I started my week by bob tailing from my house to Albany NY, empty trailer to NYC, load and deliver Wilbraham MA and back to NYC. Tues I just spent the day at the refinery in Yonkers and preloaded 4 tanks for other guys.
Weds I delivered Ben & Jerry’s then came home for 12 hours.
Thurs I left home, went back down to NYC, loaded and delivered Brodentown NJ then back up to NYC, It only took me 1 hour 45 mins to get from Bordentown NJ to Yonkers on a thursday afternoon and that has to be a record when you have to cross the GWB late afternoon.
Friday there was no B&J loads being loaded so I actually loaded and delivered Scranton PA which was 130 miles then came home empty 300 miles for the weekend 
1632 miles.all week.
Lazy git 
I went down to Mississippi, reloaded in Arkansas, dropped that in the yard, went home for the night, came back in the next day and went up to Edmonton, reloaded in Calgary for Regina, then scooped up a preloaded trailer in Portage La Prairie on the way back to the yard.
I started Saturday and finished Saturday, totally maxxed out my driving hours, in fact I hit my 70hrs and had to cycle my hours, that’s why I stayed in Canada, we get 70hrs in 7 days, rather than the 8 days in the US, this allowed me to do about 4500miles this week, at 40cpm that’s $1800 gross, not bad for a week’s work 
Mark you are my hero
On the down side … I did have to leave home sunday night at 9.00pm to run down to NYC.
Took 10 0ff then ran up to Ben & Jerry’s last night and came home again. … here I sit wondering whats next 
Pat Hasler:
here I sit wondering whats next
Me too, although I’m not doing too much wondering 
Hi all.NMM.Forgive me if i sound inquisitive ‘‘nosey git’’,but as it is about 20yrs since i lived and worked in Quebec, i am curious.What with the inflation in general and a constant increase in all things in general throughout the world.We all complain that we have to do ‘‘too much for too little’’.I do’nt know what the social costs are now in Canada[i know it varies from province to province].If you made $1800 gross for last week,what does that leave as net earnings.If you would rather not say ok.Take care.Mike
Mike, it’s all relative, not every week is like that, but on the whole I take between $3500-4000 home each month, last year I paid $14000 in tax and got almost $10000 back, so on average I take about $1200 a week once everything is adjusted, obviously things are a little more expensive than they were when you were here, but I can enjoy a comfortable lifestyle on my wages, can’t ask for much more than that really
Hi NMM.Many thanks for the reply.It was merely for my own interest,to compare what you have in comparison with Europe.I am lucky here in Lappland as it is the nearest i can get to Canada.[in all ways]
As you say you have a comfortable life,which is the main thing.Maybe the cost of living and standard of living is not so different,BUT the ‘‘quality of life’’ there is vastly better than almost anywhere in Europe.Take care.Mike
Mike, I would say that in quality of life terms, it’s improved 100%, moneywise it’s hard to say, I’ve made more in the past, but had no time to enjoy it, it’s all about balance, like I say, I’m happy, yes I work quite hard, but I’ve got the work/life balance about right, I can work a bit more if I need a bit more money, I can have a bit more time at home if I’m not that fussed about making a fortune, nice to have the freedom to choose
HiNMM.As you say it’s about the quality.Ispent 35yrs driving everywhere,all over Europe.M.E.Russia.and Canada.The problem is that you end up living to work,instead of the other way round. 
Now i work 70 hours a week driving a tipper underground,then i have a week free.Ihave about €2200 netto per month,but now i have time to fish,canoe,drive my quad,and snowmobile. The sad thing is that it’s taken until now to achieve it, 
but better late than never.Take care.Mike
I had a mate worked underground all week too … on the London tube
You must be involved in some huge tunnel construction or something.
I worry that if I ever lost this job I would have to go back to working for a living
Hi Pat.Nice one
No i don’t work on any kind of construction,i drive a 50ton tipper 1km underground in an iron ore mine transporting iron ore[and rubbish from the tunnels]to the crushers or dumping it above ground. 
As you may or may not know Sweden[especially Lappland]is very rich in minerals,especially iron ore and copper[very similar to Canada]. They also have the same sort of problems with climate and the problem to attract people as it is so ‘‘out of the way’’.[it’s over 3000kms north of London]. It has it’s own way of life here.The unions are quite strong but don’t influence things in a negative.When it comes round each year for wage negotiations these are done soley by the governement,employers,and unions so we just reap the benefits[if any]. Years ago they got the working time reduced to 35hrs per week.This doesn’t work in a mining industry so they came to an agreement that instead of working 35 hrs we would work 10hrs a day for 7 days then have 1week free.You still then work only 160hrs per month.We have a team of 4 drivers on 1truck.2drivers work the week on shifts.0500 to1430,theother one does 1430 to midnight.The other 2 are free.It works well.
If your interested,look on google or wiki for LKab.se.For me its perfect as i’m old and have no interest for long dist any more.Plus as it’s ‘‘off road’’ you dont have tachos,no idjits from H and S[ok we work safe,but without idiot jobsworths]and if you want to work extra ‘‘fill yer boots’’. So for me its a good standard and quality of life[i’ts the next best thing to North America] Take care.Mike.
Pat Hasler:
.
I worry that if I ever lost this job I would have to go back to working for a living
No worries there mate, i can get you a cushy job at our company
now practice saying this “Welcome to Wal-Mart”
Charles
remy:
Pat Hasler:
.
I worry that if I ever lost this job I would have to go back to working for a livingNo worries there mate, i can get you a cushy job at our company
now practice saying this “Welcome to Wal-Mart”
Charles
I would love to take you up on that Charles but Raymond NH is a bit far to drive to work LOL
newmercman:
I started Saturday and finished Saturday, totally maxxed out my driving hours, in fact I hit my 70hrs and had to cycle my hours, that’s why I stayed in Canada, we get 70hrs in 7 days, rather than the 8 days in the US, this allowed me to do about 4500miles this week, at 40cpm that’s $1800 gross, not bad for a week’s work
How many hours did you actually “work” during that seven day week to cover the 4500mile and earn the $1800, by that I mean behind the wheel plus loading/unloading etc
hutpik:
Hi Pat.Nice one
Years ago they got the working time reduced to 35hrs per week.This doesn’t work in a mining industry so they came to an agreement that instead of working 35 hrs we would work 10hrs a day for 7 days then have 1week free.You still then work only 160hrs per month.We have a team of 4 drivers on 1truck.2drivers work the week on shifts.0500 to1430,theother one does 1430 to midnight.The other 2 are free.It works well.
My kinda job,
one week on 70hrs and one week off take home €2200/month, I don’t think anybody in the UK OR Canada can match that kind of wage for those hours 
But the cost of living in Sweden is mega high is it not
Big Truck:
hutpik:
Hi Pat.Nice one
Years ago they got the working time reduced to 35hrs per week.This doesn’t work in a mining industry so they came to an agreement that instead of working 35 hrs we would work 10hrs a day for 7 days then have 1week free.You still then work only 160hrs per month.We have a team of 4 drivers on 1truck.2drivers work the week on shifts.0500 to1430,theother one does 1430 to midnight.The other 2 are free.It works well.My kinda job,
one week on 70hrs and one week off take home €2200/month, I don’t think anybody in the UK OR Canada can match that kind of wage for those hours
But the cost of living in Sweden is mega high is it not
For 4on/4off 12hour shifts approx 144hours/month depending on how the shifts fall I take home £2500.
Hi Big truck.I think that is now a fallacy about Sweden being mega expensive,maybe years ago but now the cost of living has increased much faster in Europe than here so it has become almost the same. 
Certain things are more expensive such as foodstuffs,alcohol etc. But on the other side many things are cheaper such as houses do it yourself things.It is the same as anywhere,you look around for bargains,sales,special offers .I have renovated part of my house during the last 3 yrs.All the panels and planks and beams were bought direct from the sawmill,cash no vat,no paperwork very cheap.Ibought new windows[triple glass]also for cash no paperwork no vat,and this from a company.Here it’s a little bit '‘old fashioned’‘still and you can still’‘fix’'a lot of things .I’m redigging my well soon,i get the digger and truck from the company free at the weekend.I live 90kms from my work but get free diesel,it gets ‘‘lost’’ on the earth moving machines.
OK if you live in the south of the country it’s the same as Europe but up here it’s considered the ‘‘far side of the moon’’.
When i decided to move up here i looked around for a house and found my house.i paid €25000 for it.It was for sale for €36000 but as i paid cash,and because no one wants to move up here i got a good deal.Everyone was helpful.The administrative side was so easy.I saw the house on a Friday,said i would buy it on Monday and everything was signed sealed and delivered by Thursday .Also the house was 75percent furnished and i had 5acres of land and 150m of river.
Big Truck:
newmercman:
I started Saturday and finished Saturday, totally maxxed out my driving hours, in fact I hit my 70hrs and had to cycle my hours, that’s why I stayed in Canada, we get 70hrs in 7 days, rather than the 8 days in the US, this allowed me to do about 4500miles this week, at 40cpm that’s $1800 gross, not bad for a week’s workHow many hours did you actually “work” during that seven day week to cover the 4500mile and earn the $1800, by that I mean behind the wheel plus loading/unloading etc
I do 11hrs driving a day, I run at the speed limits, so mileage per day changes, but it’s academic, the money I earned in that week is more than enough to cover the mortgage on my 4000sqft house, pay the insurance on my two V8 powered cars and leave a bit over for me to get totally ■■■■■■ at the bar this evening, so I couldn’t give a flying ■■■■ what it works out to per hour
Over 4000 miles in a week is easy in a job like Mark’s, mostly long haul interstate driving days at a time between stops, done it myself before I came to Foodliner. Left home on friday 16th of march 2007 for Salt lake city, delivered monday at mid day. Down I-15 to Vegas, reloaded and up to portland OR for weds at 02.00am, reloaded Portland for Hartford CT and home by sunday morning. A tad over 8 days but a slip of the pen on a log book and it was nearer 6,000 miles
Ok … lots of slips of the pen
newmercman:
Big Truck:
newmercman:
I started Saturday and finished Saturday, totally maxxed out my driving hours, in fact I hit my 70hrs and had to cycle my hours, that’s why I stayed in Canada, we get 70hrs in 7 days, rather than the 8 days in the US, this allowed me to do about 4500miles this week, at 40cpm that’s $1800 gross, not bad for a week’s workHow many hours did you actually “work” during that seven day week to cover the 4500mile and earn the $1800, by that I mean behind the wheel plus loading/unloading etc
I do 11hrs driving a day, I run at the speed limits, so mileage per day changes, but it’s academic, the money I earned in that week is more than enough to cover the mortgage on my 4000sqft house, pay the insurance on my two V8 powered cars and leave a bit over for me to get totally ■■■■■■ at the bar this evening, so I couldn’t give a flying [zb] what it works out to per hour
So 77hrs DRIVING over the 7days plus some additional work time for the extra’s then for $1800.
Think “Ady1” has shown (via his scanned wage slip ) its quite easy to do better for Stobbies over SIX days and half the time kipping in the cab on hourly pay AND getting home each day to get his daily rest in his own bed.
Granted I don’t think he has the 4000sqft house(must be including your basement surely ) and the two V8 cars 