me, unless i upset a rather good witch!
Anyway any help you can give me is much appreciated as im right at the bottom rung of looking into this.
Going on a harvest run from May to November can be a cheap way to do it as your employer will pay your return flights if you stay the whole season,and pay will be around $2000 USA/month including room and board.
Try www.taylorharvesting.com
Quinny:
The person to speak to is Allikat,who did a stint over there recently.(As well as the USA,if I remember correctly.)
Try contacting via PM.
Ken.
Forgive me for this But the person to speak to is Geordieboy
Alli went about it the wrong way by crossing from the USA into Canada and didn’t get accepted
Geordieboy did it through a legal proccess and is still working there, contact him, best through Trucknet Canada. he uses the name ‘Steve expat’
Big Truck:
and pay will be around $2000 USA/month including room and board.
I assume you’re not doing it for the money, $2000=£1100 a month?
Yes,
The pay is that bad because of the exchange rate at this time but remember most of your living expenses are provided. Back in 2002 when I went on a harvest run the best month I had was September and I took home $3700 and the record in our crew was $4400 and he was drving a truck!!
Urm… I did get accepted.
Unfortunately the company was lousy, and is being investigated by Canadian Immegration for breaches of the laws.
Don’t forget, if you do go over, take a grand or more in spare cash for sorting out licences. I didn’t have quite enough cash to hand to cope with all the expenses
Its not really for the money, ive thought about doing something like this for a couple of years or so, its for the experience or going to new places and meeting new people etc.
The only money side is i have to make enough to put some away to pay a few bank managers off.
Obviously need to start saving a safety net of cash to go over there with, but the pay sounds good considering accomodation and board can be already provided (i was paid 60 quid a week for eurocamp working 60 hr weeks eight years ago!)
How did you find driving the ‘long nosed’ trucks they have over there?
Are there any job sites or good reliable agencies you know of that can find work for you (ive checked out immigrationca and will give it a go
Lastly what are the costs of living like over there?
I don’t think you can go on the PNP scheme in Canada because the truck companies will want you to have more experience on Artics (called semi’s overthere).
If you are just looking at 6/12 months I would try the “harvest run” as you will get to go and cut wheat/corn/soybeans/canola/sunflowers from Alberta in Canada down to Texas and all the mid-west States in between.The “custom cutters” only really have work between April and November but you may be able to sort out some kind of extra work visa to keep you there for the year,although you will be too late I fear to get to go on a 2005 harvest run.
Have a look at www.trucknet.ca which is the Canadian Trucknet and go to the “Canadian Ambitions” forum.There is alot of info posted on here about going on the PNP scheme to Canada which is really designed for people wanting to emigtate to Canada for good.
Other harvesting sites: www.demarayharvesting.com www.hollandharvesting.com www.skinnerharvesting.com www.johnsonharvesting.com
allikat:
Urm… I did get accepted.
Unfortunately the company was lousy, and is being investigated by Canadian Immegration for breaches of the laws.
Don’t forget, if you do go over, take a grand or more in spare cash for sorting out licences. I didn’t have quite enough cash to hand to cope with all the expenses
Allikat…So I take it you are back in the UK now? Did I miss something…What happened ?
But the person to speak to is Geordieboy 
