Here at the Big Red Blog we pride our selves on being completely company impartial (scuse me im just having a pinocchio moment)..................
Car Insurance is expensive in Alberta thats a fact, even after shopping around, our premiums on a 2007 Focus Wagon was still well over $2000.
The reason was no company would recognise our no-claims-bonus from UK even though we had the forethought to approach our broker before we came over here and all the documents prepared so we could prove we had the NCB.
We only found this little gem after i had paid $1800 for a years insurance then got a letter asking for another $1000 to bring my account up to date.
Well i went straight round there to sort it out, we looked at the computer and they confirmed that thier math was correct. I told them there was no way i was paying that amount and told them to cancel and give me a refund.
It was then that one of the staff informed me that if i could prove that i had full NCB in UK then the premium would come down to $1200 which meant they would be refunding me $600. I drove straight home and returned with the two letters of confirmation. There were a few opologies from the broker about not accepting it in the first place and now we have secured full discount over here.
The broker was Schwartz and the insurance company was Economical, as far as i know the Economical is the only company that will consider UK NCB and i should imagine they wont automatically offer it to you, ask for it and insist you get it.
Here is the address, its the same building as the registry where you flip your license.
300 10 Street South
Lethbridge, AB
T1J 2M6,
Canada
(403) 320-1010
NB. Make sure you have the proof of NCB ready !
Please read the comments for more info
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Cost of Living in Canada
I am going to tread carefully as i tackle this one...........................
Everyones situation is different so i am going to use an imaginary family.
This family live outside of town, they have one child, so let me first of all intruduce you to the Doe Family.
John Doe is a 40 something trucker working for a Honghaul company and his wife Jane Doe is a stay at home mum (the hardest profession of all) and thier teenage daughter Chloe Jo Doe attends the local High School.
Here is a breakdown of their typical monthly outgoings:
Mortgage or rent - $1200
Gas heating - $60
Electricity - $100
Utility - $45
Home Phone - $100
Cell Phones - $200
Satellite TV - $50
Internet - $30
Medicare - $44 (Normally $88 but after 3 months, half is paid by H&R)
TOTAL - $1829
Groceries would be about $120 per week and about $30 for gas and John would probably spend about $100 per week while on the road.
This would mean that the Doe Family have an outgoings of $2829 per month, bear in mind there is no finance included on there, loans are very difficult (practically impossible) the Doe family would probably be driving round in a car that was a few years old and they paid cash for it. Car insurance is quite expensive in Alberta and it doesnt seem to vary by much with what sort of car you have, there are no MOT tests over here and it will cost you $100 per year to licence it.
John works hard and is pretty switched on when it comes to working with his dispatcher and the miles come in pretty easily (most of the time). He never refuses loads, and goes where he is sent, he takes the good with the bad. If John can achieve the target mileage (about 144,000) in 1 year and he can earn over $60, 000 gross (before deductions at 33%) then i am sure you can see that there will even be a little left over at the end of the month.
The Does are a pretty amicable family and they understand that immigrants dont have an easy life, no matter what country they are in. They sold their house back in Europe and used the profit to set up their new life in Alberta. After 6 months has passed, Johns company chose to sponsor him for AINP and within a few months Jane was able to apply for her Open Work Visa and promptly went and found a job.
This increased the Does income and life suddenly got a little sweeter and took a little of the pressure off John...................................
That is how the Does made it work, they worked hard to make the dream work.
Notice how many times i used the the word work in that last sentence and how many times i used the word dream...........................................................
Everyones situation is different so i am going to use an imaginary family.
This family live outside of town, they have one child, so let me first of all intruduce you to the Doe Family.
John Doe is a 40 something trucker working for a Honghaul company and his wife Jane Doe is a stay at home mum (the hardest profession of all) and thier teenage daughter Chloe Jo Doe attends the local High School.
Here is a breakdown of their typical monthly outgoings:
Mortgage or rent - $1200
Gas heating - $60
Electricity - $100
Utility - $45
Home Phone - $100
Cell Phones - $200
Satellite TV - $50
Internet - $30
Medicare - $44 (Normally $88 but after 3 months, half is paid by H&R)
TOTAL - $1829
Groceries would be about $120 per week and about $30 for gas and John would probably spend about $100 per week while on the road.
This would mean that the Doe Family have an outgoings of $2829 per month, bear in mind there is no finance included on there, loans are very difficult (practically impossible) the Doe family would probably be driving round in a car that was a few years old and they paid cash for it. Car insurance is quite expensive in Alberta and it doesnt seem to vary by much with what sort of car you have, there are no MOT tests over here and it will cost you $100 per year to licence it.
John works hard and is pretty switched on when it comes to working with his dispatcher and the miles come in pretty easily (most of the time). He never refuses loads, and goes where he is sent, he takes the good with the bad. If John can achieve the target mileage (about 144,000) in 1 year and he can earn over $60, 000 gross (before deductions at 33%) then i am sure you can see that there will even be a little left over at the end of the month.
The Does are a pretty amicable family and they understand that immigrants dont have an easy life, no matter what country they are in. They sold their house back in Europe and used the profit to set up their new life in Alberta. After 6 months has passed, Johns company chose to sponsor him for AINP and within a few months Jane was able to apply for her Open Work Visa and promptly went and found a job.
This increased the Does income and life suddenly got a little sweeter and took a little of the pressure off John...................................
That is how the Does made it work, they worked hard to make the dream work.
Notice how many times i used the the word work in that last sentence and how many times i used the word dream...........................................................
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Cell Phones For OTR Drivers
People are asking me what cell phones and cell phone providers are the best value for Long Haul Truckers in Canada. Well its a very subjective issue and im sure everyone will have their own ideas. This is what i found to be the best value.........................
I carry 2 cell phones, i have a Sanyo 7000 on a Bell contract for use in Canada & 10-4 (more about that later). And i have a Nokia phone which is a Net-10 Pay-As-You-Go which i use in the States. It would be nice to do it all on the one handset but unfortunately this is the cheapest way to go.
Sanyo 7000 Bell Contract
This is my main phone, i get 400 free minutes per month which i use in Canada and obviously round town, this is also the cell phone i recieve the majority of my calls on. I chose the Sanyo because it has a very special feature called 10-4.
I pay an extra $15 each month and the handset has a PTT (Push To Talk) on the side which means it can be used as a walkie talkie, its a strange system that seems to ride piggyback on your service providers carrier wave and gives free calls to other 10-4 handsets anywhere in North America (thats Canada and USA) as long as there is a signal. I have one and so does Jan so we can chat as long as we want no matter where we are as long as we can get that signal.
10-4 does have some disadvantages, you have to keep pressing the button everytime you speak and signal does vary from state to state, Montana and North Dakota for example have practically no coverage.
The main advantage though is that once you pay the $15 monthly charge the calls are free, this thing has saved us hundreds of dollars over the time we have been here.
The one thing that really bumps your cell phone bill up is international calls, unfortunately an OTR spends most of his/her time south of the border, so..........................................
The NET-10 PAYG
You buy this little gem in Wal-Mart and thats where you get the top-up cards from although now i have noticed you can get them in Pilot truckstops too.
I bought my Nokia handset for $30 int the Walmart in Twin Falls (just passed the Flying J) and i also bought a $30 topup card. I charged the battery, registered the phone and topped it up which gave me 300 USA minutes, when i registered it i also got another 300 minutes bonus minutes so by my reckoning that cancelled out the price of the handset.
I use this phone to phone brokers in Canada for 15c per minute and i can also call UK landlines for 15c per minute. Now how about that for value.................................
There are other handsets and other companies but those were my two choices. There are links to both companies in the side-bar. If you have any other ideas or opinions please feel free to comment.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
H&R - A Family run business
How It All StartedH&R Transport began in 1955, hauling fruit and produce out of the Okanagan Valley to the Prairies. The company was eventually purchased outright by Al Foder in 1974, a former owner/operator of a firm that the ambitious trucker eventually built into an international operation.
Now headed by Al's son, D'Arcy Foder (the president and CEO), the company has 465 trucks, 700 refrigerated road trailers, 550 inter-modal refrigerated containers, and 700 employees.
Lethbridge - Home of H&R Transport
The city of Lethbridge is located at 49.7° north latitude and 112.833° west longitude and covers an area of 127.19 square kilometres (49.11 sq mi). The city is divided by the Oldman River; its valley has been turned into one of the largest urban park systems in North America at 16 square kilometres (4,000 acres) of protected land.
The city is Alberta's fourth largest by population after Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer. It is the third largest in area after Calgary and Edmonton and is near the Canadian Rockies, 210 kilometres (130 miles) southeast of Calgary.
Lethbridge is split into three geographical areas: north, south and west. The Oldman River separates West Lethbridge from the other two while the Crowsnest Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway rail line separate North and South Lethbridge. The newest of the three areas, West Lethbridge (pop. 29,673) is home to the University of Lethbridge.
Much of the city's recent growth has been on the west side, and it has the youngest median age of the three. The north side (pop. 24,514) was originally populated by workers from local coal mines. It has the oldest population of the three areas, is home to multiple industrial parks and includes the former town of Hardieville, which was annexed by Lethbridge in 1978. South Lethbridge (pop. 29,773) is the commercial heart of the city. It contains the downtown core, the bulk of retail and hospitality establishments, and the Lethbridge College.
Climate
Lethbridge has a moderate continental climate with an average maximum temperature of 12.3 °C (54.1 °F) and an average minimum temperature of −1.0 °C (30.2 °F). With an average precipitation of 386.3 millimetres (15.21 in) and 264 dry days on average, Lethbridge is the second driest city in Canada. On average, Lethbridge has 116 days with wind speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) or higher, ranking it as the second city in Canada for such weather.
Its high elevation of 929 metres (3,048 ft) and close proximity to the Rocky Mountains provides Lethbridge with cooler summers than other locations in the Canadian prairies.
These factors protect the city from strong northwest and southwest winds and contribute to frequent chinook winds during the winter. Lethbridge winters have the highest temperatures in the prairies, reducing the severity and duration of winter cold periods and resulting in fewer days with snow cover.
The city is Alberta's fourth largest by population after Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer. It is the third largest in area after Calgary and Edmonton and is near the Canadian Rockies, 210 kilometres (130 miles) southeast of Calgary.
Lethbridge is split into three geographical areas: north, south and west. The Oldman River separates West Lethbridge from the other two while the Crowsnest Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway rail line separate North and South Lethbridge. The newest of the three areas, West Lethbridge (pop. 29,673) is home to the University of Lethbridge.
Much of the city's recent growth has been on the west side, and it has the youngest median age of the three. The north side (pop. 24,514) was originally populated by workers from local coal mines. It has the oldest population of the three areas, is home to multiple industrial parks and includes the former town of Hardieville, which was annexed by Lethbridge in 1978. South Lethbridge (pop. 29,773) is the commercial heart of the city. It contains the downtown core, the bulk of retail and hospitality establishments, and the Lethbridge College.
Climate
Lethbridge has a moderate continental climate with an average maximum temperature of 12.3 °C (54.1 °F) and an average minimum temperature of −1.0 °C (30.2 °F). With an average precipitation of 386.3 millimetres (15.21 in) and 264 dry days on average, Lethbridge is the second driest city in Canada. On average, Lethbridge has 116 days with wind speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) or higher, ranking it as the second city in Canada for such weather.
Its high elevation of 929 metres (3,048 ft) and close proximity to the Rocky Mountains provides Lethbridge with cooler summers than other locations in the Canadian prairies.
These factors protect the city from strong northwest and southwest winds and contribute to frequent chinook winds during the winter. Lethbridge winters have the highest temperatures in the prairies, reducing the severity and duration of winter cold periods and resulting in fewer days with snow cover.
Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)
Purpose
To address the critical skill shortage of workers in the Alberta Trucking Industry, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) will consider an employer’s business case for the select occupation of Long Haul Truck Driver (NOC 7411 - C).
Definition of long haul and short haul truck drivers:
Long haul: Drivers depart for destinations thousands of kilometers away from home. They cross inter-provincial boundaries and travel over international routes across North America. Drivers are away from home for several days per week or weeks at a time. A long haul driver is one who operates a tractor-trailer combination vehicle and hauls commercial goods over long distances.Long haul truck drivers are eligible under the AINP.
Short Haul: Drivers typically leave home or the terminal in the morning and travel to destinations within a half day’s or one day’s drive; they make numerous stops to pick up and deliver goods over a relatively short distance.Short haul truck drivers are not eligible under the AINP.
Eligible employers and semi-skilled employees must meet the following criteria:
Criteria for Employers (includes but is not limited to):
The number of allocations approved to employers are based on factors including recruitment strategies and conditions, employment policies and practices, retention and settlement.
Allocations will further be based on the number of temporary foreign workers approved under a Labour Market Opinion (LMO), size of company and number of long haul drivers and past performance (retention rates).
A company will not receive an allocation larger than the number of foreign drivers for which the company has received an LMO.
Allocation will be based on 10% to 15% of the number of long haul drivers employed by the company.
A review of the retention rate of the company with previous allocations will be conducted. Companies with retention rates of less than 50% may not receive a full yearly allocation. These companies will have to demonstrate improved recruitment and hiring practices.
An Employer must provide information regarding recruitment activity and supporting documentation that demonstrates that the foreign trained driver is aware of the scope of their employment, which includes duration of long haul trips taken, mileage, normal amount of days away from home, and anticipated annual salary.
In-Alberta training must be documented. If provided by the employer, details of the training program must be provided which includes training content, hours of training provided in a classroom and supervised road training, testing methodology, and results.
If the training is provided by a third-party, a copy of the program syllabus must be provided including hours of classroom and supervised road training, testing methodology and results.
The in-Alberta training and supervision must certify familiarity with traffic laws, documentation requirements (record of loads, vehicle maintenance log books, mileage, etc.) and areas of specialization (hazardous goods, mountains, winter driving conditions, running in major metropolitan areas) etc.
An Employer must ensure that the Provincial Nominee (PN) Candidates have prior driving training and related experience in a professional capacity.
Alberta Class 1 driver's license and eligibility of the candidate to meet provincial regulations.
An Employer must submit a PN Candidate who has the required qualifications, has demonstrated excellent work performance and will contribute to the long term success of the company.
An Employer must possess a Service Canada Labour Market Opinion (LMO) Confirmation and meet the conditions such as salary and accommodation.
An Employer must ensure the PN Candidate is competent in listening, speaking, reading and writing English prior to nomination.
An Employer is responsible for testing and establishing a benchmark of English language capability of the PN Candidate upon arrival.
If the PN Candidate originated from an English speaking country or has completed secondary or post-secondary studies in English, the employer is not required to provide proof of PN Candidate competency in the English language.
Should the PN Candidate not be competent in English, the employer must provide the PN Candidate with an in-house English as a Second Language (ESL) program or cover the cost of the ESL training for the PN Candidate.
For more on ESL training programs, see related links for the ESL Guideline for Hotel and Lodging, Manufacturing and Trucking Industry.
An Employer must provide, in their application to the AINP, a plan outlining their approach to accommodation, settlement and retention for the PN Candidate from the time the PN Candidate commences employment with the employer. The plan shall demonstrate employer support and assistance toward successful integration of the workforce, community and society integration.
Criteria for Provincial Nominee (PN) Candidates (includes but is not limited to):
The PN Candidate must hold a valid work permit for the National Occupational Classification (NOC) occupational group of 7411, for the occupation title of Long Haul Truck Driver and be residing in Alberta.
PN Candidates must provide a copy of their foreign driver's license which indicates C+E certification (if from Europe). Both parts of the license must be provided. If the driver's license is not in English, it must be translated by a certified translator.
PN Candidates must have driven in a professional capacity before coming to Canada and provide sufficient credible documentation to demonstrate their previous driving related training (hazardous goods, etc.) and work experience.
Preference will be given to drivers who can demonstrate a minimum of three out of the last five years work experience as a HGV/LGV driver.
PN Candidates must provide reference letters on company letterhead, dated, and signed with the title or position of the individual from the company who is providing the reference. E-mail letters are acceptable if they are sent from the company’s e-mail account that is providing the references (not hotmail or yahoo accounts).The letter must state the occupation of the employee, either HGV/LGV driver, and/or describe the work they performed which clearly indicates the equipment that was driven (articulated, semi, reefer, tanker, etc.).
Preference will be given to PN Candidates that have completed a minimum of high school education.
The PN Candidate must be employed in Alberta for a minimum of six months and meet or exceed all employer established work and performance standards before being nominated for the PNP.
PN Candidates not competent in the English language must undergo ESL training from the time they arrive to work to when they become permanent residents. To be eligible for nomination the PN Candidate must submit proof of 85% attendance rate in the ESL training and must demonstrate a progress in learning.
The PN Candidate must demonstrate integration into the local community.
The PN Candidate must demonstrate the financial means or capability to pay for the costs of applying for permanent residency and establishing themselves and their family (if applicable) in Alberta.
To address the critical skill shortage of workers in the Alberta Trucking Industry, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) will consider an employer’s business case for the select occupation of Long Haul Truck Driver (NOC 7411 - C).
Definition of long haul and short haul truck drivers:
Long haul: Drivers depart for destinations thousands of kilometers away from home. They cross inter-provincial boundaries and travel over international routes across North America. Drivers are away from home for several days per week or weeks at a time. A long haul driver is one who operates a tractor-trailer combination vehicle and hauls commercial goods over long distances.Long haul truck drivers are eligible under the AINP.
Short Haul: Drivers typically leave home or the terminal in the morning and travel to destinations within a half day’s or one day’s drive; they make numerous stops to pick up and deliver goods over a relatively short distance.Short haul truck drivers are not eligible under the AINP.
Eligible employers and semi-skilled employees must meet the following criteria:
Criteria for Employers (includes but is not limited to):
The number of allocations approved to employers are based on factors including recruitment strategies and conditions, employment policies and practices, retention and settlement.
Allocations will further be based on the number of temporary foreign workers approved under a Labour Market Opinion (LMO), size of company and number of long haul drivers and past performance (retention rates).
A company will not receive an allocation larger than the number of foreign drivers for which the company has received an LMO.
Allocation will be based on 10% to 15% of the number of long haul drivers employed by the company.
A review of the retention rate of the company with previous allocations will be conducted. Companies with retention rates of less than 50% may not receive a full yearly allocation. These companies will have to demonstrate improved recruitment and hiring practices.
An Employer must provide information regarding recruitment activity and supporting documentation that demonstrates that the foreign trained driver is aware of the scope of their employment, which includes duration of long haul trips taken, mileage, normal amount of days away from home, and anticipated annual salary.
In-Alberta training must be documented. If provided by the employer, details of the training program must be provided which includes training content, hours of training provided in a classroom and supervised road training, testing methodology, and results.
If the training is provided by a third-party, a copy of the program syllabus must be provided including hours of classroom and supervised road training, testing methodology and results.
The in-Alberta training and supervision must certify familiarity with traffic laws, documentation requirements (record of loads, vehicle maintenance log books, mileage, etc.) and areas of specialization (hazardous goods, mountains, winter driving conditions, running in major metropolitan areas) etc.
An Employer must ensure that the Provincial Nominee (PN) Candidates have prior driving training and related experience in a professional capacity.
Alberta Class 1 driver's license and eligibility of the candidate to meet provincial regulations.
An Employer must submit a PN Candidate who has the required qualifications, has demonstrated excellent work performance and will contribute to the long term success of the company.
An Employer must possess a Service Canada Labour Market Opinion (LMO) Confirmation and meet the conditions such as salary and accommodation.
An Employer must ensure the PN Candidate is competent in listening, speaking, reading and writing English prior to nomination.
An Employer is responsible for testing and establishing a benchmark of English language capability of the PN Candidate upon arrival.
If the PN Candidate originated from an English speaking country or has completed secondary or post-secondary studies in English, the employer is not required to provide proof of PN Candidate competency in the English language.
Should the PN Candidate not be competent in English, the employer must provide the PN Candidate with an in-house English as a Second Language (ESL) program or cover the cost of the ESL training for the PN Candidate.
For more on ESL training programs, see related links for the ESL Guideline for Hotel and Lodging, Manufacturing and Trucking Industry.
An Employer must provide, in their application to the AINP, a plan outlining their approach to accommodation, settlement and retention for the PN Candidate from the time the PN Candidate commences employment with the employer. The plan shall demonstrate employer support and assistance toward successful integration of the workforce, community and society integration.
Criteria for Provincial Nominee (PN) Candidates (includes but is not limited to):
The PN Candidate must hold a valid work permit for the National Occupational Classification (NOC) occupational group of 7411, for the occupation title of Long Haul Truck Driver and be residing in Alberta.
PN Candidates must provide a copy of their foreign driver's license which indicates C+E certification (if from Europe). Both parts of the license must be provided. If the driver's license is not in English, it must be translated by a certified translator.
PN Candidates must have driven in a professional capacity before coming to Canada and provide sufficient credible documentation to demonstrate their previous driving related training (hazardous goods, etc.) and work experience.
Preference will be given to drivers who can demonstrate a minimum of three out of the last five years work experience as a HGV/LGV driver.
PN Candidates must provide reference letters on company letterhead, dated, and signed with the title or position of the individual from the company who is providing the reference. E-mail letters are acceptable if they are sent from the company’s e-mail account that is providing the references (not hotmail or yahoo accounts).The letter must state the occupation of the employee, either HGV/LGV driver, and/or describe the work they performed which clearly indicates the equipment that was driven (articulated, semi, reefer, tanker, etc.).
Preference will be given to PN Candidates that have completed a minimum of high school education.
The PN Candidate must be employed in Alberta for a minimum of six months and meet or exceed all employer established work and performance standards before being nominated for the PNP.
PN Candidates not competent in the English language must undergo ESL training from the time they arrive to work to when they become permanent residents. To be eligible for nomination the PN Candidate must submit proof of 85% attendance rate in the ESL training and must demonstrate a progress in learning.
The PN Candidate must demonstrate integration into the local community.
The PN Candidate must demonstrate the financial means or capability to pay for the costs of applying for permanent residency and establishing themselves and their family (if applicable) in Alberta.
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