karla03

No problems. No I have never lived in Merthyr and Simon left when he joined the Army in 94. It's a lovely place - we was going to move there, but then Canada came up and.............well here we are.

Yeah, we want Regina too as I want to live in Moose Jaw (45 minutes away). We are off on Sunday, 2 days in Saskatoon for interviews with Siemens and Yanke and then 2 days in Moose Jaw and Regina for interviews with Westcan and just having a look at Homes and Schools and then back up to Saskatoon for a day before we fly home. It's going to be busy few days - but it will all be worth it. The children are really looking forward to it.

Well just let me know if there is anything I can help you with - I am more than happy to help.

loafy

I think you might be a little bit rushed off your feet there, should be good thou i hope you enjoy and take lots of pictures.
I work for Christian Salvasen at the moment and they have been really good and to be honest the money aint to bad although i work nights which can have its down moments.
Thanks LOAFY

karla03

Nights........Simon hated doing nights, He works for AFI UPLIFT. He works days and the pay is fantastic. He drops of and picks up scissor lifts and booms (cherry pickers). He works really hard, and does at least 35 hours overtime a month - but he is home every night and this is what he is going to miss. He is looking forward to working over in canada but I know he will miss me and the kids like mad.

Yeah, I have been running around like a headless chicken the last couple of weeks, booking hotels, flights, car hire etc,etc. I am really looking forward to it - but alittle scared as well. My daughter is looking forward to visiting her school, but I know she will not want to leave once we are there.

Well only a few days to go and then I can let you in on all the gossip and important info on Yanke. Well like I said, if there is anything you need to find out, just ask.

Timbo6

Hi to everyone,

I am due to move out to Canada in Oct to start work with Siemens Transportation, they were very nice and helpful when I flew out last Dec I am still very excited and also apprehensive, due to what people are saying about the pay.
I am leaving the military after 28 years service and am really looking forward to moving, I will train in Saskatoon then move to Calgary to work for Edge who are part of the Siemens group.
My LMO stated that I would earn $45000 per year and I am sure they said up to $65000 if I did runs into the states. What worries me a little is this, I will get a decent handshake when I leave the military which I really don't want to waste on just surviving, I want to provide a decent home and enjoy a new way of life, being away is not a problem for me and my wife, anyway I got this off the Edge website: http://www.siemenstransport.com/goin.../edge_info.pdf

This is not the full version below look at the PDF file above for more info.

EDGE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES LTD.
Market and Service
Flat deck carrier serving Canada and the United States
Yearly Sales of Approximately $16,000,000.oo
Employees
Highway / City Drivers 165
Office / Maintenance 45
Independent Contractors 28
Total 238
Equipment
Tractors 117
Trailers 235
Number of Miles per month
Canadian Drivers – 10,000 to 11,000 miles
United States Drivers – 11,000 to 12,000 miles
Number of Days on the road
Canadian Drivers – 4 / 7 days at a time
United States Drivers – 6 / 10 days at a time
Average yearly salary
Canadian Drivers – $45,000 to $50,000
United States Drivers – $55,000 to $65,000
Vacation
Years of Completed Service Number of Paid Vacation Days (Working Days)
New Hire 0
After 1 Completed Year 10
After 2 Completed Years 10
After 3 Completed Years 10
After 4 Completed Years 15

Hope this is of use and Canada here we come

Regards

Timbo6

Big Truck

[QUOTE=karla03;4718039]Right, she says her husbands monthly wage was $2700 for last month.



QUOTE]
Surely that is a typo $2700 for a months work, $675/week about £311 !!!!!!!!!

dbd33

[QUOTE=Big Truck;4720076] That's better than $44,000/year (assuming about 25% deductions for tax and whatnot), if the average wage for the job is $35,000 (from the government site) that's a realistic number.

snowbunny

And I'm just curious.... is it possible to survive on that wage if the other spouse doesn't work?

dbd33

I'm not in the cold-and-flat bit of Canada but around here it's not. That's food bank money. There's no official poverty line but statscan has something called the low income cut off which is the same thing by another name. In 2002 the income figures for the lico (remember this is for all of Canada five years ago):

1-person household = $19,256; 2-person = $24,069

3-person = $29,934; 4-person = $36,235

5-person = $40,505; 6-person = $44,775;

7-person = $49,043

I think a single person in Toronto would be in dire straits on $24,069. That is approximately what my daughter brought in working part time while at university. $44,000 is a bit more (before tax), the middle of the country is cheaper to live in and I don't know how well/badly truck drivers live in the UK but, still, I'd give my head a shake before moving my children to a situation where it's debateable whether or not they'd be technically "in poverty".

Some references here :

http://www.socialplanningtoronto.org...ics%20html.htm

loafy

If you ask me it depends how you look at it, Is it the job your going for and there way of life or just going for the money, all depends what you want out of it i guess.
Cant be any worse than here. SAME SHIT DIFFERENT COUNTRY.LOL
LOAFY

dbd33

Maybe.

snowbunny

It can definitely be worse if you don't have enough money to survive.

I think it's disingenous for trucking companies to recruit European drivers if they aren't going to pay them an equivalent wage and don't have enough miles to ensure that wage.

loafy

Yeah thats true but how many are truthful with the real reason for going there in the first place, ok we all need the money but hey if there cost of living is so good how come they cant live on that wage. Yanke sent me a file with an average month of one there drivers, i might put it on here for you to look at, but from what Karla's contact in Regina was saying its not far wrong.
How much is the average weekly shop there then say for a family of three.
Anyone like to quote ????
LOAFY

Big Truck

Loafy,
Do you really want to be away from "home" for 10 days at a time for wages of £1244/month BEFORE TAXES?
I personally wouldn't get out of bed to drive a truck for that never mind go across the other side of the world to do it!!!!!!!!!!

loafy

Mmmmm, you may be right there. Might not suit everyone but for me i have been driving to south eastern europe for over ten years and been away for nearly a month at a time. It's what i like doing, mind you i did it for money than what is being quoted on here.
LOAFY

crazy2005

Ok Guys I've been keeping up with this thread for a while now and have decided to jump in and have my say. I Know the $2700 was a typing error this is for 2 weeks. Big Truck mentioned he hasn't heard anything positive about Yanke so hears my story for anyone who is interested: We immigrated to Saskatchewan 3 years ago with 2 young children, we came over with Yanke when the PNP program was just being tested and everything was new so you can imagine there was some obsticles to over come. At the interview in England we were all told what would be required of the drivers and everyone new that Yanke was only interested in team drivers, this is a decision you have to make and stick with there is no point in saying yes I will work team then come over hear and whine about it then go running back to the UK and say how bad everything was, people who were at the interview with myself and my husband did this and i'm sorry but they were told what to expect did they hear something I didn't???? My husband has been with his same driving partner since he started 3 yrs ago but they have been very lucky as they get on so well together this is most definately not always the case. Big Truck is right in saying that you have got to completely trust the other driver when you are asleep and the winters can be awful so please think about this, saying that it works well for my husband. With Yanke we are making enough money to have a brilliant life out hear and when my husband comes home we have quality time together as a family and get this we have money to go and enjoy ourselves. Our T4 was over $65,000 last year with Yanke so please all of you who like to do maths tell me that I can't survive on that!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't mean to be rude it's just that i'm fed up with Yanke being slamed all the time when it's not all bad so please if you are wanting to follow your dream out here don't take the word of people who have gone back do you research and make up your own mind, I hope this will perhaps change some peoples views on my husbands company after all it was them that gave my family a chance for a better life and we have embraced it with open arms..............................