Con Way Truckload

Sorry to quote the whole message but don't know how to cut and paste on here yet. My question is going to Canada is one of the things I want to do, love to travel thats why I am getting into this work, what paper work do you have to have? Passport? FAST card (or is that a company thing?) or just drive over on CDL?

 

Hi .. I just started a month ago and they are now -requiring- Canada (and Hazmat) .. no opting out anymore. Right now we can get back (driving) on a birth certificate but will need a passport or a passcard (I think that's what it's called). The Co will pay for the card, $45, or pay $45 toward the passport. Just an ID (CDL) was needed to get into Canada.

I went to Canada a few weeks back with my trainer and it was painless, especially going in. Coming back to the US they are a lot more 'pissy' but it it was still easy. Will it always be? who knows, but this shows it won't always be bad ..

Tinman!

 

I live near Windsor and we cut across Canada to go see family on the east coast. Of all my crossings getting into Canada is always easy. They just wave you through but getting back to the USA can be a real pain if you dont have the right documentation these days. I have found Detroit to be the worst point of entry. I am sure there may be worse ones but from my experience Detroit has been a real PAIN.

 

Detroit blows, for a border crossing. Always has, always will.

In all my years of going to Canada and back. Detroit has been my most dreaded crossing. It's ALWAYS something with those guys.....always.

 

HAHA! I am happy to see I am not the only one who feels that way.

 

Yeah, just heard that all the new hires are required to opt into Canada. What that tells me is that all the old guys opted out and the company needs someone to run up there. They just called a couple days ago, "uh, would you be interested in running Canada again?" "That's a negative, been there, done that, lost money, hated it." A lot of people don't seem to have a problem. I've actually run up there with other drivers, they got waved through and I got x-rayed and inspected. Dunno. I'm just glad I don't have to sit in Chicago for over a day waiting to pick up a Toronto load while other non-Canada drivers immediately get good stuff headed south.

And Detroit does suck. Not only because of the customs agents, but the construction. Most of the time I ended up sitting in the 8'7" wide lane on the Ambassador Bridge wondering what the weight rating of it was and whether I was going to end up a couple hundred feet down in the water while the agents took their time collecting their tolls.

Niagara Falls was cool though. I didn't have trouble there.

Pembina ND headed to Manitoba was the worst for me. Both ways. Supposedly that's the training ground for new agents so they are very very strict.

 

any updates. Hows the miles and hometime.

 

My Husband started solo in March waited about 4 or 5 weeks for a truck. He was given a Volvo it was in good condition, not much to clean up. He told me last week that they are not getting Volvo's any more and are starting to replace them as they get another vehicle the driver can move into. I think he said it mostly happens at the Joplin terminal. We are both very please with CWTL. He gets 2200 to 3000 miles a week. He has a lot of trips into Canada. He said he has only had to get out of the truck once and it wasn't bad. Happy travels to you all.

 

I applyed for truck driver road position at conway,What do they do for dot phyical card?and do they put experanced drivers into a truck when oritation is done?

 

I too applied at CWTL and was called Monday(6-1-2009), Have not called back yet. I am hoping to get Regional driving. What is orientation like, and what do they pay durring orientation. So all new drivers are required to go to Canada?. Let me know.