Looking to get into trucking

If you're in Ontario, there is still a chance to make it. Anywhere else, I would suggest you do something else.

Food Service/Dump/Private Fleet (Coop) or LTL companies (UPS, XPO, Purolator) can be ok.

Anything longhaul, OTR, by the mile is basically fiscal and physical/mental health suicide.

 

Trucking is essentially immigrant labor now, it's a job that doesn't require language and proficiency in writing. It's for the guys fresh off the boat. Even employers around here only hire new immigrants, and also the dumber the better, so they can screw with their paychecks and they'll just put up with the abuse. Since they come from the 3rd world they just assume that's all fine and normal. Employers love that. Go find something better to do, trucking is no longer a viable and respectable profession.

 

Sad statement... but true.

 

I do switches with some of these power only new Canadian outfits. What i learned from some drivers is they were very concerned about getting paid for their work. Obviously their own countrymen willing to steal from employee who not know avenues to use to collect...i suggested massaging employers knees with a pickaroon

 

That may be some carriers - however as you all know trucking requires skills - planning, time management, customer relations and much more - if you have that you are successful. And not everyone who is an immigrant is dumb - every immigrant knows their rights...have you ever filled in paperwork to move to another country...For your information the 3rd world doesn't mean abuse is fine...you cannot generalize.

 

disclaimer: I'm on the west-coast, so my views are skewed. Pardon me.
Granted things are better in Ontario and oil/gas sectors in the prairies, logging is still alright in BC as well.
Segmented areas of the industry. But by large we speak of entry level trucking when discussing conditions, etc.

 

.. let me also add that, from personal experience while working with the 3rd world immigrants, many don't even check their paycheck, they get some digital numbers deposited into their account every 2 weeks and that's good enough. They don't argue the abuse, which in turn degrades pay and other including safety conditions for the rest of us. It's a lowered bar, that keeps lowering down to the floor. There's no value that I can see from attracting immigrants while we can do the work much better ourselves. Yet, it's happening and we continue to let it happen.

 

Reason for this is because no matter how bad they get treated here working and or how little they get paid its miles above what they are use to from back home and they feel they have moved up in the world while unfortunately bringing down standards and pay for the rest of us

 

Major Unionized companies pay good once you get in and pass the tier system and have a couple years experience under your belt. Best thing to is gain that experience at a reasonably paid company and then seek out union trucking jobs which most have a pension.