mickfly

And your comment is factual?

I prefer the USA to either Canada or Bradford on that side of the pond, but have the choice of many countries on this side!

kb33

Divide gross pay by hours available at 'work' maybe?

Mine works out at $25 per hour for the last few months, plus a quarterly safety bonus of 3c per mile and some layover pay, and of course, the tax advantage of OTR in night out allowances.

Link


OK this is whats bugging me , ^^^ This is what you said on another thread on here about the wages at W&S While you worked there .

The Ad clearly says $53 K for a 70 hour week , Which we all know averages out no where near $25 an hour. Even on this thread people are saying the take home is about $700 a week , So they must be working 30 odd hours a week on your sums .

Now if W&S wanted drivers that bad surely they would advertise the fact that $25 an hour is achievable or $90K a year( $25 x 70hr x 52 we ) and the Canadians would be queuing at the door in Claresholm, I very much doubt any truck driver in the Claresholm region would get anywhere near that for driving any kind of truck .

flat to the mat

As I've told you a million times before try and decide whether you want to clean your teeth or take a dump ,and progress from there

mickfly

10hr day driving 600 miles @ .43c per mile = $258 divide by 10 hrs driving = $25.80 per hr.

neilg14

Mick, those figures work out great if you just jumped in the seat at 60mph and drove for 10 hrs everyday, but you know, I know and everybody else who drives here knows, it don't work like that, pre-trips, fuelling, log books, traffic, driving through towns/cities, waiting time, etc, all adds up and soon brings your $25.80 an hr average down very quickly.
Why are W&S advertising $53 K a year for 70hrs which works out at under $15 an hr ??
Perhaps that is nearer the mark when you take everything mentioned above into consideration.
BTW, I worked for H&R for just over 5 years and my lowest yearly wage over that time was a tad over $61 K.

jamesmc

aye i understand the wage thing BUT if things are as bad in parts o the uk as i have heard frae friends, the wage may not be perfect but hell nothing is .
The job dont seem to be bad and for a way intae Canada its got to be worth a shot for anyone that can work a flatdeck.
Maybe a bit tight wae anyone wi a few kids but for a couple seems ok.
just my look at things
jimmy..

meritor

A pal of mine who worked there told me they had 2 mileage rate's,One southbound and one northbound rate,I seem to remember the southbound rate as 37cpm and the northbound at 45cpm,Anybody know if this is correct???

Neilg don't forget,There is waiting for pilot car's and oversize have to park up when it get's near the dark curfew time also some state's don't allow weekend running oversize,That could reflect on the $53K.

mickfly

The two rates were legal loads 37c and oversize 42c plus 3c on all miles every three months, and if it's over 30,000 for the quarter (which it should be) then there is and extra 1c for all those miles, so effectivley 41c and 46c, although they have had a rate rise since I left.
I usually had oversized going south, then empty across country, then oversize heading north again, flat out most days, little traffic problems, no real city deliveries, so low traffic volumes most of the runs. Heading north over the border I would try to get 700 plus miles, so good earnings in my opinion.
Pilot cars are usually picked up on the roll, we don't wait for them, they wait for us!
Most states running oversize is allowed half hour before sunrise to half hour after sunset, which gives you about 10 hrs in winter and a full 11 (or 13 in Canada) driving every day for the rest of the year
We had e-logs which are fast to use, no need for pens and rulers.
Weekend, holiday curfews can be a problem.
All APNP participants have to guarantee $53,000 as part of the Government scheme, most like H&R will state 40 hrs a week, which we all know is BS.

The phone number is on the advert, anyone can ring them up and ask questions.

kb33

Still nowhere near an average of $25 an hour , Maybe on a really good day you could make that , but not average over the year.

The Ad dosen't mention anything about foreign workers apart from "willing to relocate " from where ?? So no need to put the 53K in for that purpose.

Why would a company advertise a salary of $53K when you're saying the potential is $90 K ??

Seems you are willing to tell the whole world how bad H&R are , But unable to tell whole truth about the wages at W&S .

mickfly

We could make that on many days, not just really good days, but, of course it's not EVERY day.

What have I said that isn't the truth?

It's obviously not $90,000 a year, the minimum wage for company OTR drivers is $53k and I have told plenty of people that they won't get rich at W&S.

A single man or couple can do very well at W&S, but they should go after doing their own research, not just on what I write on the internet, and I have always advised family people wanting to come over to speak to CURRENT family men, as I can only speak about my situation over there both at H&R and W&S earning as a single driver.

The phone number is on the advert, ring them and ask them why the advert is as it is... I don't work for them, and I certainly don't recruit for them!

I had a positive and fruitful year with them and would go back to them again.

mickfly

The advert has to be placed for a few weeks to secure LMO's for TFW's if it can't be filled via the advert. Perhaps they don't want local applicants, even though they have quite a few good Canadian lads working there.

As a Canadian, would you apply for a job doing long haul at $53k when the oil patch (for instance) is just up the
road?

kb33

The whole reason I started this thread is because I remember you telling me that you were averaging $25 an hour at W&S , Then I see the advert on Kijiji and was shocked by the 53K/70 hr week . I realize they could be doing this for LMO purposes , I mean the ad wasn't put together in 5 mins like some are.
But theres still no mention of foreign workers.

But then we have people saying drivers are leaving after PR because they are only taking $700 a week home .

So really the reality of it is : Drivers are averaging $15-20 an hour (over the full year ) for carrying oversized loads all over NA in some atrocious weather conditions , ( I've been to some of the mines you delivered tyres to and know what the conditions are like in winter ) Getting f**ked about with pilot cars /curfews etc and away from home /hotel for weeks at a time . Then the roping and sheeting in -30 temps .

I've no doubt the company is good to work for , Trucks look nice enough (I've spotted plenty ) and I have nothing against them , But its not the well paid job you're making it out to be and for some no better than H&R .

It probably suited you and your situation better than the H&R but thats it. But a lot coming over are going to find it hard living on that money in Alberta , Bringing wifey over and living in the truck sightseeing for 12 months is a different story though .

mickfly

I do agree with most of that, and the wife even said I painted too rosy a picture on the blog, but yes, for our situation it suited us and I made money (I will take the time to go through my slips and do a proper average for the year).

The work is hard up in the mines, and tarping lumber in winter, and even unloading in the extreme Texas heat, BUT, that's what I like.

H&R was easy work, but a LOT of unpaid work.

W&S Petes are small (for 2 people), restricted to 65 and they run on e-logs, but all their runs are an average of 5,000 miles around with only two picks and drops.
No time restraint pressure for deliveries, no anti idle on the engines, and no complaints if you run it day and night. most trucks are fitted with a 3,000 watt inverter, a working fridge, night heater, block heater, sirius (paid) radio and a CB.

Let's say for arguments sake that it pays $53,000, it still beats most ordinary European work into touch nowadays.

I have a mate who now tramps for £6.68 an hour.. that's the reality for many now in UK, he would prosper in Canada.

I also have no doubt that many OTR drivers from Europe leave the job (at any company) the minute they gain PR, to do easier, better paid work near home, and I wouldn't fault them for doing it.

kb33

53K might work living in Claresholm with very little mortgage or rent , Dont know about jobs for spouses either , But lots further up the road south of Calgary, Be a bit of a commute for $10/ 14 bucks an hour though

I know what you're saying about the wages in the UK , You might know Bedfords in Birststall ? Well there paying just above the minimum wage for tramping and probably plenty more jobs paying the same , Ive not been back in nearly six years but it does sound bad from what I hear .

Jobs like the W&S one do sound like a fantastic adventure to some , But the novelty will soon wear off , Usually as winter hits , Then working like a dog for seven days with not much to show for it , Morale will soon be at an all time low .
You had the support and company of your wife both times which must help enormously , Plus a network of friends to chat to , Some coming over will have neither.

Im not sure about the Ad either , I mean if they are advertising those wages NOT to attract Canadians but to fulfill the LMO criteria surely thats fraud ?

Then again nothing surprises me about the how these Trucking companies operate . I'm pretty sure the term " Moving the goalposts " originated in Canada .

Gremmie

Bloody heck those are your deck rates, thats the lowest I have ever seen,, our guys are on 50c + on over size loads