Finding jobs

Discussion in 'Canadian Truckers Forum' started by truckincanuck, Nov 25, 2008.

  1. truckincanuck

    truckincanuck Bobtail Member

    I am curious. I notice in the US blogs that truckers are having a hard time finding jobs because they don't have a year or more of experience. Others had to stop trucking and now they want to start again but are being told they have been out of it too long or their interruption is more than their driving experience. Are there any Canadians having this problem or is it just the Americans?

    There must be a resolution to this problem or is it that I haven't discovered it yet. This must be leaving a lot of competent drivers out in the cold. It is really starting to depress me with the abundance of these claims and the industry wonders why there is a driver shortage.

    Seems to me the industry is the cause of their own problem of driver shortage.:biggrin_25510:
     
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  3. emmerb

    emmerb Bobtail Member

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    May 31, 2007
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    Hello,
    My wife is in exactly the position you write of. She has a class one licence but has had no luck finding a job. Of the companies that offer a reason when they turn her down, most mention her lack of experience. A couple were straight forward enough to say her gender is the problem as they have no female drivers with which she can train and male drivers won't due to the friction it may cause with their wife or girlfriend. She has applied to 40 or so companies with no success. It is going on three years since she was licenced and she has all but given up. I'm going to begin training and hopefully, after a few years, I'll be able to train her. I do find it odd that so many companies advertise experience only yet are perpetually looking for drivers. Understandable I suppose considering the cost of equipment.
     
  4. Lil'Devil

    Lil'Devil Heavy Load Member

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    Jan 1, 2007
    Great White North
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    I have never heard of this in Canada before. I never ever had a problem finding a job.

    I think most likely the problem is the slowing economy, less freight, companies can afford to be pickier about who they hire right now.
     
  5. vargagirl

    vargagirl Bobtail Member

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    Sep 27, 2008
    Guelph, Ontario
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    I have just gotten my ACZ at the end of November, and my boyfriend has had his AZ for a few years with experience in just about everything but truck and semi-trailer. We are both considered to be inexperienced, and so we have both been having trouble getting work in this field. I understand that once we have a couple of years of experience, we be set, but who out there will give us that experience?
     
  6. RickG

    RickG Road Train Member

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    Jul 22, 2008
    Owensboro , KY
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    Have you checked for work in Alberta ? Maybe you and your boyfriend could both get jobs there . http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008451114_oilsands30.html
     
  7. Rat Fink

    Rat Fink Light Load Member

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    Nov 18, 2008
    Lethbridge, AB
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    RickG made a great point.

    I got my class 3 (driving straight trucks) with airbrakes in the oilfield. It was FREE.

    When I wanted to drive a tractor/trailer, I got a job with where I'm at before I even got my license. The boss interviewed me and liked my background and personality. He said I'm hired as long as I pass my driving test. I spent 2 days at a driving school to get used to a trailer, and took my written and driving test. Passed both on the first try.

    If you want to get your class 1 license for free (CDL/AZ whatever you call it license to drive the tractor/trailer in your area) you can get it through the oilfield. A person just has to apply to companies such as Sanjel, Century, Halliburton, Schlumberger, various wireline companies, etc and they will cover the cost of training and give you some pretty solid paycheques as well.

    There are tons of driving jobs advertised in Alberta. Long-haul, local, agricultural, oilfield, cement, anything!
     
  8. pcfreak

    pcfreak Heavy Load Member

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    Apr 22, 2007
    Alberta, Canada
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    The jobs are out there. I'm going for my drive test on Tuesday for a new job to get some OTR experience.
     
  9. Tradescant

    Tradescant Bobtail Member

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    Jan 18, 2009
    Prince George BC
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    Man, sounds good, cant get a job in Prince George and getting
    desperate, maybe I can find a desperate company in Alberta that
    will take a experienced trucker with a (former) now correctly
    adjusted bad attitude haha. If Im fairly payed I wouldn't have a
    problem with any job. Do any of those oilfield jobs pay by the hour ?
    or are they trip/contract/flat rate/mileage or anything that means
    they dont really wanna pay you for all the time you put in ?
     
  10. vargagirl

    vargagirl Bobtail Member

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    Sep 27, 2008
    Guelph, Ontario
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    Sounds a lot like out here in Southern Ontario. A lot of the customers are in the manufacturing industry, of which a lot are parts and auto makers. We've been having trouble getting a start here, but we don't have the funds at the moment to leave either.:biggrin_2554:
     
  11. Tradescant

    Tradescant Bobtail Member

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    Jan 18, 2009
    Prince George BC
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    For the right drivers companies are willing to buy you an airline ticket to
    get you to orientation and then hand you a truck. You just gotta be
    careful what company you work for. You got to remember that no matter
    how much companies preach about how they care about their drivers and
    drivers home time ect is a priority its all bullcrap. The more they keep you
    grinding out loads the more money they make. If there is a problem your
    2000 miles from home. Just remember they will most likely send you home
    on a bus if you quite if your lucky. If you get tired or burnt out they dont
    care, so any reduction in service cause you have been stuck in the truck
    for 3 months is going to be rewarded with threats or firings. Welcome to
    long haul. Trans-x, Cool-x, Bison, to name a few would probably fly you
    out immediatly but dont excpect them to do anything but run you like a
    dog until you are burnt out and quite. But It could get you some money
    in the bank before you can find one of those small mom and pop
    companies that actually treat you like a human.
     
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