Originally Posted by nwtrucker (Post 5637560)

As far as working 15 hours a day goes, I'm on days (with one of the UK's largest hauliers)and it happens alot. I suggest that most truckers the world over are working very long hours, it's not something unique to Canada. Plus, If I was tramping abroad,I would want to be working as many hours as possible

Originally Posted by meritor (Post 5644263)

h&r pay nothing for border crossings,so in 8 hours lyndon earnt exactly $00.00

Originally Posted by koogar (Post 5640197)

Hi Curt.
I can only speak for the company I worked for, don't know about everyone else.
I made 39c a mile in Canada and 41c a mile in the US. (47c a mile pulling turnpikes in Canada).
I'd run around 600 miles a day when I was out (eg. Saskatoon to SLC in 2 days). You can usually do 600 miles in 10-11 hours driving (we had a 100kph company speed limit). I'd run 600 miles, take 10 hours off, run 600 miles etc etc. I didn't care about running days or nights (I know some people do) so if 10 hours off meant I set off again at 3am, so be it. I didn't care... in fact, I quite liked driving at night.
I was there on my own (no family) so it didn't matter if/when I got 'home', but I would imagine that if you have a family at home, you'd want to max your daily hours anyway. If your trip is 3000 miles, you get the same money whether you do it in 5 days or 7 days. Why not max your hours for 5 days and get 2 days at home for the same wage as doing the trip in 7 days? That's what I did anyway.
You can make a good enough wage if you're willing to work and 600 miles in Canada/US is a lot easier (less tiring) than doing 400 miles in the UK. The obvious exception is running the mountains in winter. Run Calgary to Vancouver (around 600 miles) in the winter and you know you've done a days work.

Originally Posted by Big Truck (Post 5645722)

My mistake entirely,
H+R pay $30 for meat inspections and pick-up's/drops and "diddly squat" for border crossings,so he did the usual "unpaid security guard" with his load for most of the day!!!!!:o
On the 27th Nov he sat on a dock for 7 hours unpaid too I bet,
Funny how the above is sort of "glossed over" in his blog!!!!

No matter how bad things are in the UK ref driving a truck for a living,would you be left sitting about all day with a load NOT getting paid?:confused:
Not on your nellie!!!!!:blink:
(even most O/D's would be paid demurrage after a couple of hours)

Originally Posted by Big Truck (Post 5646263)

Koogar,
I've never had a bad word to say about you (nor you about me:cool:) and I fully respect what you did,
moving from the UK to drive OTR as a single man for Kindersley.
Now that you are happily married and a family man would you when you get sorted on the visa side consider going back to driving OTR for a living when you know how long your away from homebase/loved ones to make a living wage?

Originally Posted by koogar (Post 5647067)

No. I couldn't have done what I did with a family at home. Some people seem happy to do that, but that's up to them. A lot of these guys seem to be ex-forces and so are probably used to being away from their families. Not for me now I'm married though. I may go back to driving tower cranes, but that would mean travelling to Denver every day, probably.
The only reason I went back to truck driving was for the 'Canadian Adventure'. At the same time I was offered the Kindersley job, I was also offered a job driving tower cranes in Auckland, NZ, but I have already been to NZ twice and had never been to Canada. I thought I'd try something new.

Originally Posted by Big Truck (Post 5647101)

Only one word covers a reply to that:
RESPECT.:thumbup:

Originally Posted by Gremmie (Post 5631725)

Nuff said

Originally Posted by DAVIE_MAC (Post 5631276)

.....and tell us all what happened to you.

Were you imprisoned in a dark cell and your fingernails removed. :blink:

Have you been thinking of loads of questions while being imprisoned bet you had loads of time to think. :confused:

OR

Have you been rehabilitated and now seen the light in making a living by driving OTR

:D

Originally Posted by mick gilbert (Post 6050159)

Hi Gremmie ..Mick.. still here in the bloody UK..
The agent who is aiding us now tells us we need a visa from the usa london office..as I will have to cross CA 2 USA Borders being a Trucker.
And like all gov offices they arent quick..We have Emailed the london conso to see what visa we need ..Just to get this info seems a long process..
Which makes getting a work permit which will then enable us to get a mortgage an even longer process..It just seems we are going around in circles ..
Midland require this ..Do all companies need this as it now seems they have more info on me than my mother has..
We have sent copies of Driving history .passport .Referances. IN SIDE LEG MEASURMENT only joking and police check which wasnt perfect as I was a little tike in my younger days..Any advise would be gr8..even knowing what visa is required as the london conso help line havent a clue Cheers Mate MICK