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-   -   Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration (https://britishexpats.com/forum/trucking-118/class-1-licence-no-experience-canada-emigration-793773/)

nofrills Apr 12th 2013 1:07 pm

Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 
Hi

I've just gotten my class 1 licence here in the UK and I'm seriously considering emigrating to Canada.
I would have a few questions for those in the know about my chances of finding a company willing to employ someone without experience:
1. Would there be a company in Canada willing to employ someone without any experience, but only with Class 1 licence from the UK?
2. Which state or territory would be the best for me to consider?
I would prefer to go to Alberta, but from what I've read so far they require a few years of experience from outside Canada before they allow you on their PNP program
3. I've read somewhere, I think it was on trucknet forum someone said about knowing someone who was accepted by one of the Canadian companies straight after passing his Class 1 in the UK
4. What are my chances overall in my situation and if there is no chance for me right now, what is the absolute minimum experience I need to have behind my belt before I start contacting Canadian trucking companies?
5. My thinking is that since I've made up my mind about emigrating to Canada I might as well start getting experience in the country I'm planning to live in, instead of wasting my time in the UK and then moving to Canada and starting learning their way of doing things from the beginning.

Thanks

spacemonkey Apr 12th 2013 5:00 pm

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 
Experience is a pre-requisite of the LMO i believe so your chances are low, depends on if the company can waggle their way around it. BUT im by no mean an expert

flat to the mat Apr 13th 2013 12:57 am

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 
Why Canada ?

Smudger75 Apr 13th 2013 3:06 am

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 
Why not!!!

flat to the mat Apr 13th 2013 5:08 am

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 
Wrong reason

nofrills Apr 13th 2013 6:44 am

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 
1. Why Canada?

Is there any other country that gives PRs to truck drivers?
I would consider Australia as I traveled there few years ago.
I would also consider NZ, but not sure if that's is possible.
I guess Canada is the only other option, and from what I've read so far there could be a lot of work for truckers in the future.

2. Wrong reason?

Not sure what you ment by this.

grant r Apr 13th 2013 7:17 am

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 

Originally Posted by nofrills (Post 10656426)

2. Wrong reason?

Not sure what you ment by this.

i presume what fttm means is that moving to canada is more of a commitment choice than a career choice. with the extreme weather swinging from +30,40 to -30,40, you've got to really want it and not "why not".
as for your lack of experience you best option if you wont to go over sooner rather than later would be to try loads of different companys and dont limit yourself to the province you want, cos at the end of the day if you find someone willing to take you on with your experience i'd bite there hand off and suck it up for 2 yrs:thumbsup:

nofrills Apr 13th 2013 8:05 am

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 
Hi

I'm fully aware what working in temperatures of -30 is.
Have done that, so not affraid of the weather, I know it is not going to be pleasant but that's part of the package of moving to Canada.
And yes, I do want to move to Canada permanently, not as a temporary career move, so instead of starting from the bottom, looking for work, and working mostly for agencies in the UK as not many companies are willing to employ newly qualified drivers, I might as well start from the bottom in Canada, work for a company not an agency and after 2 years of doing that I will be having some proper experience of working in Canada, in very low temperatures and if I'm not happy with the company after 2 years of working there I will be able to move to anywhere I want in Canada, find a job with a proper company.
I've done plenty of research about Canada, about the weather and temperatures especialy, so I know what to expect, the only major question I have now is whether any Canadian company would be willing to employ someone with a UK Class 1 licence but with no experience.
And if there is going going to be a Canadian company willing to employ me but offering some dodgy conditions I will simply stay in the UK and work for 2 years before moving to Canada.


Thanks

mickfly Apr 13th 2013 11:44 am

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 

Originally Posted by nofrills (Post 10656502)
Hi

I'm fully aware what working in temperatures of -30 is.
Have done that, so not affraid of the weather, I know it is not going to be pleasant but that's part of the package of moving to Canada.
And yes, I do want to move to Canada permanently, not as a temporary career move, so instead of starting from the bottom, looking for work, and working mostly for agencies in the UK as not many companies are willing to employ newly qualified drivers, I might as well start from the bottom in Canada, work for a company not an agency and after 2 years of doing that I will be having some proper experience of working in Canada, in very low temperatures and if I'm not happy with the company after 2 years of working there I will be able to move to anywhere I want in Canada, find a job with a proper company.
I've done plenty of research about Canada, about the weather and temperatures especialy, so I know what to expect, the only major question I have now is whether any Canadian company would be willing to employ someone with a UK Class 1 licence but with no experience.
And if there is going going to be a Canadian company willing to employ me but offering some dodgy conditions I will simply stay in the UK and work for 2 years before moving to Canada.


Thanks

The dodgy conditions may be offered, and last until you get PR even with 2 yrs experience, so you would have an extra 2 years waiting whilst in the UK, then up to FOUR years working on long haul until you get PR.

nofrills Apr 13th 2013 12:37 pm

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 

Originally Posted by mickfly (Post 10656734)
The dodgy conditions may be offered, and last until you get PR even with 2 yrs experience, so you would have an extra 2 years waiting whilst in the UK, then up to FOUR years working on long haul until you get PR.

I am aware of less then perfect conditions offered to drivers going there with 2 years experience , what I was trying to say was that if conditions offered to me were going to be significantly worse than those I would stay in the UK and do do my 2 years experience before applying to emigrate.

Not sure what you ment by saying "so you would have an extra 2 years waiting whilst in the UK, then up to FOUR years working on long haul until you get PR".
I thought I would need only 6 months before applying for PR and then up to 2 years to be granted PR.
I've also read that in Manitoba and Saskatchewan you need to work for 6 months for a canadian company, then apply for your PR, and usualy wait 1 year to get your PR granted.
Am I missing something here?

Thanks

Sats72 Apr 13th 2013 12:45 pm

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 
Hi nofrills, I'm not sure if you've seen it, but I posted on another thread in this forum recently about trying the harvest run in the US. If you give that a go, after you finish head up to Canada and apply to companies face to face. It'll definitely increase your chances.

nofrills Apr 13th 2013 4:10 pm

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 
Hi Sats72

Haven't checked your previous posts yet, but will do.
1. To do that harvesting job in the US, what type of visa would I need to apply for, and how difficult it is to get one?
2. How do I get the Class 1 licence in the US, would anyone be willing to pay for it, what is the process of getting the licence?

I'm actualy thinking of driving flat decks, I know it is not any easy job, especialy in the cold canadian conditions, but that's something I would want to do in the future.
Obviously I would take any job offered by an employer as long as it is long haul as it is what's needed to qualify for a PR.
From what I've read so far I would need to drive with some other driver for some time before being given my own truck to use.

Smudger75 Apr 13th 2013 4:19 pm

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 
I think you will find it hard to get someone to give you a shot at it over here with out any experience, but you never know until you try. Have you been over here before?

nofrills Apr 13th 2013 4:26 pm

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 

Originally Posted by Smudger75 (Post 10657085)
I think you will find it hard to get someone to give you a shot at it over here with out any experience, but you never know until you try. Have you been over here before?

Hi Smudger

I know it is not going to be easy.
The reason I asked these questions was that some time ago I read some comments on some other board, I think it was trucknet, and someone said he knew at least one guy who was accepted by one of the large canadian companies straight after passing his Class 1 in the UK, without any driving experience.
So, I thought since there is this shortage of long haul truck drivers in Canada and I will have to start from the bottom anyway, I might as well start in Canada where they need truck drivers since I'm planning to move there anyway.
No, I've never been to Canada, but not affraid of the weather if that's what you had on your mind.

Smudger75 Apr 13th 2013 4:34 pm

Re: Class 1 licence, no experience, Canada emigration
 

Originally Posted by nofrills (Post 10657094)
Hi Smudger

I know it is not going to be easy.
The reason I asked these questions was that some time ago I read some comments on some other board, I think it was trucknet, and someone said he knew at least one guy who was accepted by one of the large canadian companies straight after passing his Class 1 in the UK, without any driving experience.
So, I thought since there is this shortage of long haul truck drivers in Canada and I will have to start from the bottom anyway, I might as well start in Canada where they need truck drivers since I'm planning to move there anyway.
No, I've never been to Canada, but not affraid of the weather if that's what you had on your mind.

No I wasn't thinking of the weather, by the sound of it you've researched that and you said you've experienced extreme conditions before. It's just I've seen drivers go back to the UK when they realise the streets aren't paved with gold! Their is gold there but we have to work for it. :D


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