After a long time driving trucks in North america I am back in the U.K. Unfortunately my Canadian licence is not recognised here .What I want to know is whether it is worth the time and expense of getting my licence here .In Canada driving a truck is considered the worst job it is possible to have .The wages and working conditions are 3rd world .For example it is legal in Canada to work an 84 hour week .This is under their new and improved rules .Even with those obscene hours many drivers work far more as they mainly still run paper logs .I do not want to work in this industry if it is like that here in the U.K. The best job I had in Canada was hauling cryogenic tankers .Specialised and paid well .Those jobs were one in a million .As I said most jobs there are truly horrible .My question is,are there decent jobs to be found here ,particularly in Scotland ?Any info would be appreciated .
If anyone is thinking of taking one of those jobs that the trucking companys from Canada advertise here ,speak to me first .There is a reason Canadians don’t want them!
Cost of licence over here, even with your experience, is A LOT - you’ve got your car, then class 2, then class 1, then drivers CPC etc just to get a normal licence.
Wages are average take home in region of 400 - 500 for most people these days, some more, some less, some show ■■■■■■ hourly rates and make it up in ‘bonuses’, but most wages are very similar across the board.
You’ll still be treated like ■■■■, expected to do what you’re told without question and looked at like you’re something most people would step round rather than stand in.
Hours are 50 - 80 really, you’d struggle to find work with less than 50hrs, and the 80hrs jobs are a lot of POA to keep under the ‘wtd’.
Over here, we have tacho’s, working time directives, the VOStApo, so things run pretty legit at most places.
Whether it is better here is down to what you consider better, there are lots of Brits in Canada who tell us it is better there, the grass is no too green on either side if you ask me.
I have had enough of the haulage industry in the UK, but rather than look at other countries for the same job I just changed jobs away from trucking for a while, the chances are I will come back to trucks in the future, but who knows what the future holds.
The trouble with European haulage is we have become over run with regulations and they aren’t all compatible with each other. We are being forced to do training with no examination or pass mark just huge expense just to keep our jobs and we have seen a real fall in wages over the past decade.
Call me a cynic if you want, but I don’t think moving to the UK would make your experience of driving any better than what you left behind in Canada.
Good luck with whatever you chose to do anyway.
Did you have a truck licence in the UK previously? If so, try giving the DVLA a ring as im sure you can re-instate your old licence upto a max of 10 years iirc.
As for the working conditions over here, You can only legally do 70 hrs in 7 days. dont know where you got this 84 hours from.
There is nothing wrong with paper logbooks, Tacho’s are too inflexible . I love being able to work all day without having to take a break. gets me home sooner. As for Truck Drivers being seen as the worst job possible to have, i beg to differ. People actually respect you over here, You wont get any of that back in the UK driving trucks. I think driving trucks here is the best thing in the world, so do a good many other expat british drivers who frequent these forums.
robbbie:
For example it is legal in Canada to work an 84 hour week .This is under their new and improved rules .
Over here you can legally be at work for 99 hours in a week so Canada wins that one. 
BigJon:
Did you have a truck licence in the UK previously? If so, try giving the DVLA a ring as im sure you can re-instate your old licence upto a max of 10 years iirc.As for the working conditions over here, You can only legally do 70 hrs in 7 days. dont know where you got this 84 hours from.
There is nothing wrong with paper logbooks, Tacho’s are too inflexible . I love being able to work all day without having to take a break. gets me home sooner. As for Truck Drivers being seen as the worst job possible to have, i beg to differ. People actually respect you over here, You wont get any of that back in the UK driving trucks. I think driving trucks here is the best thing in the world, so do a good many other expat british drivers who frequent these forums.
Well with the answers so far it seems it is not worth getting the truck licence here .
Big Jon if you do the math you will find it is legal to work an 84 hour week with the reset rule .If the job was a respected job in Canada why are there so many jobs going begging and no one willing to fill them .Why would they need to bring in overseas drivers.From your reply that you love working all day without a break to get home earlier tells me a lot.Few people are willing to work for 14 hours without a break.If you think it is a great job then good for you.However you are very much in the minority.
robbbie:
BigJon:
Did you have a truck licence in the UK previously? If so, try giving the DVLA a ring as im sure you can re-instate your old licence upto a max of 10 years iirc.As for the working conditions over here, You can only legally do 70 hrs in 7 days. dont know where you got this 84 hours from.
There is nothing wrong with paper logbooks, Tacho’s are too inflexible . I love being able to work all day without having to take a break. gets me home sooner. As for Truck Drivers being seen as the worst job possible to have, i beg to differ. People actually respect you over here, You wont get any of that back in the UK driving trucks. I think driving trucks here is the best thing in the world, so do a good many other expat british drivers who frequent these forums.Well with the answers so far it seems it is not worth getting the truck licence here .
Big Jon if you do the math you will find it is legal to work an 84 hour week with the reset rule .If the job was a respected job in Canada why are there so many jobs going begging and no one willing to fill them .Why would they need to bring in overseas drivers.From your reply that you love working all day without a break to get home earlier tells me a lot.Few people are willing to work for 14 hours without a break.If you think it is a great job then good for you.However you are very much in the minority.
Lets see… 14 hours a day x 7 days a week = 98 hours - 36 hour reset = 62 hours
BUT if you do 10 hours a day x 7 days a week = 70 hours and NO RESET needed.
It tells you nothing at all, you dont know me, you dont know what line of work I do. I only do 9 hours a day 5 days a week, home every night.
The jobs that are begging for drivers are the zb jobs that take great pleasure in abusing immigrant workers. Or working for east indian owners, Ive seen no end of jobs for Gravel trucks, and the food delivery companies.
As for being in the minority, yeah I hear lots of Canadians dont like to work hard at all 
Its ok this guys another WUM. just found his thread with the same details on BritishExpats.
arrrobbie , it appears you have been back in the uk since before june, and your asking now in october about licences … lol
robbbie:
After a long time driving trucks in North america I am back in the U.K.
You mean the 1 year you did? 
BigJon:
robbbie:
After a long time driving trucks in North america I am back in the U.K.You mean the 1 year you did?
Big Jon I gather you are the type that does not like to be contradicted.As you say you don’t know me.You have no idea how long I was in the trucking business in Canada.Far longer than you ,that I guarantee.The fact you love it and live in Edmonton is enough for anyone that knows Canada and trucking to know you are not all there.If you get onto the Ontario trucking association website you will find the average truck driver makes $14 per hour.That does not include the fact that there is no such thing as overtime rates or shift premiums.The average OTR driver makes $8 per hour when the non paid hours are factored in.Both rates are far bellow the average wage in Canada.There is also a reason for Edmonton being called Dedmonton.It really has nothing going for it.So spare everyone your road of dreams.I am looking for info in the UK not second hand rubbish from a Canadian.
What a load of tosh. Average wage in Saskatchewan is $836/week and truck drivers can earn much more if they want to.Spent 3yrs on cryo tankers myself and that was very very good money,but there are plenty of other less hazardous driving jobs paying $25 plus per hour with overtime on top.As for long hours,putting in a 13hr drive here is like a walk in the park compared to driving in Britain.
In Canada the money can be made if you’re prepared to get off your backside and work.No such thing as a free lunch over here.
Is 42k $ Canadian, 50 hours a week dayshift , home every night. Would that be considered a good wage in Canada or a bad wage?
robbbie:
BigJon:
robbbie:
After a long time driving trucks in North america I am back in the U.K.You mean the 1 year you did?
Big Jon I gather you are the type that does not like to be contradicted.As you say you don’t know me.You have no idea how long I was in the trucking business in Canada.Far longer than you ,that I guarantee.The fact you love it and live in Edmonton is enough for anyone that knows Canada and trucking to know you are not all there.If you get onto the Ontario trucking association website you will find the average truck driver makes $14 per hour.That does not include the fact that there is no such thing as overtime rates or shift premiums.The average OTR driver makes $8 per hour when the non paid hours are factored in.Both rates are far bellow the average wage in Canada.There is also a reason for Edmonton being called Dedmonton.It really has nothing going for it.So spare everyone your road of dreams.I am looking for info in the UK not second hand rubbish from a Canadian.
I beg to differ, you openly admitted on BE that you were only over here for a year. I seem to remember you got banned from there for being a WUM with all your posts slagging off Canada & Australia. I suspect you will probably end up getting banned from this site aswell.
Face it, you couldnt make a go of it over here, so you feel you must slag off the country and its people and anyone else who has made a success of their career over here.
I am on $20.14 an hour, with OT at time and a half after 8 hours, and if i go over 12 hours a day or 60 hours a week its double time. I am far better off than I was living in the UK. I was working for 8 pounds an hour in the UK, doing some pretty nasty agency jobs like drive a truck from Walsall to Southend-on-Sea, 1 way on xmas eve. Then catch the train and then a taxi back to the yard to collect my car.
Just ignore the twonk. If he is a wind up merchant you are feeding him.
BJD
Too smart to drive a truck. (in the UK)
robbbie:
Big Jon I gather you are the type that does not like to be contradicted.As you say you don’t know me.You have no idea how long I was in the trucking business in Canada.Far longer than you ,that I guarantee.The fact you love it and live in Edmonton is enough for anyone that knows Canada and trucking to know you are not all there.If you get onto the Ontario trucking association website you will find the average truck driver makes $14 per hour.That does not include the fact that there is no such thing as overtime rates or shift premiums.The average OTR driver makes $8 per hour when the non paid hours are factored in.Both rates are far bellow the average wage in Canada.There is also a reason for Edmonton being called Dedmonton.It really has nothing going for it.So spare everyone your road of dreams.I am looking for info in the UK not second hand rubbish from a Canadian.
I don’t think truck driving over here will be right for you.
merc0447:
Is 42k $ Canadian, 50 hours a week dayshift , home every night. Would that be considered a good wage in Canada or a bad wage?
Bad wage really,unless they’re chucking in free digs and brilliant health coverage,I doubt it.70/80k is considered a fair rate,depends what the job is.
Canadian driving jobs are crap are they 
Well if that’s your opinion, I can’t wait to see what you make of the ones in the UK then 
Wages are not comparable because the cost of living in the UK is far greater, in the UK I would’ve needed to be putting at least a grand a week in the bank to enjoy the same luxuries I do in Canada, namely house, car, electronics, social life, savings etc, I had 6 trucks of my own in the UK and did ok from them, I live to the same standard now in Canada by doing ‘the worst job it is possible to have’
Big Jon, you called him a WUM, you’re nearly right, it begins with a W anyway 