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Post by goodboy on Dec 14, 2004 15:37:07 GMT -5
Hi everyone I am new and this is my first post. There is a company in Mission BC Canada that a friend drives for and I am considering hiring on. They haul refers to calif, Texas and Nevada. Here is the question. For a load from Vancouver BC Canada to Bakersfeild Calif. and back they pay $600.00 Canadian funds. BUT , YOU have to pay your own income tax, Canada Pension Plan, Workers Comp, unemployment insurence,part of the cell phone bill they lend you, your own food and they give you $2500 for waiting for a load AFTER one day. They claim that you are a " SUB- CONTRACTOR" and have to do all your taxes and expenses. If you want a truck they will sell you one for $600 per trip and pay you a little more per trip. Vancouver to Texas return is $ 875. Is this legit??? What do you think?
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Post by Pcuthbert on Dec 15, 2004 13:18:00 GMT -5
Goodboy;
Again, I suggest you look towards a different type of company.
Without knowing your experience level (but suspecting that you have none), I would suggest you look into a freight forwarding company running locally to begin with. These all pay hourly, and the wage is appropriate for your location and experience.
You may then be able to move within the company to larger, better paying (sometimes) positions.
Hope this helps;
Pat
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Post by goodboy on Dec 15, 2004 20:56:23 GMT -5
Thanks Pat. I guess the bait was that they will allow me to drive with a learners permit with one of their drivers and give me a unit for the road test. I have had a class 1 before but never used it for work and surrendered it in 93. I kept the air brakes ticket.
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Post by kreeper on Dec 16, 2004 11:06:31 GMT -5
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Post by Fozzy on Dec 16, 2004 21:22:14 GMT -5
If you go to that site make sure you bring a HUGE grain of salt! There are more whiners at that site than at the Move-On.org place nowadays. It's used for entertainment value at may house. That is all... 1-800-whizzandmoan
Fozzy
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Post by SilverBullet on Dec 19, 2004 8:48:24 GMT -5
I would run very fast from that company. $2500.00 for detention pay after 24 hours? That just sounds crazy to me. With the money they will pay you, and the money you in turn have to pay out, you will likely get very hungry on the road.
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Post by goodboy on Dec 19, 2004 12:12:15 GMT -5
Thanks Silver Bullet, I hear you. For the load back to Canada you must make multi pickups of produce in different areas. I`m guessing that this could result in some lay-over time. After 24 hrs they pay $25 but you are losing time to make another trip. If you can`t make four trips from Vancouver BC to Stockton or LA and make $2400 GROSS per month then you are right I will starve. You are paid in Canadian funds but draw or advances are deducted in USA funds. There are o/o`s who are 58 to 72 years old that have been there forever. Company drivers for 7years plus but have made $600 per trip since day one and still do without an increase. I am a shipper/receiver who uses this company to carry loads to Calif . I guess my employer uses them because he gets a cheaper rate for the reefers to USA. We manufacture soap products. I get along very well with ALL the drivers who I meet and get a lot of information from them. After all this I STILL cannot get anyone to tell me if you can make a decent living at driving otr. Some say it works out to be $4 per hour. some say just under $7. Who would work for this? Yet I see them every day. I wanted to get into this before retirement and work well into my later years if I was able. Since I had a licence at one time, ( It was NOT taken away) have the air brake endorsement and can drive without running into you and plus some experience with the industry as a shipper I needed to find a Canadian carrier that would have inhouse training instead of spending $6000 plus on a driving school. I feel That I could best refreash my skills and learn new skills from actually working with a driver in the feild. Thanks again. Goodboy
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Post by Pcuthbert on Dec 21, 2004 22:35:29 GMT -5
Goodboy;
To the best of my knowledge, there are no training schools associated with trucking companies in Western Canada.
My employer tried it several years ago, in conjunction with another bulk carrier, but there was not enough interest in the profession to support the school.
Once you have your license, there are many companies that may be right for you, depending upon the work youwant to do, and how long you are willing to be away from home.
I work a 9 day week. This is 6 days scheduled to work, and 3 days scheduled off. If I burn up my log book in 4.5 days (and I frequently do), then I am off until my next scheduled start day.
My average yearly earnings easily exceed $60,000 CAD, and I have a good benefit program as well. Newer equipment and a good fleet services program.
I am saying this so that you will know that there is no need to work for a company such as you describe.
There is an extreme shortage of drivers in Canada at this time. So much so that my employer is recruiting drivers from Europe, and assisting with the immigration requirements.
Pat
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