cmetty41

Well flat to the mat at last someone who can talk sense.Ye I know it's not easy in thw winter far from it.As I said before months on the Prairie in freezing conditions with only (2 visits to the SIN BIN) in 8 months,but like I said sometimes in life you have to grin and bear it Head down and keep going.I have never once said it would be easy on here,and I am well aware of the downfalls that could possibly happen.At the end of the day If you have the determination and the will you will get on in life.That's what I was taught in my Army days and I stuck by it for 16 years.Like I said FTTM there are too many doubters on here,and the Funny thing is they are still out there working WHY????.If it's so bad so cold shit money to expensive Lorry bobbles about too much WHy??? stick it.Maybe they are the ones who moaned through their Army days or just daily Moaners.

Chicken lights and chrome

Nobody is moaning mate, but you and your new best mate asked for advice,you got it, didn't like what you read and started kicking off. Not really the best way to go about getting civil replies is it?

You have a picture painted by Loblaws that has made you think that driving supermarket over here is comparable to doing it in the UK, well it ain't, the money is not good and the job will have all the downsides of driving over here and very few, if any, of the benefits.

On top of that the wages being quoted are different on different forums. It would be a very good idea to find out exactly why that is before you make a decision. Take it from me Canada is not a cheap place to live, to live adequately you will blow through at least $3000 a month on rent, groceries, petrol, insurance, TV subscription, phone and utilities, that's before any luxuries or HP payments.

flat to the mat

We,as in Dave,CLAC,the Dog are not doubters,it's just we've seen and heard the B/S handed out by some of the companies over here.Personally,the company that I came over with changed my contract 3 times before I boarded the plane,and never to my benefit.So long as you are aware that the first 18 months could be the pits then okay,but don't arrive with dollar bills in your eyes and go buying everything in sight purely on the basis on promised earnings.Yes we have seen that happen,and it only ends one way.
The reason we still do the job,we've been here long enough to make the personal contacts,sort the niche jobs from the crap,and find work that suits the lifestyle of both ourselves and our families.My own job can be stressful at times,but only because of what I haul,the driving side can be a bitch the odd time through the winter,but my 4on/4off is the cream on the cake.
Rome wasn't built in a day,FFS starting to sound like my parents,I'm off.

Chicken lights and chrome

That sums it up quite nicely, each of us got less than we bargained for from our first employers in Canada, we all moved on and found stuff that we like to do, that's how it is for most Brits out here, very few still work at the company that they came over to start at.

I am very happy with my decision to come here, I have a nice standard of living, a nice house, decent car and I wouldn't consider quitting my job as I get treated very well, I get to drive a blinged up Peterbilt and also get a lot of variety (well except this trip I'm on now, they sent me to bloody sunny Southern California again with 2 nights in Las Vegas on the way down, same old, same old )

So even though some of you may think otherwise, we can all be quite useful to know, because everyting you're about to do, we have done, sometimes we did it the hard way too, so a bit of civility wouldn't go amiss, you'll find that you can learn a lot more about Canada by being polite than by running your childish mouth off and dishing out pathetic insults

dave_lol66

dave_lol66

Because we will leave those jobs for the likes of you

Mona Lisa 69

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Like the thought of closer to Vegas went there last year for first time hubby hated it you know wot my second time in states I loved it! Guess something keeping me going although flights from ere same price as from Canada can spend my hard earned life long savings an visit other halfs family at same time. Life never easy not here in UK or sure not in Canada either but we'll never know till we try, an if means I get another trip to Vegas bonus!

Mona Lisa 69

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Although my husband may come across wrong on here he's good person an he's got me to bring him back to reality, he's all positive I'm all negative, well at home, not at work. Got to give it go as said above even if get trip to Vegas it's bonus! Do appreciate people's comments on here an if nothing else it'll be experience an can walk away with smile an say I tried an done that.

mickfly

There's the problem... pick the wrong company and you won't walk away with a smile. I know plenty who have walked away (back to the uk) with nothing, no money, no pride... and nowhere to live or work! Certainly not smiling.

The advise here seems to be that you may be going to the wrong company and believing the figures and work description you've been given to be the whole truth.

It probably won't be the country that's the problem it'll be yourselves or the company you try to work for.

wire

I'm not sure if you have quite understood chicken lights there Mona Lisa.
He is saying that he delivered a load down to California and parked his truck in Las Vegas and took in the sights while he was there.
I have done the same myself a few times as I mostly run California, Arizona and Texas. A couple of trips back I ran down to southern Florida.
For most people this kind of driving is one of the benefits of moving your career here in the first place and one of the main reasons that I find this whole lob law gig totally undesirable.
As has been already emphasized the Canadian prairies is a very boring place to spend your whole driving career and also extremely bleak ln winter.

Mona Lisa 69

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Apologies if I misunderstood, still would like to take another trip to Vegas though.

dave_lol66

Or even better a trip across the border at Laredo

jamesmc

OK...as someone who has spent 30+yrs looking at the world through a windscreen as the song goes,
I have to say i was so pd of with driving before i came to Canada,and it was a real shot in the arm for me to say the least,
I came over on a 2yr TWP and gave the company 30mnths of hard work before i took a local job .and spend my day hauling out of quarries/redi mix ,its not the most glamourous job in the world but driving about southern Manitoba can never be described as boring and yup its a bitch in the winter
what im trying to say is long haul is not the be all and end all of trucking some people love it some dont..its like marmitesame goes for companies ,its just like girlfriends ya go through a few before you find a decient ride.
If a job wi Loblaws as a trolley dolley is a way in for people so what !
The guys dont understand yet that a recruiter is part politician part snake oil salesman ..they still have to hear the suck it up buttercup line!
I understand they are all pumped up and raring to go sooo myself for one wishes them well and hope they will realise that you are trying to pass on what we have learned about the way things are done over here.
jimmy.heading oot fur a swally..

dustyhoward

Morning campers thanks for the headsup you are giving my wife and i with the information.
Im sorry if anyone gets the hump with me when i totally agree with jimmy in what he has said but like I said thanks to you all for the info
I do distance work here on the little island on average 400 miles a day which is some feat bearing in mind the furthest point from the sea is 72 miles over here and there's driving into Europe which lost it's appeal when too many countries got involved with the EU and has made it more corrupt and also thanks to the eastern block countries our wages are screwed far more than in Canada and let's face it it doesn't matter where you go in the world someone's always out to screw someone over that's life.
The scenery aspect for me maybe boring for loads of you out there but for me I crave that put it this way staring out into Prarie land beats staring at car after car being cut up left right and centre crawling past Enfield on the beloved M25 and for those of you who have been on it you know what I'm talking about.
Canada will be no walk in the park but as jimmy put it if I'm a so called trolley dolly I can stomach that I'm looking forward to it and I am aware of the 1 or 2 flakes of snow that happen there in the winter time it's all about being prepared which we will be

Chicken lights and chrome

Well Dusty, it looks as though you've put your big boy trousers on today, hopefully you've still got them on when you read this

Right, the Loblaw job may be a way to get into Canada, but a what cost?

Firstly and most importantly, the wages, The recruiter posted the pay structure on another forum, he also posted a print off of the wages that their drivers had been earning, none of the figures came close to what you say that you've been told you'll be earning That in itself is a major cause for concern

You also have to remember that those drivers are already here, they know their way around the job and the country itself, you lot will take a while to adjust, so are likely to not get as much done, not just in the winter either, you may have tons of experience, but the job over here is very very different. The lack of traffic is a great thing, but it is also as boring as hell, you can drive some roads and not see another car or lorry for an hour or more, all there is are fields or up north, trees. It doesn't stress you out, but it can drive you just as mad. There are also hardly any facilities, no people around, so there doesn't need to be, but that may not be a problem, you may like that aspect, each to his own and all that.

Now we go back to money again, you're going to need $3000 a month to live, if you ain't earning that then you're going to struggle, you won't have any back up like popping round your Mums for Sunday dinner, unless your Mum lives in Regina of course If you ain't earning enough to live then the Canadian dream will be a bloody nightmare

The work that you will be doing is not like trolly dollying in Britain, the distances are vast, so you're likely to be putting in some seriously long hours, you go out before the family gets up, you get back home when they're in bed, microwave some leftovers, go to sleep and get up and do it all again, so in that case, why get a job that gets you home every night, you don't benefit from being home.

It may be worth looking at going on long haul or regional, you may be away all week, but you'll be working less hours, be in charge of when you start and finish and stop for dinner, you'll get a couple of days off between trips and you'll earn more money. There are plenty of jobs out there if you look