bobthedog

Just some points of interest.
PNP is completely removed from TWPs except that you can get the nomination process going after 6 months and generally completed within 9-12 months. Once you are nominated the company you are working for becomes irrelevent up to a point. The company has to be registered with CIC to issue contracts to TFWs but the nomination is yours, not theirs. As I said before, though, you would need to find a job which complies with the PNPs codes so still long haul and still, probably, cross border.

Something else. I am not sure what you meant regarding SK. I presume you have been in Canada before if you already held the licence here. I wonder why you would have moved out to New Brunswick when there are jobs on the Prairies with companies that will not try paying you 10cpm?

To the Watson Familys point about treating immigrant workers badly. I am unconvinced this is the case. I may just have been lucky, but BFS has received a lot of bad press so I am not sure that it isn't more the fault of the workers than it is the firm in many of the cases. Also, I don't think I have ever been taken advantage of by the firms, or at least no more than I am prepared to be, and I have always been remunerated for anything extra.

Life here is no more or less than you make it. We have had so many hard tests since arriving here with my accident and my wifes illness, yet we have coped because of the friendship and support we have received. Surely, if a sour old twat like me can make a go of it, then others can?

hughes3005

Hi Bob
Thanks for the pointers, it does help to refresh the memory.Of the frightening things for the average truck driver UK. its the bureaucracy we have to deal with.
not just all the preparation in sending to a potential employer all our life's details and personal stuff.
but the same thing for the government which demand every thing from the cradle to the grave details,
the same for our children and our baby's .
I have 4 children from a baby to a teenage girl studying to be a Midwife.

There is a serious lack of support from government departments, regards immigration and integration.
when we find work.
where is the support that takes thousands of dollars from us but offers little support and entrusts only the employer has the overseer.

It is open to abuse from the employer.
we can move over here with our Wife's and family's and 9+months plus down the line be refused, and have to leave Canada,worst case scenario maybe but it happens.

sorry if i sound a bit tetchy but its taken a long time to this point where i am.
I feel as though im in limbo.
didnt mean to babble.


it is good that you have found support for you and your wife,Canada that is so supportive for its own people and trys the same for us and ?...enough said i feel ive just dropped my Violin.


i paid for my licence in 2005
I read the post from Cargomatic i can see the Roses in is Blog!!
that's how i found the Job.

i did have an interview with H&R but like i said "i went with the flow".

didnt mean to wine but there you go!!
i am off to Halifax tomorrow for my flight home and look for work their

i have to compete with the immigrants their LOL.............NOTTT

bobthedog

The support we received actually came from unexpected directions. Government wise, we had none, although the Province were very good with our case when it came to my PNP lapsing.

The firm were good insofar as they let me run as I saw fit so I could be home regularly, but that was as far as they went really.

Andy (BT) knows the story from elsewhere so he is unlikely to pass much comment. He knows how things were for us and knows it demonstrated how good people are here.

Why do you feel you are in competition with others? If Ayr are not any good then move somewhere else. Sit tight while the LMO application is in then just go. The companies cannot take the bad press really. They kick off but soon back off if you give as good as you get, or slightly better.

I am not sure what you mean about going with the flow regarding H&R, and I hardly think you would want your thread hijacked by the "Shoot all H&R personnel down" brigade. If you only listen to others, largely those who have left in disgust, then you are never going to be comfortable here.

I actually went in and met Lyndon to thrash out the gossip. Most of the people I met there were happy enough, but they were all of the opinion that trucking is trucking. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

From what you have said about Ayr, it appears the rough is far rougher than the Alberta rough..

hughes3005

what do you mean Trucking is Trucking.
you have to do a job yes.

Efficiently for the company YES.

but trucking company's have as much respectability for there workers as should their be for customers....

cargomatic

Looks like I need to set a few things straight.

Firstly to Mr Watson. Personally I think you listen to to much crap, and that you should get your facts straight before you open you mouth. I’m Dave that you made your nasty comment about

The Ayr motor house that they own now days is a nice normal clean, (typical) everyday Canadian family house, in a nice quiet neighbourhood. It has everything in it a normal family would have, for the drivers to use, plus is cleaned top to bottom by a cleaner twice a week. The drivers do their bit too. You get to use this totally free. No other company offers this to their drivers. A few years ago they did have a different house that drivers said was a dive. Maybe that’s the one you heard about.

Secondly you do not know who I am. What you refer to is so un called for. I am a very laid back easy going person that puts my self out to help others. Even when I should be spending what little time I have with my family on my days off, I still help out others.

Thirdly, I do not get paid to get drivers here. I know how bad it was to get a job in the UK when I was there. I was given the chance of a better life over here, and because I believe Ayr to be one of the better companies to work for in New Brunswick, I recommended them. If I thought they was a bad company to work for, I would not have recommended them to anyone. I had the opportunity to let others know they could do the same, so I took it. All drivers new and old, Canadian, English, whoever, can recommend drivers to come and work for Ayr. If they stay more than six months then the recommender gets $100 bonus, whoop de do. I don’t do it for the Money. Its not worth it. If I got nothing I would not be bothered. I do it to help others gain what I have, a nice life out here. I’m a giver, not a taker.

Now for some facts and some of my opinions.

In less you are adaptable people. You are not going to make it here in Canada. Not just as a truck driver, but in life in general. It is a total different way of life. When you live in the UK and foreigners come over to work and try and make changers to the way of life in the UK to what the foreigner is used to. Us British are the first to say, when in England, it’s the English way or go back to your own country. Well it’s the same here. When in Canada, it’s the Canadian way, and some people don’t like it when the shoe is on the other foot.

Ayr Motor, don’t run like most companies. You don’t get your own truck straight away, you become a slip seater, and when you do get your own truck, it does not get parked up when your off. The slip seaters take it out till you want to go back out again. So the truck is always earning 24/7. that’s why this company is getting bigger and bigger all the time. I do not know of any company that will give you more miles than Ayr does, and that comes from other drivers past and present. When you understand how the company works. You work with it and will go far. If you try to do things your own way, your just shooting yourself in the foot because that’s not the Canadian way. You may not like the way everything is done, but putting up with those few things helps towards the bigger picture. If you adapt to there way and put up with it, they will look after you. Nothing or no one is perfect. In life you have to put up with some crap to reach the end goal. Some people are just not patient enough and want that goal like yesterday. It does not work like that round here.

When you start with Ayr, in less you have 2 years of North American driving experience, you are going to be put on a training rate of 14c per mile this lasts for between 8 and 12 weeks. If you already have your licence and have less than a years experience. You maybe on that rate for less than 8 weeks. It all depends on how fast you prove yourself. When you are training you do not get dropped in the deep end and are expected to do 7000 miles plus a week like a team gets. You’re a trainee, you cant get round that fast. You are treated as a single truck because the trainer is suppose to be by your side while you drive. Dispatch know you are training so try only to give you none urgent loads giving you time to learn. Those 8-12 weeks are just training and nothing more. You are lucky to be paid pocket money for that time. Some companies you have you pay them for the training. The best way to look at it is free training, free accommodation, and a bit of pocket money to keep you going. Once you have proved yourself and put on the full rate, you either continue to team getting your own truck straight away and getting decent miles or become a slip seater. Teaming is the best way to go at first, mainly to establish yourself. Your fresh off the block. Dispatch do not know what you are capable of, but they know your team mate, so they trust they will help you along the way getting decent miles, while you gain as much experience as you can. If you just decide to go single slip seating. Again they are not going to know what you are capable of, so will baby step you, giving you not so urgent loads till you start to show you can get round fast. The more you learn your way around, the more money you are going to earn. Once you have established yourself as a good driver, out of the blue they will put you in an unsigned truck and if you do well in that, you will get to keep it. Slip seating can be a pain for several reasons but good for others. Yes they get you to ring every couple of hours when you are going back on the road. that’s just so they can keep you up to date on what time the truck is expected back in so you can jump into it and go without having to wait around in the yard. They could tell you to come in at 5pm they expect the truck then. The driver decides to stop for 3hrs because he is tired. You turn up at 5pm and the truck is still 3hr up the road. So keep ringing in is a real pain but its done for that reason. When I stopped teaming and became a slip seater for a while. I was still an unknown. So at first I was only in a truck 2-3 days then home for a day or two. Once they got used to me. I was put in trucks for longer. With slip seating you can earn just as much money with more time off than if you are assigned to a truck.

At the end of the day I could go on and on, but if you are not willing to adapt to their way, and do things the way they want you to. don’t bother wasting your time and money to come over . The hardest part of training is leaving your family behind. It makes the adjustment to Canadian life a very emotional time not having your family around you, so I understand it can make you grumpy. I went 3 months without mine and it was the hardest time of my life, but I knew what the goal was and with Ayr the goal is possible if you are willing. The policy for vacation is 2 months notice. I guess that’s why they said no to 3 weeks off so soon just after arriving. Again been in the emotional state, been told no makes things worse. If you decide to stick it out, it will come good. If not good luck in what you do.

the watson family

ok so now i will set some things straight for you Dave

1. this is not MR watson but Mrs and yes the ayr motor house was a constant complaint my husband heard from new drivers (and yes we have been here a few years so maybe there is another) I felt sorry for the man stuck here away from his family - so shoot me.

2. I have watched with amusement on here your know it all comments on Ayr on truck driving (how long have you had your licence???? errrrrr - not as long as some i guess)

3 I have seen on your blog the description of the time you met my husband and how YOU HELPED him because you had watched a video on snow chains - wonder if he would ask if you were ok again??? prob not

4 It upets me to think that you dont paint a fair picture of life here in Canada for people who are sat in the UK wanting to come over. It is hard here at first particularly on family and yet there is no mention of that - you never mention any problems people may face or indeed you have yourself - its always a rose tinted view!

I feel you must always remember when you are dishing out your knowledge to them that it is based on your experience and tell then the BAD and the good.

yes Canada is a great place to work and Ayr are not the monster firm the man inplied and yes Dave we are permanent residents here and my husband still works for them and right now has no intention of leaving.! But honesty to people is important and people are going to come to this town on your words of insight -surely when people are bringing families and uprooting themselves for what indeed long term is in my opinion a better life - they deserve to see the truth (mishaps and mistakes included).

Yes its hard a first and some wont like it and yes in My opion it is a great place to be but really ..............

If you are going to Blog then at least be honest with it

jamesmc

ive read this thread and after speaking to a friend that works for ayr, he asked me to write this,

has held a ca licence for 2+yrs (on 1yr extension at moment) still on less than lmo says per month.
still slip seating.
starving him of miles when questioning whether run was legal.
not getting yrly cent per miles increase because he had accident..as opposed to what contract says.
dispatch complaining he was not available by phone ,he went shopping ..on saturday morning
so starved him for wk.
this is a guy with 20+yrs european experience and not afraid of hard work.l
yes hes still there ,nearly a pr. and cant wait to leave .
he expects the hr man to say hes a loser /complainer but he says hes never kissed ass and never a yes man.
i could write more but that would let them know who my friend is ,and would not like the outcome on my
concience.
no point bitchen about this message as it came from the horses mouth so to say..its just his take on this bunch..

jamesmc

now its my turn... how can ayr get lmos and pay such low wages!!!
i thought the usual lmo/contract was minimum $3500 a month for 6 months then 4000 for rest of contract.
friends had same numbers as i had.
james.

cargomatic

Sorry MRS Watson. So tell me, what justification do you have to been nasty towards me? I remember your husband. We met back in March. It cant be something he said as I thought he was a nice guy. We where both having a bad day in the snow. Him more than me, but we helped each other out and got through it. So why would he not still ask me if I was ok? I have not said anything bad about him to anyone. Like I said I thought he was a nice guy. Obviously you have a problem with me and I would like to know what it is.

I do not know it all, far from it. All I do on here and my blog is comment on MY EXPERIENCE. Nothing more. If you ask any of my family and friends. They will tell you that im very blunt and tell it as it is. I don’t paint a rosy picture. I tell it as I Experience it. Obviously you have not read every word on my blog because there is some bad on there. Not much because I HAVE NOT EXPERIANCED it. What may or may not happen to other people, in less I know them personally, I am not going to know about it, and im dam sure my family are not the slightest bit interested, so why would I include it anyway. You seem to forget what a blog is for, what MY blog is for. Its for my friends and family to follow what im up to over here through my eyes and experiences. NOT a local bulletin board for the ins and outs of Ayr Motor. If people read it and learn some things from it to give them an idea, just like I did from other peoples blogs. Then great, im glad I helped, but im sure those people don’t think for one second, this is the way it is. Everyone has their own experiences.

I adapted very easily when I came over. It was very hard for my wife, but she covers her side of the story elsewhere for our family and friends to read. I just mention bits an bobs about that, as at first I did not want them on the blog. I wanted to keep them private. Its only recent that I have started to include them more, but I have always had on the blog, if anyone had any questions, I would gladly answer them. Which in the past I have and still will. I will gladly help anyone in anyway I can, with what I know. But like I said, the info I put in my blog is intended for my friends and family, so I only put on there what I think they will be interested in. End of.

If you have a problem with me personally, I want to know about it. If not lets put this behind us and move on. Say hi to your husband for me and I hope things will be good between us. Take care

cargomatic

once you have done your training yes you make those numbers no problem.

cargomatic

you dont get the top rate till you get PR. I asked the same when i had been here a year, thats how i know the answer.

bobthedog

Erm, one small technical hitch with the Ayr policy.... but before I go into that.

In truth, Cargomatic is spot on in many of his points. It is a case of adapting to Canada, not vice-versa. If you cannot adapt then you will fail, it is as simple as that. No point in complaining if they are doing as they say they will do, and Dispatchers are a cranky bunch at the best of times. If you let them down they will tend to remember it. If they let you down, well they're busy...

Anyway, the problem.

There is a law about TWPs which states that the person must be qualified for the job they have a work permit for. CIC accept that we need to get the relevent licences, but that is as far as they allow. Company training is also accepted- you need to have orientation- but you are employed at CIC approved rates, pro rata, from day one of your contract. This equates to $80 odd a day. Now, accorrding to my maths, that is 570 or so miles per day. So, unless the trainee driver is guaranteed that number of miles per day, they are not meeting the legal requirements.

I only raise this, in honesty, because I would have found their idea that I needed training for 8-12 weeks a deeply insulting thing. I have played this game for a long time. I have navigated places most people cannot imagine with very little trouble. I have dealt with police all over, customers all over, rioters and pickets, snotty and dishonest boat crews et al. To be told they think I need that much training would be enough to put me off altogether.

At BFS, they used to do a 4 day orientation then sign you onto a truck. After that, if you had shown enough savvy, they simply sent you on a trip, although they covered you with support if you needed it. If you were in any way doubtful, they mentor tripped you. It was deep end, but it sets you up well and you can get a job anywhere if you serve time at BFS. Maybe Ayr are the best in NB, but if that is the case then some of the others must be pretty disgusting. 14cpm is a real insult. Sorry, but facts are facts.

hughes3005

being able to adapt is the easy part
but being able to adapt without a constant flow of wages when you wait by the phone is not a way to adapt?

No wages means Go

cargomatic

Yep I agree 8-12 weeks is a long time but its their way. 570 miles a day is not a problem if the trainee is capable of doing that. reloads are on tap with this company. they also get the 14c a mile for every mile if the trainer drives aswell, plus you need to take in to account that they have free accommodation throughout their training. That equates to something too. It maybe not the best training package by far, but its certainly not the worst either. Some companies like H&R charge the trainee a lot of money to train them.

cargomatic

Sorry its not worked out for you. Ralph did say he was ready to take you off training rate after one or two more trips, so if you could stick it out those few more days, things would start to come good, but like i said, I know how hard it is without your family. been there, done that. Wish you could have told me sooner. I would have seen what I could have done to help.