Compare the UK trucking to Canadian..

[The Kraut]

Gentlemen, first, I do apologize as I left this topic abandoned for such a long time. I had family issues to sort out....

Thank you for the opinions, guys, I really appreciate your help.
So, I contacted the Bison Transport in Winnipeg, they even sent me the application forms, and there's a fella from my country who works for them, and give me infos about the company and about Manitoba. Meantime, I met another fella, who lived in Prince Edward island for a year and had a very negative opinion about the job and the island itself.. But he gave me the name of the company and I talked guys, who still work there, their opinion is much more positive. LAst Saturday I went to London, there was an event in the Canada House; three provinces, East Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI sent representatives to recruit people, who wanna move there. And that haulage company sent his recruitment manager too. So, I got all the infos I need to sort out the immigration paperwork and apply for a job. Did not make a decision, should I go for the Bison, or the company at PEI.. The property prices are more friendly at PEI, and the weather bit more friendly. Another thing, the training at the Bison is 13 weeks, at the other company said 4-6 weeks.
Anyway, if any one works for either the Bison, Bulk Carriers, or another New Brunswick/Nova Scotia based company, please, feel free, to make any opinion, suggestion, or give some more details, even their own experiences...
Every opinion, advice much appreciated, about rent, buying my first car, health insurance, etc.
Have a nice weekend everyone.

For heavens sake, stay away form Bulk Carriers PEI
I worked for them for one year, one of the worst companies you can find in Canada.

I know of some drivers who left Bison because it's getting worse in the last years, I wasn't there but I would be very careful to go there, I think the only reason they take foreigners again is they can't find drivers any more. Read the Canadian trucking forum, then you know why to avoid Bison.

[Dennisthemenace]

Look closely at life outside the truck, the prairies are a challenging place to live. You're either swatting mozzies or shoveling snow

HAhaha, although do not like mosquitoes, but could live with that. I was born in Hungary and back in my childhood, we had hot summers and cold winters with plenty of snow. Loved shovelling snow as a child..

[Dennisthemenace]

Hey, if this is the only choice you have, then I would go with Bison, I don't know much about the companies over East, only what I read and that it was bad for the majority of drivers.
Scroll up again to Robinhoods posts above, re-read them and digest it.
Again, no experience with them but Bison, if they can keep you running, would probably be your best bet.
This 13 weeks training, what does it entail, did they tell you ?
What are they paying you for this ?
IMO, personally speaking and knowing what I do now, I would give all of these a wide berth and see what happens in the next 12mths or so with LMIA's.
One rash/wrong decision now because you feel you need to be out like yesterday, could possibly ruin your life forever, whereas waiting a while and making the right decision could make your life unbelievably great.

Bison seems to me as a serious company, also, on the Facebook a British guy, who works for them said, "great company to work for".
I was supposed to skype a guy, who works for them for years yesterday, but I was broken down all day long in [zb]' Lancashire, so had to postpone it. Deffo will call the HR guy too, who sent me the paperwork. Dunno exactly, what the 13 weeks training covers exactly, what the Hungarian bloke wrote to me is: Need to pass a test, to gain the Canadian licence, then 13 weeks training on minimum wage. (think, it's $11 in Manitoba, not sure. On their page I've seen even a driver simulator, so probably a particular training, incl. paperworks, US cutom procedures, logbook, etc.After the training the starting salary is 41Cents/Mile and continusly rising up to 52 Cents. Guaranteed 12000 miles/24 days. Minimum 5-7 day trips with two days rest. Employer supported health care.
Actually, I'm told by the Canadian recruiters, it worth to find a company who offers this health care benefit, otherwise a perscription for medicals can cost $ 100.
But choosing the place also important, as I' d like to bring wife and the kid later (12 years old), so the paramount is, what would be better for a kid later...

[russjp]

13 weeks at 11 bucks an hour - either bring a bucketload of cash with you or ask them if you can live in the truck while you're training lol


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[Dennisthemenace]

13 weeks at 11 bucks an hour - either bring a bucketload of cash with you or ask them if you can live in the truck while you're training lol


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That's exactly that worries me too. But I will talk to guy first, he messaged me earlier and said something about a motel, that have some contract with them.

[Dennisthemenace]

Thank you, Kraut... I'll try to find as much info about Bison, as possible.. Not easy at the moment, as I'm a nigh driver, on my way, by the Canadian blokes get home and available for chat.

[russjp]

13 weeks at 11 bucks an hour - either bring a bucketload of cash with you or ask them if you can live in the truck while you're training lol


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That's exactly that worries me too. But I will talk to guy first, he messaged me earlier and said something about a motel, that have some contract with them.

Even a great deal with a motel would still see you paying around $70-$80 a night as a rough estimate, a standard hotel room at a decent chain will cost you $120 a night upwards and that's still pretty low


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[JIMBO47]

just phoned a friend about this and he says it sounds like you are being classed as an entry level training driver ie .a rookie straight out of driving school with no experience at all with perhaps being locked into a 2yr contract. iirc you are an experienced class 1 driver and no kin way let them railroad you into this ....training to get through your test ..yes well we all needed that...Bison is all makro messages so a day to learn them another for paperwork so after passing your test a max of 1 week to learn the paperwork side/border crossing procedures. The driving is easy part and is the same all round the world so 13weeks at min wage HELL NO> and another question my mate asked are you going TEAM or has this not been mentioned yet.that takes a special type of trust with someone you don't know to put your life in his hands when you are sleeping in the bunk going over a mountain pass!


sorry to sound negative but Bison did not get the size it is for nothing! remember all OTR companies over here will do anything/say anything to get meat on the seats for as little money as possible

[JIMBO47]

Just to say ...my phone friend worked for Bison in Winnipeg,,,Calgary and a yard in lower BC (he was single and had his PR and went where he was needed ,,,,well the money).Thought the job was ok ,outfits maintained ok. miles were good so money was . His problem was some of the dispatchers had no idea what happens in the real world...both fleet 1&2 and even local (daycab)work into the USA (BC yards)was timed to minutes so accidents /weather conditions led to tantrums from certain dispatchers if you ran out of time and asked for a room to be booked. and one of his real bugbears the dropyards in BC and SK were never ploughed so you ended up stuck on ice/snow It sounds bad but when you came around and did things the Bison way and played them at there own game ...ie never said no ,did your Makros ,,never had your forward radar come on (reports back to base) came in did your work and went home life was ok but when things went wrong the crap rolled downhill to you .
NB> just passing on what my mate has told me ,don't shot the messen.ger.

[Dennisthemenace]

just phoned a friend about this and he says it sounds like you are being classed as an entry level training driver ie .a rookie straight out of driving school with no experience at all with perhaps being locked into a 2yr contract. iirc you are an experienced class 1 driver and no kin way let them railroad you into this ....training to get through your test ..yes well we all needed that...Bison is all makro messages so a day to learn them another for paperwork so after passing your test a max of 1 week to learn the paperwork side/border crossing procedures. The driving is easy part and is the same all round the world so 13weeks at min wage HELL NO> and another question my mate asked are you going TEAM or has this not been mentioned yet.that takes a special type of trust with someone you don't know to put your life in his hands when you are sleeping in the bunk going over a mountain pass!


sorry to sound negative but Bison did not get the size it is for nothing! remember all OTR companies over here will do anything/say anything to get meat on the seats for as little money as possible

Thank you, Jimbo!
So, sorry, I was not clear about the details.. The thirteen weeks came from an advertise, that posted on the own Facebook page of one of their drivers. That bloke is Hungarian, lives in Canada and works for the Bison for about 8 years. After I read this and asked him about that nominee program I called a bloke in Winnipeg (Oliver, HR), and jusdt simply told him, I'm interested and have 5 years experience. He sent me applying forms for either the immigration and the job at Bison, but I did not ask him particularly about the training or anything else yet. I'm bit confused, as the thirteen weeks really sounds too long on min. wage. So, all I can do, contact Winnipeg again and make it clear, but first I need to contact that driver, only available for skype on weekends. Was agreed, to have a chat last Sunday, but I was broken down in bloody Lancashire so had to postpone it till next Saturday.

[JIMBO47]

hope you are looking at mpi driver quizzes etc,airbrake,class 1 and just hae a wee look at the class 5 on passing,mind in MB you can get your bike licence transferred as well (class6). NOT trying to put you off as anyway in to Canada is a good way as long as you realise its a way to a means!, as MB is among the best to get PR /. Just be aware and don't let them bend you over they are A BIG CO. 1500 UNITS OVER 4K TRAILERS so they need you more than you need them so to speak . my mate told me they are on Elogs now as well. Now I went on a 6 week course when I came over not that I wanted to but the company I went with told me to take it (paid it myself and claimed most of it back on taxes) I had 26yrs experience and needed a lot o bad habits beaten out o me ...if I remember it was class room full days road rules USA /Canada logbooks & hints cough cough. .Half days driving tuition (added up to a week) tests,learning the pre trip,airbrakes ,,brake adjustment then workshop chains etc getting me ready to start straight away. The company had some drivers do it the cheap way ..a weeks (4 half days)then test training then fail a couple o times OR pass then didn't know FA about logbooks USA/CA. HOS and getting fined.

[newmercman]

I think you'll find that the training period all depends on how you progress. If you can drive a truck and learn procedure in a few weeks, then you will be out trucking soon after. They do send you out with mentor drivers to show you how it all works in the real world too and that is classed as training, from what I know, Bison do not use this as a cheap team operation, the mentor logs on with you and vice versa, so it's a lot better than some of the horror stories out there.

I don't think you could go wrong with Bison, as long as you can cope with working at a big company. Like any Canadian company, trying to get them to change or telling them that they're doing something wrong will make life miserable for you, it's best to keep your head down and your mouth shut.

And don't forget to bring your shovel

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[flat to the mat]

Bison , Manitoba PNP , you could end up somewhere a lot worse . Not one their biggest fans since one of their bloody pike drivers forced my wife into a ditch during a snow storm a few years back , or since one of their wraparound pike drivers passed me at maybe 115kph sitting sideways with both feet up on top of the dashboard , but , they do seem to have a good safety record somehow , they apparently take training and mentoring seriously (hence the simulator ), and are well established with plenty of variety regards the work . Property prices around Winnipeg are pretty decent too . Yeap they're a fairly safe bet to get you started , you might even like working for them .

[Dennisthemenace]

I think you'll find that the training period all depends on how you progress. If you can drive a truck and learn procedure in a few weeks, then you will be out trucking soon after. They do send you out with mentor drivers to show you how it all works in the real world too and that is classed as training, from what I know, Bison do not use this as a cheap team operation, the mentor logs on with you and vice versa, so it's a lot better than some of the horror stories out there.

I don't think you could go wrong with Bison, as long as you can cope with working at a big company. Like any Canadian company, trying to get them to change or telling them that they're doing something wrong will make life miserable for you, it's best to keep your head down and your mouth shut.

And don't forget to bring your shovel

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Yeah, I work for a big company in the UK, working for a big customer.. Pointless to say anything Learnt a lot about it during the 4 years I work for them. But thank you for this advice, as "every little helps".. To be honest, watched what I found on Youtube about them and it seems, they really put an effort on the new driver's training. In one of those videos the candidate drives a bull nose Volvo, if I'm not wrong, it has the same I-shift gearbox like the FH I drive in the UK every night..

[Dennisthemenace]

Bison , Manitoba PNP , you could end up somewhere a lot worse . Not one their biggest fans since one of their bloody pike drivers forced my wife into a ditch during a snow storm a few years back , or since one of their wraparound pike drivers passed me at maybe 115kph sitting sideways with both feet up on top of the dashboard , but , they do seem to have a good safety record somehow , they apparently take training and mentoring seriously (hence the simulator ), and are well established with plenty of variety regards the work . Property prices around Winnipeg are pretty decent too . Yeap they're a fairly safe bet to get you started , you might even like working for them .

That's exactly my friend who lives in Toronto, told me.

[Kiowan]

You could do a lot worse than Bison, yes, you will be on a 13 week training program but it's not the same as their noob "driver finishing program", most of it is simply the time from when you start to passing your test, which can, for some, take a long time. You need to learn the pre trip and air brake, pre trip is long but fairly straightforward, air brake is a bit of a joke, it's complex compared to most other provinces and Bison want you to learn it word for word, no deviation before they'll put you in for test, its different for every person and of course the non English speakers really struggle but you will be training for these things with others most likely all the time waiting for a test date which could be 5-8 weeks depending on availability. Once you pass you are straight out on a mentor trip with an in cab instructor (a bog standard driver who gets paid extra to "mentor" you). You'll go long haul into the states and you'll be assessed on paper, you don't run team as said, you will be doing virtually all the driving, they will just be a passenger. You may get sent on several trips, depends how you do. From experience mine was relatively short, passed my test 4 weeks after starting, went on one mentor trip, was assigned a truck the day I got back and was the solo on long haul, bad for me because I was on training wages then for another 8 weeks regardless of how far I drove, it did wind me up but I knew it could happen if I got all the actual training done quickly. Suck it up and just make sure you go on short trips and take 2 days off every time you get back, no point pushing yourself until you're paid properly for it. Get yourself a room to rent and training wages are more than enough to house, clothe and feed you, what's the point of renting a hotel room, waste of money, just rent a room, plenty on Kijiji.

You are a number at Bison, big company, until fleet knows you, then you get a name, tbh, they aren't bad and I've had zero grief off them, just the usual nonsense you get from any big company. 12k miles is your target but by no means are you guaranteed it unless you really do work flat out, if you do 24days a month you may or may not hit 12k, lots of short trips around Midwest with booking slots the next day etc so you may only get 400 miles one day but then 630 the next, it's up and down, you'll make reasonable money though, trucks are well maintained, mostly Freightliner Cascadia rather than Volvos, trailers hit and miss because there are so many stand trailers and it relies on driver defecting stuff out on the road and fixing it, which obviously doesn't happen like it should so guaranteed you'll end up fixing everyone else's buggered trailer when you have to swap to a loaded one at a shipper.

Bulk carriers is a company that a lot of Immigration agents will try and place you with, that's enough of a warning sign. I think any name with "bulk" in is a warning sign from everything I've ever read.

If you work out of Winnipeg you won't be going West, LCVs do that, you may once in a blue moon over to Calgary or California but most work is Midwest, Ontario with occasional runs down into the bible belt or much more unusually to Florida.

[stevejones]

iwas 1st brit driving on pei as some have said they never go back to uk thats each to there own i geuss. but after 11yrs in pei and worked for all pei muppets liars and thieves .itried new brunswick as well and spell in manitoba .pei is lovely place in summer plenty to do/see. had few trips home in the 11yrs but after the last bunch im finally heading home 4 gd phaps i was treated to well in previous 20 yrs euro work theese companies and dispatchers lol who have rarely travelled anywhere seem to think that the uk and its drivers really need them.it works 4 some but ive seen way manymore guys broken and glad to get back to uk. also anyone coming here needs to know for a gd life your wife has to work as well. so i write this from toronto airport and wish anyone trying it gd luck and happy times

[flat to the mat]

[quote="stevejones"]iwas 1st brit driving on pei as some have said they never go back to uk thats each to there own i geuss. but after 11yrs in pei and worked for all pei muppets liars and thieves .itried new brunswick as well and spell in manitoba .pei is lovely place in summer plenty to do/see. had few trips home in the 11yrs but after the last bunch im finally heading home 4 gd phaps i was treated to well in previous 20 yrs euro work theese companies and dispatchers lol who have rarely travelled anywhere seem to think that the uk and its drivers really need them.it works 4 some but ive seen way manymore guys broken and glad to get back to uk. also anyone coming here needs to know for a gd life your wife has to work as well. so i write this from toronto airport and wish anyone trying it gd luck and happy times

What a disaster , as a fellow Expat this post makes me hang my head in shame .

[stevejones]

lol flat to the mat and to top the lot landed in gatwick yday and my luggage was sent to f,,,ing antigua

[Ford5000]

Hi Steve sorry to hear you have gone home but very understandable PEI is a great place to live but there is no money here.
All the best Barry

[flat to the mat]

lol flat to the mat and to top the lot landed in gatwick yday and my luggage was sent to f,,,ing antigua

My apologies Steve , my sadness was directed more towards your grasp of the English language . Didn't you bail out once before taking your Mustang with you , promising never to return to Canada , mocking the mugs that stayed here working for a pittance ?
Decide what you want , then go for it with both barrels without wasting your time and money on uncertainties . Best of luck with whatever you choose .

[stevejones]

flat to the mat yes i did return to uk before with 2 mustangs . i did return to pei but for reasons i wont put on here .my final decision to come home is because im just not going to work being paid by mile . then there is all the hanging around not being paid .thats how it is all over the east coast and the only place i would live in canada is p.e.i. so yes ive tried and seen all there is on offer but thats me done . as for english language its trucknet not school

[stevejones]

tks barry start new job monday stay well and have a gd xmas

[Pat Hasler]

Sorry to hear you went home again mate At last we met once

[stevejones]

tks for that pat pat yes and ive still got the picture lol stay lucky pat

[flat to the mat]

flat to the mat yes i did return to uk before with 2 mustangs . i did return to pei but for reasons i wont put on here .my final decision to come home is because im just not going to work being paid by mile . then there is all the hanging around not being paid .thats how it is all over the east coast and the only place i would live in canada is p.e.i. so yes ive tried and seen all there is on offer but thats me done . as for english language its trucknet not school

You've tried Manitoba too ,not exactly East Coast, and ballsed that up as well M8 . Trucknet's not school but FFS take some pride in what you do , it could make a huge difference

[stevejones]

i will bow out to the expert on my life pls dont reply

[flat to the mat]

[quote="stevejones"]i will bow out to the expert on my life pls dont reply[/quote

I've waited for someone to bridge the gap without success , so as one literacy genius once said to another "soz m8"

[Scraggy88]

I moved to Canada in September 2016, did my class 1 in December after I settled in with my friends and tried to get in with bison in Calgary. Long story short, they will not touch me until I have held a Canadian licence for 12 months. Don't know if they changed the way they work because the people I am living with have a friend who came over from the uk and went straight in with bison. As for making the move to Canada, I am only 28 so I went through the IEC program, if you are under 30 and not married or have no kids then you can apply through international experience Canada. I had to retake my class 1 though when I arrived in Canada. Swapped my britsish class 1 for a Canadian class 5 (car) so got a bum deal. Got it all done now so I am applying to companies around the area but yeah, bison told me I need a Canadian licence for 12 months before they would even look at me and I went to the terminal in Calgary to see them to basically be told to piss off.

[The Kraut]

I moved to Canada in September 2016, did my class 1 in December after I settled in with my friends and tried to get in with bison in Calgary. Long story short, they will not touch me until I have held a Canadian licence for 12 months. Don't know if they changed the way they work because the people I am living with have a friend who came over from the uk and went straight in with bison. As for making the move to Canada, I am only 28 so I went through the IEC program, if you are under 30 and not married or have no kids then you can apply through international experience Canada. I had to retake my class 1 though when I arrived in Canada. Swapped my britsish class 1 for a Canadian class 5 (car) so got a bum deal. Got it all done now so I am applying to companies around the area but yeah, bison told me I need a Canadian licence for 12 months before they would even look at me and I went to the terminal in Calgary to see them to basically be told to piss off.

Have you tried Watt & Stewart Commodities in Claresholm AB?