hughes3005

hi the Watson family
hope you are doing well.
i arrived in may to update my drivers licence in Saskatchewan and was only supposed to be here for one week and then fly back to the UK.
i was invited to come on down assuming every thing was in place.

the watson family

im thinking i misunderstood your post - you are working for them out of woodstock? not SK?

the watson family

if you have come to woodstock why are your wife and children not here aswell? we all came together- even the family cat!

hughes3005

yes working out of Woodstock for AYR Motor.
like i said i was here for one week and intended to return to England not expecting to start so soon.
my intention was to start work and bring over the family once work was under way. i wanted to look for some where suitable to rent while i was here.

the watson family

so if you are working for them since may - where are you living -not the truck i take it? we have been here 2 1/2 years and love the place - its not perfect but where is! do you mean you have not seen your family since MAY! - why cant you find somwhere to rent?

hughes3005

When i was invited down i was pick up by one of our drivers in Regina and he dropped me off in Winnipeg where me and another driver run team to Woodstock.
that takes it to me being here for 2 weeks from the beginning of June.
I have been stopping in the drivers house with all the other guys from Russia Ect.

the watson family

the drivers house omg- have heard crappy things about that place - never been and dont want to either - are you waiting to bring your family here until you have a house? rental or buy? must be hard without them - why did you not tell ayr they would have to wait and go back to uk and get you family etc?

the watson family

and by the way who told you about them (Ayr) i mean having jobs - dont tell me their top recruiter!!!! LOL what an idiot!!! - not you i mean him

hughes3005

It is hard with out them,i kind of went with the flow but didnt know the boss likes to play games and keep you hanging by the phone calling all day everyday for an update for my work permit to come through.it took 2 weeks from arriving here to get TWP and border green card. so that makes it 3 weeks until i could start work.
so because i have been away from my wife and children for 2 months my wife booked a flight back for me a little earlier than i wanted .
so when i ask for time off he would not agree to me having more than 1 week off.
I was given a choice
1. stay until January 2011 and they would pay for a flight back .
2 stay off for more than 1 week and dont come back.#

hughes3005

Dave

the watson family

dont usually go on here and write stuff - was using it for timelines for immigration paperwork to stop me going mad and finding it hard to put in black and white what i wanted to say....but here goes

1 - dont listen to anybody elses opinion on things its usually biased and history has gone before it - take the time and make up your own mind

2 - dont make emotional rash knee jerking decisions - we found always take a week or even 2 to rationalise and calm down and think it through

3- decide if canada is for you and if it is realise that not all employers are equipped to PNP you in so be wise with you words (kind of depends how much you want it i guess)

4-dont listen to other drivers who are full of crap (and there are some)!!

5- think long term - will this be ok in 3 years or not

6- try and get you family out even for 6 months or so (dont know your UK circumstances so??) cause how can you live here and start a life with a big chunk not here??

7 - be realistic financially truck drivers are good wages here but you need money for houses cars etc - you can live cheap here (we do)LOL but it takes a lot of practice!

have just read this back and sound like a preacher - but when you are having a crappy time and are alone here it must be hard

last but not least

remember right now you are a temporary foreign worker and are as disposable as a tissue (dont ever under estimate that)

only being honest - hope not too blunt (its my nature)

the watson family

have just seen your last reply do you mean dave the english guy who is PAID by AYR to get drivers here and is a complete xxxxxxxxxx from what i hear!

hughes3005

well that's why i want to start work and see how things are before bringing the family over.its not a decision i could make for them.
So it looks like i have learned a lot of what this company INC is like.
the through drivers away liker tissues that because the are shed loads coming from east Europe......Cheep labour
And they have been as p1ssed off as me

the watson family

when i said a tissue i meant that you really have very few worker rights etc and that most bosses are aware of that aswell

let me put a better scene setter for you (just to be fair and unbaised)

we have been here 2 1/2 years and not be easy all the way but we did relocate to a foreign country and we were not expecting it to be - we now have a really good life here and are less stressed than ever in the uk - our children do more and are outside much more (even in the winters!! - someone is always throwing a sleding party!)

ayr motors are not unusual here in their attitude - to get a work permit etc and be driving in 3 weeks is a good timescale compared to some companies!

they are good for miles (whereas some companies leave you sat waiting for reloads for 24 - 36 hours in us) so you can earn a decent wage. all the trucking firms pay by mile and rip off new recruits one way or another - just like some firms in uk do to the polish. life is life i guess.

they have exeptional medical and dental coverage (something you need to consider for a family with kids) there are good and bad in all of them

perhaps you should get you family out and see what they think - however i am a firm believer of you have to live it to know it and my opinion may not be your opinion - we are not all the same i guess .

one of the greatest things to settling is time - sounds corny but for us its true

hope things get on a more even keel for you in the future

and for the record - no I AM not paid by ayr motors in any way what so ever - just trying to help

hughes3005

I guess there is no such thing as job security even for truckers.

the plus side is, if you have the work and are on the road you don't get any trouble only the D O T.

And all those wanting to move to Canada are taking a big gamble moving lock stock and barrel{the cat!] over here.
it takes some time for PNP to get some feeling of security.
i would not talk any one out of coming here, just be careful,going back is just has hard if not harder.

besides we know once we make the decision to move your not wanting to know the down side of Canada only the TRUCKING ALLIANCE PROPAGANDA.
ITS ALL SMELLING OF ROSES...LOL