Glad to be back
 

HI guys sorry to burst the bubble but!!!!!!
I've never been so glad to see the UK ground beneath my feet than i have the last two months,
At the beginning of last year my husband was offered a trucking job in canada,
OH my god things like that don't happen to everyday Joe's like us we looked into the company the very flashy brochure, talked to the guys on the phone, what a fantastic opportunity we can't turn this down.
The house went on the market nervously we waited for a buyer, which came nine weeks later after we'd dropped the price 15k for a quick sale after all they wanted us there within six months and time was ticking, so the house sold along with the furniture which we'd built up over the 20 years we'd been married, sold the lot after all we wouldn't be needing it, we didn't have a lot to show for it after the mortgage and other things we're settled, but never the less a tidy little sum for us to rent somewhere to get us on our feet,
And off we went up rooting kids and pets on our new adventure Our new life.
The biggest mistake of our lives
I don't know if these guys know what there doing with families like us, i think the thought would be something along the lines of once the brits are here with the family in tow they won't go back,
The job's we're crap couldn't make a living unless you we're prepared to drive 24/7 and truck's we're pants the contracts we're being changed on a weekly basis, yes we knew trucking meant long hours,but this was bordering on dangerous, these guy's must have no conscious or their on another planet.
families are giving up everything they possess for the promise of a better life.
there's as many families coming back as going out, six truckers on our flight back alone, i know what work for one doesn't work for another but all those who are embarking on this adventure
I just want to say Please please be careful what you wish for

Re: Glad to be back
 

Did you consider changing jobs?


One of the keys to getting established is being flexible. The first job may just get your foot in the door. If it doesn't work out then look for something else. I recently retired from my third career.

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[QUOTE=shelly1]HI guys sorry to burst the bubble but!!!!!!


Just out of interest, how much research did you do? Was your hubby already a trucker? Doesn't Canada have driving regulations, tachographs etc?
Linda

Re: Glad to be back
 

I don't mean to be rude and don't know the ins and outs of your situation......but did you thoroughly research all aspects of taking on a new life in the particular part of Canada you ended up in. Its different of course if you were led to believe certain things but the reality turned out to be different, as you base your decisions on what you understand the facts to be.
Its sad that you got your fingers burnt, and yes , theres a lesson there for others who may be tempted into the rosy painted picture.
But I can't stress enough - research, research, research, meet the company you are going to be working for beforehand, interview them as much as they interview you, find out if the salary, benefits etc being offered is going to allow you an acceptable standard of living in chosen province, have some idea what the cost of living will be, what the taxes etc will be. There is so so much to establish before jumping in and for those of us who went down the skilled worker application route, plenty of time to think, research and assess all these things and more. We were lucky, I know, as we came here with a good job offer for my husband in his field of industry, but he worked very very hard to achieve this over the 18 month wait and was determined to put us in with as good a chance of making things work out as he possibly could.
As for other other 'emotional' aspects....well those are the ones you can't research or plan for, you have to learn those things the hard way.

Re: Glad to be back
 

Echo echo echo.I have said the same many times and will continue to shout it from the rooftops if need be.

Rich.

Re: Glad to be back
 

And remember - if you only have a work permit as opposed to permanent residence (PR), you are in a really weak position if the job doesn't work out as planned.

At least with PR you could look for another job, move elsewhere in Canada etc.



Jeremy

Re: Glad to be back
 

probably one of the reasons why there are sooo many trucking jobs going...The hours are long and the family suffers.

Sorry to hear things didn't work out for you guys, hopefully you'll get back on your feet in the UK.

Re: Glad to be back
 

Hi there,

Sorry it didn't work out.

I know things may be difficult if I ever do make it out there, and I may end up coming back with my tail between my legs. However I have not filled out an application yet, and still have a lot of talking to with my wife, and if we do submit an application it will take 4 years to process.

I figure that will give us a lot of time to research and plan (and save up).

At the end of the day, one thing I AM thinking is:

"If I don't do this, will I be a bitter 65 year old always going on about how I once had enough points to qualify for a move to Canada?"

If my wife agrees and the research suggests the move is possible, then I want to give it a try. With that mindset, if it doesn't work out, I doubt I'll call it a mistake. In short I'll be able to say "At least I gave it a go".

Chris

Re: Glad to be back
 

Thanks for your replies,
I can honestly say with hands held high
We we're interviewed as a family the kids as well as us, we asked many questions and we're told the bad with the good we didn't jump in without checking and researching as much as we could, lets face it when your responsible parents you don't drag your family half way around the world on a whim, we knew it was long hours and hubby would be away, we have that life here its not new to us, our biggest mistake was to believe what we we're told, yes we got our fingers burnt and yes we lost all we had, an answer to one question is your work permit only allows you to work for one company, if money is no object and you have time to wait around you can jump ship to other companies but you have to wait the same process out again, unfortunately we weren't in a position to do that, we have had a stressful last couple of months, from being asked do we have work permits to be back in the UK, to finding somewhere to live, to shipping the pets back over the Atlantic, if we'd have had to live in a cardboard box i would have still been grateful to be here, but we're back and slowly getting back to normality and extremely glad to be here. thankyou for your replies and your honesty but we're not the first and I'm sorry to have to say it but we won't be the last.
I wish you all luck in your quest to find the better life, we've found ours

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Chris i agree with you totally if I'd dug my heels in and told my hubby NO i also would have been in later years saying if only.
I am only telling OUR story so people will hopefully sit up and think,
Do i regret the whole process???? i can honestly say no i don't regret it, it turn out to be a big loss to us, if i could live my time over I'm sure i would do it again just the same, but maybe stay a bit longer next time, but thats me.
if you've got the chance take it, just be very very careful.

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I am so sorry that things did not work out in Canada for you all, you must be exhausted by it all :(
I hope things are now looking brighter for you and your family and wish you all the best for the future.
Linda

Re: Glad to be back
 

If you are on a work permit, you cant do that, its only good for the job that got you over here. A case of buyer beware.

Ask why they cant get Canadians to take the trucking jobs before you decide to jjump on the plane. Sorry it didnt work out Shelly:(

Re: Glad to be back
 

At least you made a go of it.
If you hadn't you might always have regretted it and wondered what if?

Unfortunately the employment regulations in Canada are very lax and increasingly so. The country trades mainly with the US and therefore must remain competetive re: labour laws. This is good for business but crap for workers. I was routinely fired from companies when business slowed down and they complained even if I tried to take a day off on holiday. British workers are treated far better. In Britain I earn twice what I could earn in Alberta and I enjoy a great holiday entitlement which is very important, especially when you have a family.

Re: Glad to be back
 

I agree the laws on driving hours are reasonably governed in the UK, I say reasonably because there are ways around lots of them!
I think as it has been said before it very much depends on what profession you are in! My hubby is a nurse and although Canada does not recognise his experience from the UK the wages for nurses here in Canada are greater than that in the UK. They also seem to be more respected. That along side the fact that money goes much further has given us a better standard of life.
The down side (and there always is a trade off in life) is the holiday entitlement is "pants" he gets 2 weeks, where as in the UK he would have 56 days!!!!! Oh yes and the fact that holidays are given on seniority here, so anyone who started before him can have first choice over their holidays, so for the next 10 years he won't be able to have any summers or christmas off, without swapping lots of days and promising his body in return!!! :D
So in return for a nicer place to live and raise our family, we will visit UK off peak times, and work with what we have, rather than see it as a hurdle that cannot be overcome! This works for us! :)

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Personally I would rather have the 56 days holiday and be paid less.

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My hubby brought £2.600 last month trucking in the uk for that he was home most nights maybe only 7 nights away, we now feel that our money goes a lot further than it did in canada, for those who say the cost of living is cheap over there, i have to disagree with you, it costs me £100 for a food shop each week in the uk, in canada it was costing me $200, A meal out in the uk costs £40 a pizza out in canada was costing $100 for 4 with tips, in the province we lived in you had the gst tax and pst tax which hiked your bill up when you came to check out every day things we're double the price of the uk, and the wages we're half sorry!!!!!!!

Re: Glad to be back
 

I'm a bit confused. A food shop of £100 or CAD$200 is the same is it not?

C

Re: Glad to be back
 

If Michael worked long hours all week I would agree, but with his 12 hour shifts, it gives us lots of time together as a family and with the spare cash it helps to go places. Don't get me wrong I am not very materialistic usually, but you have to admit you do need money and in the UK we seemed to always overspend.
I am not saying it's prefect, but so far the pro's out-way the con's, for the moment anyway :)
Linda

Re: Glad to be back
 

I agree totally we did it ourselves, to us as brits looking at the canadian dollar £100 is $200 but once your living on the canadian dollar its $200 which is like spending £200, i know it sounds confusing but everything is nearly double what you pay here in the uk
its $3.99 for a pack of bread cakes $3.00 for milk $7.00 for coffee and so on if i'd gone to the supermarket in the uk and spent £200 we'd be living like kings for the week,
we personally found that our grocery budget didn't go half as far as we'd been expecting it to and we had to double it, when you go on the canadian shopping web sites and look at it from the uk everythings half the price but when your earning and living by that $ and its your only income it becomes very expensive and your money goes down very quickly.

Re: Glad to be back
 

You have to look at it as a percentage of your salary. That is the only true way of working things out.
If you were earning 40k in the UK and came here earning $40k , then yes, your observations would be closer to the mark, as your wages have effectively halved
But if you had gone from 40k in UK to over $80k here then it would be the same sort of expenditure.....if you get my drift !

Re: Glad to be back
 

Hi Shelly, Sorry to hear things didn't work out as hoped. Very interesting thread as I'm am a UK trucker who has been thinking of a new challenge in Canada. (anything to get away from the M6!)
I'm in the early days of research, companies, lifestyle, housing etc.
I don't suppose you could tell me the company that your husband worked for as it seems it may be one to avoid. If not, which province was he in? I have heard one or two stories that give me cause for concern. I am sincerly hoping that trucking in Canada can't be worse than in the UK.
I hope you quickly get back on your feet and wish you all the best.

Re: Glad to be back
 

Thanks nwtrucker for your kind words,
We we're in the saskatchewan province a very beautiful place no complaints with the wonderful canadians or their beautiful country.
we went from 38k in the Uk to a promised $60-70k in canada, we we're shown wage slips of employee's now unless these guys never leave their trucks, their not bringing that amount home don't be fooled into believeing so, we would never have earned that much unless my husband was prepared to work 24/7 which would have defeated the whole point of going.
we asked all the questions that are in your mind right now, even down to how many families have come back having not settled,
we we're told 2 families had come back, one who's spouse didn't settle and one who's child was ill and the treatment cost could not be covered in canada.
So we feel that personally we we're led up the garden path, which is a very real shame, i think if my husband had to pin point any one thing it would have to be the health and safety aspect of it all, which no where near meets the UK driving standards.

Re: Glad to be back
 

We truly know we have made tha right desision coming back to the uk, we have more money so we can do more than we did in canada, we're planning our next holiday back to oz, we'd never have been able to afford to go there from canada, we know how much everything is going to cost us when we shop, we don't need to pay to see the doctor YET!!!, i can go back to work, we don't have to pay $60 to watch the england matches on tv, to say the kids settled so well we're all very very happy to have our familiar surroundings, maybe it just wasn't for us. and i can say with hand on heart we're not on our own.
We know of quite a few truckers that have come back for the same reasons as us
If the offer's there take it
Just please be careful don't put all your eggs in one basket

Re: Glad to be back
 

well done for having a go Shelly ....u had to really, didnt u ...and thanks for sharing your experience...

Re: Glad to be back
 

Nice to see someone with the balls to say ' tried it on and it didn't fit '. Well done for taking the leap and all the best for the future.

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Yes we really did have to give it a go, you don't get many chances in life you have to make your own way you have to do what you feel is right, we felt at the time it was the right choice for us,
unfortunatly it was the wrong choice but we've had to turn it around look at the experiences we've had, we've all made friends we would never have made, some of those i know will be life long friends, the kids go on msn to speak to friends in canada that they would never have met,
We've No regrets,
Well maybe i have!!!!!!!! just a few!!!!!!!

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Yeah, i remember when i was reading up about Canada before coming over to pre-arranged job....one of the things stressed over and over in job guides is negotiation. I think this can seem a little daunting and unnecessary if you think the Canada/US job situation is like the UK, but the reality is that it's a completely different ball game.... here they expect you to fight for what you want and if you don't, you won't get. It's next to impossible to negotiate something similar to what you had in the UK, (e.g. 4-5 weeks paid vacation). It's made worse by the simple fact that (apart from Alberta) the unemployment rate is higher in Canada, making it an 'employers market' and basically you are pretty much at their mercy. Getting a pre-arranged job is certainly a much easier prospect for bargaining in this sense, as if you don't like what's on offer, you simply bargain with the employer, or say 'no thanks', put the phone down, stick with your UK job and try again.

Re: Glad to be back
 

This is a good case to take note of

No matter how much you research an issue, there's nothing like living it...

Can’t stress enough the research, but until you’ll walked in those shoes you’ll never really know

Immigration doesn’t work for everybody..

And going home can often be the smart thing to do

And no matter how hard somebody will try and tell you Canada isn’t always better than the UK

Re: Glad to be back
 

I was wondering after reading your thread!
What were things like for you when you first went back to the UK?
Finding a home etc
I have often thought about it but i have been to afraid to take that leap back there through fear of what i would actually be faced with.
I sold all my belongings too. I came here on a work permit and i have just filed an application for my PR status. Although this will open the door to many new and better prospects for me, I still wonder at times if i should return. I guess it is like you say about familiar surroundings.
I am only renting a basment appartment with my 2 teenage children at the moment and i have been through hell since i have been here. Poor paid job and long hours.
I guess the one true thing that kept me here was the fear of making things worse if i did return. I would stand a great chance of local employment with social services if i was to return but it is everything else. housing etc

just wondered how you did it or if you were set up finacially.
thanks

Re: Glad to be back
 

Dear Shelly
glad you made it back. We have been in Canada (Halifax) about 7 weeks now and would all leave if we could. We did everything we could to check everything out before my husband accepted his new job. As this was our 6th move in 25 years we thought we knew what we were doing. A 6 figure salary (double what he was earning in France) plus lots of perks, plus the challenge of a new environment was the main attraction, but we have honestly been shocked by what we have found here. The filth in the city, the beggars on all the corners, the high crime rate, high cost of living and the poor health care are things we could not have found out until we arrived. The fact I have 30 years experience as a trained nurse counts for nothing here. In fact, unless you have local qualifications nothing is accepted here. Letters from our banks in France and UK as well as our insurance companies are worthless. If it wasn't for my husbands new company helping us, I honestly don't know what we would have done. Maybe Canada is fine for a young couple starting out, looking for a bit of adventure etc, but for those with families, established elsewhere, I would say it really is not worth the effort of moving here.
I think you are very brave doing what you did. Most people find it difficult admitting they have made a mistake and moving back, and I really wish you and your family well in the future.

Re: Glad to be back
 

I tend to agree a little with your statment.
I am a single mum and sturggling here. I agree with the bit about being single. I think you could afford to be a little more flippant about things. I think i would be off with a backpack if i was single right now. But when you have finacial pressures and family,this is priority.
A friend of mine is a nurse in ICU here in toronto. She was lucky to land a good job.
I hate having to 'LIVE TO WORK' I should be 'WORKING TO LIVE'.
does not seem to be hapening to me. Not saying it is like that for everyone here but it definatly is harder with age.

Good luck for the future and i hope all turns around for you all.

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Hi val50,

I'm sorry to hear that things are not going well for you, but don't you think it's a but unfair to say it isn't worth it if you have a family?

My wife is also a nurse, but we are in contact with the nursing association to see how far her qualification does go, and if she will need to do any catch up study. Canada is a big place and there isn't a beggar on every street corner of every town or city in the country, not even in the province you live in.

Different people will have different experiences, and just because yours isn't a good one doesn't mean the next person's won't be good either. There are plenty of people who post here to prove that.

All that aside, it is good that you post experiences like yours here to give people researching a move and objective view. I wasn't thinking of going to Halifax, but if I was I now know it may not be the cleanest city in Canada.

Anyway, chin up and I hope things improve. Contact the nursing association in your province and find out how far your qualifications, study and time on the job does go. You may find you don't have to do that much catch up to get registered.

Try to stay positive :)

Chris

Re: Glad to be back
 

Its is a big place, and its largely rural and most of its is quite poor..

Ontario and Alberta could or would be considered the two provinces that actaullly make money and as a result they spend a significant amount of that money funding all the other provinces..

something to bare in mind...

Re: Glad to be back
 

Hi to those who have replied to my thread
At first when we came back to the uk, i was so stressed, it was very hard, Had we done the right thing, then you read other threads saying stick it out, We, or more so I was in turmoil, i had a sister telling me told you so, it didn't help when she was the only person to stay with, the council told us because we had given up our rented home in canada we had made ourselves homeless and therefore not entitled to council accomodation, when we went to enquire about signing on we we're asked did we have work permits for working in the uk, you can't sign on you've given up your job. we we're gob smacked we'd only been out of the country 3 months, always worked and paid our taxes, and need help but really they did us a favour shutting the door in our faces, it made us stop feeling sorry for ourselves and get off our arses and get on with it, we both went back to the same companies cap in hand and got our contracts back, we rented a fully furnished house a bit smaller than we we're used to the kids have to share a room, but clean and near to school, we got one school place back for our eldest daughter which was a big relief as we'd taken her out of year 10 (gcse's) she went back to year 11, the school she's at we're fantastic, she's just done her moc exam's and got 2 A*s 2 A's 2B's and a C, I'm very proud. we had to wait for our youngest a school place at the same school she started back 3rd Jan, we applied for a mortgage and they looked at us as if we we're criminals, where have we been they can't trace us on the electoral roll, why have we been out of the country, what did we do with our money from the house sale, well we'll give you 90% mortgage, so we gave it up as a bad job and today we've been accepted for a mortgage, so in the three months we've been home we've had peaks and troughs, we got our pooch back last weekend so the family is once again complete and everyday is getting better it is frightening at first it does get better but we're still all happy to be back home, time's a great healer, canada isn't a regert, it's an experiance we had, and now we're back to normality.

Re: Glad to be back
 

Hi Shelly,

Glad to hear things are returning to a version of normal. I'm sure you didn't need the "I told you so" comments, so save those up for a rainy day ;)

Chris

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Hi Shelly

We were advised to look at your topic here and have read it with interest since we are about to embark on the same journey you describe, and in Saskatoon. So.. we are intrigued, if your hubby was earning £38k as a driver in the UK why did you want to leave in the first place? Also... where does your husband work now to take home £2,600 a month in the UK as I cannot get anywhere close to these figures down in Oxfordshire - so should I consider relocating to West Yorkshire instead!? Perhaps the Polish drivers have not reached the north of England yet as they take all the work/contracts for a £3.00 an hour.

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Hi my husband works for a chemical tanker firm on a six days on two days off shift 17 hours per day, he regularly brings home a very good wage as he works Saturday and Sunday and is away some nights,
If i have taken your reply the wrong way i apologise but i take from your posting and attitude you don't seem to like what you read in the thread, i am sorry if the post isn't to your liking, and what my husband earns upsets and offends you,
We hoped to have more time together, the better life for the kids, the bigger house, the better country but take it from someone amongst the many who has tried to live the dream, that dream isn't always all its made out to be, their's many families that have come back before and many will after us
As i have already said when you want to live the dream you will only believe what you want to believe
good luck in your new life
Shelly

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Which is above the going rate for many jobs in Canada!

You do seem rather down on the Uk, after reading your other post about hoodies etc in UK, fact is Canada has its bums too, plenty of down and outs and plenty of low wages. Do plenty of research and be aware of the ups and downs of anywhere!

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Any jobs going!? I don't know of any driver taking that kind of money home without running bent. As far as I was aware you can do a maximum spread over of 15 hours twice a week. I am wondering how much 'quality' time you are spending together now. We are considering the implications of a move to sask. as we have relatives who moved out there 2 years ago and are loving it.
I suppose eveyone has there own views and expectations. I am working silly hours over here with all the extra stress (congestion,crime,tax etc.), so I can't help thinking what have we got to lose. Time will tell!

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Hi Shelly

I can understand now why your husband earns well in the UK doing approx 102 hours a week, I just hope I am not driving behind him in my lorry when he nods off! I am sure other drivers will agree on this.