Trucking Companies in Alberta
Nov 25th 2009, 7:25 am
#31
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Re: Trucking Companies in Alberta
Any other trade over there would not be allowed to have people report for wok and sit all day without pay
Leaving, in cases where the family has sold everything in the UK means getting a new LMO from another employer (six weeks apx), and trying to get a reference from H&R...time consuming and, and in the time it takes, the family man still has to support his family.
We were able to leave easily.
Last edited by mickfly; Nov 25th 2009 at 8:34 am.
Nov 25th 2009, 8:59 am
#32
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Re: Trucking Companies in Alberta
What I said was not hearsay but observations of watching and interacting with H & R drivers and their families.
Yes I do know drivers who have gone out for weeks on end only to return for 24 hours and then go on another run - how many ? Not many and only if they had wanted to they weren't forced to do it.
It must really suck that you only get paid by mile as if you are delayed at the border or in the yard while you are being loaded/unloaded then that is "dead" time for you - therefore you never know what paycheck you are going to bring home, which must be horrible trying to budget for a family etc.
The horror stories which I had heard about are ones where the drivers have challenged the company and they have probably been the last driver to get the load rather than in turn for the run.
Every company has their pros and cons where ever you are.
The problem I think personally with H & R is that they have recruited too many drivers in the past and now that the recession has hit they don't have the runs that they had say 12 months ago.
By no means was I calling the other poster bone idle as I know from friends that the life as a trucker is not the easiest option in life.
With that I bid you farewell - good luck in the future
Yes I do know drivers who have gone out for weeks on end only to return for 24 hours and then go on another run - how many ? Not many and only if they had wanted to they weren't forced to do it.
It must really suck that you only get paid by mile as if you are delayed at the border or in the yard while you are being loaded/unloaded then that is "dead" time for you - therefore you never know what paycheck you are going to bring home, which must be horrible trying to budget for a family etc.
The horror stories which I had heard about are ones where the drivers have challenged the company and they have probably been the last driver to get the load rather than in turn for the run.
Every company has their pros and cons where ever you are.
The problem I think personally with H & R is that they have recruited too many drivers in the past and now that the recession has hit they don't have the runs that they had say 12 months ago.
By no means was I calling the other poster bone idle as I know from friends that the life as a trucker is not the easiest option in life.
With that I bid you farewell - good luck in the future
"Yes I do know drivers who have gone out for weeks on end only to return for 24 hours and then go on another run - how many ? Not many and only if they had wanted to they weren't forced to do it."
A very big problem we saw at H&R was a driver being routed back to Calgary from wherever they were, then not being routed to Lethbridge where their family was, to do their reset, but instead being forced, yes, FORCED, to stay in Calgary for the 36 hour legally required reset, then getting dispatched away from there without going near Lethbridge to see their families, this can happen a few times on the trot to end up being over a month before the driver gets to see his family, when the average trip is only actually about 9 days (not as it appears, 6 weeks).
So, should the driver suck it up, when he is not seeing his family, who are also in a strange place?
We found the people over there to be generally very friendly, so there would be support for wives in a new country, but make no mistake, the driver does not have a choice (hence he is forced) where he resets.
It didn't bother me where we reset as we were together anyway, but on an occasion where I needed to get back to Lethbridge (to take care of some financial stuff) all hell was let loose by H&R and I ended up bobtailing (driving without a trailer) from Calgary to Lethbridge under very serious threat from the bosses.
Nov 25th 2009, 1:11 pm
#33
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Joined: Jun 2007
Location: 9 years in the canadian trucking industry... Niverville MB
Posts: 4,423
Re: Trucking Companies in Alberta
I can understand you don't want to discuss anything negative as it's very corrosive in forums (and life), but I must address this point...
"Yes I do know drivers who have gone out for weeks on end only to return for 24 hours and then go on another run - how many ? Not many and only if they had wanted to they weren't forced to do it."
A very big problem we saw at H&R was a driver being routed back to Calgary from wherever they were, then not being routed to Lethbridge where their family was, to do their reset, but instead being forced, yes, FORCED, to stay in Calgary for the 36 hour legally required reset, then getting dispatched away from there without going near Lethbridge to see their families, this can happen a few times on the trot to end up being over a month before the driver gets to see his family, when the average trip is only actually about 9 days (not as it appears, 6 weeks).
So, should the driver suck it up, when he is not seeing his family, who are also in a strange place?
We found the people over there to be generally very friendly, so there would be support for wives in a new country, but make no mistake, the driver does not have a choice (hence he is forced) where he resets.
It didn't bother me where we reset as we were together anyway, but on an occasion where I needed to get back to Lethbridge (to take care of some financial stuff) all hell was let loose by H&R and I ended up bobtailing (driving without a trailer) from Calgary to Lethbridge under very serious threat from the bosses.
"Yes I do know drivers who have gone out for weeks on end only to return for 24 hours and then go on another run - how many ? Not many and only if they had wanted to they weren't forced to do it."
A very big problem we saw at H&R was a driver being routed back to Calgary from wherever they were, then not being routed to Lethbridge where their family was, to do their reset, but instead being forced, yes, FORCED, to stay in Calgary for the 36 hour legally required reset, then getting dispatched away from there without going near Lethbridge to see their families, this can happen a few times on the trot to end up being over a month before the driver gets to see his family, when the average trip is only actually about 9 days (not as it appears, 6 weeks).
So, should the driver suck it up, when he is not seeing his family, who are also in a strange place?
We found the people over there to be generally very friendly, so there would be support for wives in a new country, but make no mistake, the driver does not have a choice (hence he is forced) where he resets.
It didn't bother me where we reset as we were together anyway, but on an occasion where I needed to get back to Lethbridge (to take care of some financial stuff) all hell was let loose by H&R and I ended up bobtailing (driving without a trailer) from Calgary to Lethbridge under very serious threat from the bosses.
Note to all future H&R hopefulls, find a place to live in High River AB, its kinda in the middle of Calgary and Lethbridge
Nov 25th 2009, 8:19 pm
#34
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Re: Trucking Companies in Alberta
A very big problem we saw at H&R was a driver being routed back to Calgary from wherever they were, then not being routed to Lethbridge where their family was, to do their reset, but instead being forced, yes, FORCED, to stay in Calgary for the 36 hour legally required reset, then getting dispatched away from there without going near Lethbridge to see their families, this can happen a few times on the trot to end up being over a month before the driver gets to see his family, when the average trip is only actually about 9 days (not as it appears, 6 weeks).
Nov 25th 2009, 11:46 pm
#35
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Re: Trucking Companies in Alberta
This is a better explanation than I just gave of 6 weeks without being home. This is pretty much how it was explained to myself by a driver and another driver with his wife (this was done separately from each other, so 3 very similar sources of the same thread of information.)
Maybe Gremmie is right, all roads lead to High River, which, along with neighbouring Okotoks would be a better place to be based with family than Leth, unless you have a dedi run starting from Lethbridge.
Last edited by mickfly; Nov 25th 2009 at 11:49 pm.
Nov 26th 2009, 12:58 am
#36
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Re: Trucking Companies in Alberta
neighbouring Okotoks
Nov 26th 2009, 3:42 pm
#37
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 34
Re: Trucking Companies in Alberta
There goes your quiet neighborhood Kb33 
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Nov 26th 2009, 11:30 pm
#38
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Re: Trucking Companies in Alberta
I would say that it might be an improvement to the neighborhood!
