Thinking of Moving Over

Member since 06 November 2011

TonyTRTMember06 November 2011 18:52:40

Hello all looking at coming over to Calgary I am hgv Class 1 and have an interview lind up in the UK early December any advice info on way of life, cost of living ect, would be Great, Cheers Tony

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podge123 Member

Member since 28 August 2010

podge123Member19 March 2012 20:04:24

Hi tony,

Not sure how the job interview went in December. One word of advice beware of some of the transport companies as they can promise the earth but in reality it is nothing like that. This is not only from our own experience but there are many others out there who can testify that they can work long hours, pay can be poor depending on who you work for and sometimes you may find there is no work at all. If you upset the powers that be they can punish you by just starving you off work. New driving rules came in about 4 years ago look up on the government website for those. Some companies tell you off if you break them however quite often try and pull a fast one and convince you that you are within the rules. My husband聽 was a class 1 driver here and it is a good job that i had read up on the rules because several times he would call me because he was told to do a run that was clearly in breech of his driving hours.

You may think the truck you drive in the UK is not very luxurious however compared with some of them out her yours will be a palace.

Cost of living depends on where you settle. Utilty bills are expensive compared with the UK. If you are used to shopping at Tesco's etc then you will find food prices expensive and not so much choice. On average you only get 2 weeks holiday a year however on the plus side depending on the province you get 10-12 bank holidays in a year. Again rental properties can be high and some people find they are paying as much per month as they would for a mortgage.
Depending on what you enjoy do in your leisure time there is usually lots of things to do on your days off. Remember depending again on the area you settle winters can be very cold and i mean cold at -40 degrees Celsius for many days in a row with snow. Some areas snow chains are a must and you usually have to keep your truck running to keep warm when sleeping. Driving out here though is less stressful because the highways are not so congested.

I hope i haven't disheartened you but it is good for you to come out here with your eyes open.