Hi fellow truckers,
Me,my wife and young son are looking at a move to sask as we already have relatives there who love it (and I am desperate to escape from the M6!).
Does anyone know of any ‘decent’ companies in that province. I was looking at Westcan Bulk in Moosejaw. They seem to have a good reputation and an impressive website with a few brits saying how great it is.
I’ve been told to avoid Prudhomme Trucking. I think they both utilise the PNP scheme which is what I am looking at doing. Still in research stage but if I went PNP, how long could it take from start to finish? Do I need a job offer first, then apply for a work permit? We are serious about this as our house is already up for sale.
Just one other point. Will 3 points on my licence affect my chances. I was flashed at a set of lights with a full load of bottles on board going downhill. I am going to appeal. Just want to know if points are hinderance.
Any info would be gratefully recieved.
R.
Please don’t misunderstand me here, I do not doubt or question your intelligence or integrity, but I have a couple of questions.
Firstly, what type of driving job are you looking for, long haul, short haul or local? Second, is Saskatchewan the only option or are your options broader? Third, have you heard of the HRSDC programme? Fourth, and this one may seem a bit personal, do you have a criminal record? and fifth, and most important, have you really, absolutely discussed this with your family members and agreed that it is a good idea?
I don’t know much about the firm in question, though I heard that they weren’t that impressive from a Brit just this week. They, and Prudhomme, only do Canada work so getting in straight away on PNP may be trickier, and the same goes for HRSDC.
PNP tends to take you longer to get on the ground out here. I came out on HRSDC which cost me far less money than PNP, although I am now starting the paperchase for Residency so PNP is the next step. There again, I am already on the ground with 7 months experience for a Canadian firm with a confirmed job for as long as I want it. I also have bought a house and the such so joining the PNP should be simpler.
Under HRSDC rules, you have to have a written job offer detailing the offer of support for the first year from the company. The company also have to demonstrate that they have tried to fill the position with Canadian Citizens. No problem there though.
My work permit was applied for December 20th and arrived January 12th. I landed here on the 15th Jan and started working on the licence right away.
The reason I asked about how much you have discussed this is because it is a huge move. It is truly worthwhile IMO, but it doesn’t suit everybody. Your entire family need to have gone over it for some time before you decide, because homesickness can drive you nuts.
If you choose to do it, then you will find that this country is a land where hard work and caution can help you attain the dreams you thought would always be out of reach.
Hi Bob,
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I am happy to answer any of your questions.
My post may have seemed a bit rushed in the way it was worded.
Firstly, this is something we have been discussing for almost 2 years now and it has come to the point where we have both said it’s time to act or forever sit back and talk about what might have been.
At the moment i’m on general haulage, curtainsiders, working long hours and to be frank, driving in the UK is becoming a real pain. I enjoy driving but you can not drive more than 25 miles without ending up in gridlock. I know the hours are long over there but at least you can do some mileage without being held up every 10 minutes.
Why Saskatchewan? We already have relatives there. They love it and it would provide support when I would be away. They do participate in the hrsdc program so that doesn’t appear to be a problem.
I don’t have a criminal record so there’s no problem on that score.
I know what you are saying about the homesickness thing. It can be really difficult to overcome. I’m confident we can do this as we have both been in the forces and have moved around quite a bit. Also having relatives there will help.
We are convinced this will be a good move for us.
I bet there’s no way you would come back, especially the way the cost of living is going.
Anyway, when we do get there perhaps we could meet up for a brew somewhere. I’m sure you are finding the decent truckstops.
Safe driving.
Fair play to you then. We discussed getting out for years too, and finally decided on Canada.
No way on earth would I want to go back. The traffic was killing me along with the plonkers in charge of the country.
When it comes to support financially, you can overcome it to a certain extent, but having relatives gives you a huge advantage.
Good truckstops are dotted around, though in Canada they are mostly fast food. That said, Flying J are opening more and more up here now and some of them are pretty good. They can get pricey though.
The biggest deal is that things are different here. The banks work differently, the tax system is weird to Brits and local laws seem to supersede national laws it appears.
All aside, it’s a great country. As long as you come here to work then hardly anyone will have a bad thing to say.
One thing to do, though, before you come out. Make a detailed diary for a few months. List all those things you can that get your goat and all the real good things that you find. That way, when your memory starts being kind and you only remember the good things, you can look at it and remind yourself why you left.
bobthedog:
Good truckstops are dotted around, though in Canada they are mostly fast food.
Just on that point Bob, maybe you or one of the other New (or Old 
) Canucks can answer a question that interests me. I live in France where food is the most important subject and, drivers being no exception to that, where I believe the standard of truckstops (Routiers) to be equal to if not better than anywhere in the world. As the Québécois are fiercely independant and French in their outlook, is the standard of truckstops correspondingly high in that province?
Same question also goes to those who frequent Louisiana in the States. Do the Cajuns have any influence on the local grub served to drivers? Or are they just Yanks with a funny accent and addicted to non-food 
Hate to say it but not really. They are fiercely independant but it’s still largely fast food. They have restaurants everywhere but I have not tried them.
bobthedog:
Hate to say it but not really. They are fiercely independant but it’s still largely fast food. They have restaurants everywhere but I have not tried them.
Shame, maybe you should try them sometime, you could be pleasantly surprised.
I have only met a couple of Québécois here, neither of them drivers. The first one was manager of a Lidl store and a right nasty sod. He wouldn’t speak any English but I do know that he could because I saw the expression on his face when I started cursing him . The other was a young bloke working in a routier up near Lorient or somewhere and I couldn’t stop him speaking English. Needed the practice he said. I prefer to speak French to French speakers, less misunderstandings that way, so in the end we compromised - he spoke English and I spoke French 
. Funny accent though, his, as well as mine, as if they’ve missed a century or so.
Spardo:
. . . and a right nasty sod. He wouldn’t speak any English but I do know that he could because I saw the expression on his face when I started cursing him
I don’t believe in stereotyping but I worked with the Canadian army a couple of times when I was ‘in’. The battallion that were from the ‘French’ area, although as professional as the rest, fitted your description perfectly, Spardo. . We all found them to be very very stand-off-ish and ignorant. Best bit was when we were getting a slagging from them (unjustified, I might add!) and one of our blokes spoke, or understood, enough French to know what was being said and told them to ■■■■-off!! The look of suprise, and momentary embarrassment, was a picture!!
Another of the Canadian battallions were ‘top blokes’ and a real good crowd to work with.
This thread started as a discussion of WESTCAN BULK.
I, being an UPPER CANADIAN, am not familiar with Westcan Bulk other than the pictures posted at www.hankstruckpictures.com in the BC section. Hank Suderman has gone on roadtrips for his vacation and taken truck pictures on the way. Westcan Bulk are often seen in British Columbia and Alberta.
Now…on to the language Wars.
I once read an article wheer the author stated that there are intractible issues.
In Britain its matters to do with class.
In the USA its matters to do with colour.
In Canada…LANGUAGE.
Canada is officially bilingual; English and French. The Province of Quebec has managed to become a Fench island in the North American English sea. They have done so by demonizing English Canada. English is readily spoken in the Montreal area and in pockets near the US border and the Ottawa River.
As far as food goes; first of all truck stops are located at the interchanges of expressways. They are open 24 - 7 and what we call fast food rules.
Greasy quickly prepared food of questionable taste and nutrition.
Don’t forget, Spardo, that trucks in North America are 80 feet in length. A tractor (244 inch wheelbase in the legal maximum in Ontario thus de-facto for Canada) dragging a 53 foot semi trailer.
It is the same in Louisiana.
The national dish of Quebec is POUTINE…french fries covered in cheese curds and gravy.
The national dish of the Rest of Canada is the DOUGHNUT. It is found at a chain called TIM HORTONS that are the most commin spot on Canadian highways. Tim Hortons sells coffee and what you would call buns…7 days a week 24 hours a day.
I read many posts complaining about the food over there.
It sound better than the offerings of many truckstops over here.
ALSO…NO drinking!
None
Nada
Drivers can be fired for even stopping at a licensed restaurant.
Any driver; even in his personal vehicle, caught blowing over the legal limit can forget about driving trucks ever again.
Another thing if you come to Canada…quit smoking!
The harassment of smokers increases all the time; so make life easy on yourself and quit.
Sorry for the long winded post.
Cheers!
So wide open spaces & donuts…? Sounds alright to me… I speak French, I don`t smoke & am not in the habit of drinking then driving. Where do I sign…? Sounds a whole lot better than whats going on around here at the moment .( er…whats the crumpet situation…■■ )
Crumpet situation is probably damned good but I am not allowed to look! 
What’s wrong with Timmys?? Beats Starbucks any time and the blueberry fritters are to die for.
bobthedog Blueberry Fritters & Moms Apple Pie are not what I had in mind when I asked about crumpet…
Thanks Bluejay, seems like the French Canadians are not so French after all 
.
Not that it was a consideration, but I think I’ll definitely be stopping in the real France, I like my food too much
Westcan Bulk is owned by Paul’s Hauling out of Winnipeg.
I think you could set your sights a little higher than them.
Again this so called driver shortage only applies to the companies that nobody (except you people) wants to work for.
RuralRhodes:
Westcan Bulk is owned by Paul’s Hauling out of Winnipeg.
I think you could set your sights a little higher than them.Again this so called driver shortage only applies to the companies that nobody (except you people) wants to work for.
“you people”… nice
I think that the best way to find out about trucking in Canada would be to ask on
TrucksCan. They where once part of the TruckNet group and a good bunch of people.
Several TruckNet UK members post on their site. Have a look.
what is the hrsdc ■■
Thoughts on Westcan.
I lived in the UK for many years but my home is in Edmonton. Westcan always run adds in the paper and I once applied there and didn’t get hired. The pay is average and I didn’t hear any serious complaints.
I was hired by ECL which has many different divisions. A great company and I would work for them again.
I do spend a lot of time in the UK so I think I can compare some differences.
In the UK, I can never find a good place to eat along any of the motorways. I know that in time I would, and that could be said for Brits in Canada. Best thing to do is park the truck and take a taxi into town. In Edmonton you can park at the Husky and walk north past the Superstore to the Sawmill or Tom Goodchild’s. They have great food and a lunch time buffett for about 7 pounds.
In the UK a crap take away sandwhich costs 3 pounds. I would also say that it’s best never to eat at truck stops. Just get your fuel and take a short walk. Ask the pump jockey for names of places to eat, and I’m sure you’ll be pointed in the right direction.
Come over to Canada it’s a great place to live as long as you’re not a slacker. Your first job might not be the best but after a year or so you’ll find something better. You will have more money left over at the end of the month than you would in the UK. You will find good places to eat and make friends.
Have any of you guys used a recruiter in the UK about driving jobs in Canada?
I have given thought to setting up a recruiting office in the UK, as I think I can offer a great service.
Any questions you guys might have, I’ll be happy to help out.
Best of luck to all those considering a move to Canada.