Cost of living in Southern Alberta.

Okay, theres been a lot going on recently in in this ole Trucking Life. Weve had major fallouts with advertising companies, driving tests, snakes in gardens and even a large trucking company trying to hejemacate Lyndon in the classroom.

Well now Lyndons all hejamacated its time to do some clevver stuff.

So heres the science bit.

Lots of people are asking about the cost of living in Canada and that is a very valid question, for a lot of people coming out here trucking may be taking a cut in pay so the main concern is, "are we going to be able to afford to live".

The answer to that is "yes you are", i'm sure there are hundreds of people out there who will disagree with me but i say that food shopping over here is cheaper than shopping in the UK. The reason people disagree with me is because they dont shop the way we do, the secret is to shop like a canadian not like a brit.

If you want to buy Kellogs cornflakes, british makes of soup and basically anything that needs to be imported then you are going to pay a fortune. However if you are willing to try Presidents Choice or even dare i say it, "Sans Nom" or "No Name" (that was french) products then you can save a fortune. Okay i admit some products are disgusting but some are really nice, its just a case of try it and see.

One example of cheap and nice is a Canadian delicacy called simply "KD". Its proper name is Kraft Dinner, its bought in dry form for about 50c, boil the pasta elbows, mix the sauce, put it together and that is Kraft Dinner, it is basically maccaroni cheese except that the sauce is sort of orangey.

With meat i have found that beef is cheap, pork is even cheaper, lamb is about the same as UK and chicken is expensive, hams and salamis are generally cheaper and cheeses are also cheaper.

You have to really search around for instant gravy and the pasta sauces have a weird tang to them. One food which we dont like is Piorgies, strange little pasta shells with mashed potato and some other flavour in, we tend to give them a miss.

Down here in Lethbridge we have loads of large supermarkets, some are better than others so you have to shop around for the weekly bargains, some supermarkets send out weekly flyers which come straight out to your mailbox, they are worth a look.Here is my opinion of the various shopping places.

Safeway - Not my favourite, good bargains on the flyers but poor choice, dark shop and no fresh meat dept, quite expensive generally, this is my last resort.

Walmart - Same as UK, cheap, well lit, good choice, sells clothes and homewares too, great for cheaply kitting your house out when you first come over. In Lethbridge it is being extended so at the moment there is no fresh meat dept.

CostCo - Good for bulk buying but not the cheapest. In UK you need a cash and cary card, over here you just buy a card for about $40 i think, i already had a card from UK as i worked for Wincanton. Fantastic choice of fresh meat and very well presented but like i said not the cheapest.

Canadian Superstore - the bees knees, cheapest around, grocery choice is a little limited but great choice in fresh and frozen meats, we do most of our shopping here, i dont reckon you can beat it. Store is well lit, well spaced out, great choice, cheap prices and the salami selection is out of this world. The roasting beef and the AAA steaks are unbeleiveable, this is the place to shop.

Banned forever & ever & ever.....................

This is what happens when you stand up to a bullying company.

Caring sharing Travelera.

Thank you to Everyone

I would just like to say THANK YOU for all the emails of support and the comments left on the blog reference my little "disagreement" with britishexpats. Also THANK YOU to all the forum members who stood up and spoke out against the moderators on there. I hope no-one else got banned or suspended, we made a stand and we should be proud.

For me, and i am sorry if this sounds arrogant, but it was the best feeling in the world when the emails started rolling in and the comments started coming in, i am gratefull and humbled.

I will carry on my story on the blog, we have come so far since the start of the year and overcome so much. If any of you followed this from the very first post you will remember how this was a pipe dream, i had no idea what Canada was like, all i had seen was what was shown on the TV.I had no idea what the companies were like or even how to contact them and get the ball rolling.

Here we are 9 months later, been there and done it, got the t-shirt and the baseball cap, passed everything they threw at me, house all sorted. Would i have done anything different, i dont think so.

I have heared it all, the moneys crap you wont survive, you are away from home for weeks at a time, your company desnt sponsor for PNP, the weathers too hot, the weathers too cold, 30 drivers left last month to go to another company.

Well theres an element of truth in all that but there is a lot of horse sh*t too, the job is what you make of it, H&R is what you make of it ,Canada is what you make of it.

And guess what else......................

Life is what you make of it.

I could list hundreds of reasons why not to do H&R, Canadian Trucking, Canada if i really thought about it, but would i go back to UK now, i dont think so.

And why not.......................................Because its for us and we are lovin' it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Picking up my new Truck

Well ive done my 3 days in the class room and wow it was tough, i never realised how much i hated flourescant lighting. Still its done now, i got all my paperwork, fuel cards, security cards, directories, handbooks, calling cards, H&R baseball cap, H&R pens and a multitude of other stuff, it was like christmas.

My next task is a mentored trip into Vancouver and i will be scooting off on Sunday, at the crack of sparrows fart which is army speak for very early, this is the plan, we drive over the mountains and tip into Vancouver, Tom whi my mentor then drops me (and my load bars) off at the Delta yard where my own truck is waiting for me. I was then supposed to collect a trailer and bring it east but i said that wasnt necessary, just send me south if there is a trip available, if im going to jump in i may aswell jump in at the deep end.

I am planning to stay out for between 2 to 3 weeks but we will see how it goes, i have to be carefull how much kit i take because dont forget i am being monitored for the first few days

Snakes in the garden

The panics over now but.............

Just been doing the garden and found a snake in the garden, yes a foot long snake...in the garden. I popped (did i just say popped, i meant sprinted) round the neighbours to ask him if he knew what sort of snake it was, i tried poking it with a stick and it didnt rattle so i didnt think it was a rattler. Anyway as the neighbours son pointed out with a smirk, its a garter snake, they dont bite but dont pick it up because they secrete a liquid that stinks....as if i was going to do that.

I was told to leave it be because it eats the mice, to be honest i think i would rather have the mice

Another day in the classroom

This week is killing me, i am not really one for the classroom, yes i know i need to know all this stuff but that doesnt make it any easier. Told today that i should be getting my truck on Tuesday and going out Tuesday night.

Found a car insurance company in Lethbridge today that will recognise your UK no claims bonus, if anyones interested, go the Schwartz building on 3rd & 10th street, i just got half slashed off my premium........... Result.

Oh well some of us have got lawns to cut, see you all soon.

Back to the important stuff

Back in the classroom this morning, i got 3 days with my nose in a book, never mind its got to be done. I think my Vancouver is booked for Friday but im not too sure, oh well i s'pose i will find out soon enough, im hoping to get my truck next week so i can actually get out there and do my stuff. The weathers gone a bit crazy lately, it hailed yesterday, good old Canadian weather eh?

My proper plastic licence came through this morning which was nice, my second one and ive only been here a month. When i get back from Vancouver i think i had better start thinking about getting kit for the cab, anyone know the best place to get a skinny fridge, has to be 110 volts.

By the way time for a silly photo.

Britishexpats.com, friendly advice site or advertising agency

Before we get back to the important stuff i would just like to say a couple of things, firstly i cannot post the reply i got from Britishexpats because they say it is copywrited, i have written to the parent company but so far i have not had a reply. I am glad all of this happened because i discovered something by accident.

I always thought that these forums were designed by individuals who shared a common interest in a particular hobby or activity and then created the forums to attract others in where information can be shared and ideas mulled over.

How wrong i was..................

It appears Britishexpats.com is the property of a company called Travelera. It is an advertising agency that picks a forum subject that they use to get people to go onto the site therefore creating traffic then sell the advertising rights to third parties so they can practice selective advertising.

They also have other "properties"

BritishExpats.com
ExpatForums.com
GolfingUpdate.com
theDamnDog.com

How many people are unwittingly being duped into being advertising targets.

Isnt google wonerful, try this site for size

http://travelera.com/

Well Travelera you wont be using me any more.

What a charming man

Just recieved a wonderful email from a charming person who wished to remain anonymous.

Well Mr Mous, unfortunately i cant publish you comments because of all the naughty words you were using, i really wanted to send you a personal heart felt reply but apart from you not giving a return address, i found it dificult to get my message across in words of 2 or less sylibles.

If you give me the address of your cave i promise to reply as you obviously took time out from mugging old ladies and writing on walls.

You did confuse me though with one word you used, its as if you left a knuckle on the keyboard, by the way did the noise it made amuse you.

oh to answer one of you questions,

No actually i dont know what a complete F***king idiot looks like.....

but if you would care to send in a photo of yorself i would consider posting it, perhaps we could have a caption contest.

My entry would just say "UG"

Anyway Mr Mous ( or may i call you Anony as i feel we have bonded and i really got to know you) you go and have a wanderfull day and watch you dont get spray paint down your shirt, remember i goes on the wall not you.

Letter sent to www.britishexpats.com

This is a copy of the letter i sent to britishexpats about 10 minutes ago, i really would appreciate any feed back you would like to give, there are enough truckers on there to make a difference, but it wont happen unless we speak up.

i wish to complain about my treatment and the treatment of a thread i started reference H&R Transport. Yesterday i saw that the thread had been closed as some members had been arguing on it.

What angered me most was the comments made by your moderator "Ray" who said the thread had run its course. Please tell me, was the thread closed because of rule breaking, or was it the heated discussions or was it because it had indeed "run its course"
That is utter garbage, I started that thread when i recieved a start date with that company, if you would care to read it you will see that it logs my day to day acivities and shows exactly what happens when you join this company. That thread shows the true facts of what goes on, instead of what usually gets posted on this site which is usually 2nd or 3rd hand gossip. I cant imagine why you cant see that is a great asset to your site. People who are making life changing decisions rely on people like me to tell them the true facts and what to look for between the lines. How on earth can yo say the thread has run its course, it is an ongoing story, i am at a crucial part of my training, the last run and where i actually start earning money, for pitys sake go take a look at the questions people are asking, they are scared that they are being scammed or if they will earn enough to make ends meet.

That is the reason i would not tow the line yesterday, its not for me, i have taken everything i need from your site, i am trying to give something back.
Youu deem fit to ban me and delete my thread for speaking my mind and publicly critisising two of your staff but you deem fit to leave a post on there where one member calls another member a "empty head" and a "D**K head".Could you please explain to me how you decide what is fit to print and what is not fit to print, i could mention double standards but that wouldnt do it justice.

You have alienated a lot of people over the last 48 hours, even if you dont care about that, think about the fact that there a lot of potential canadian truckers who read you site and make you money through your advertising. You have shuffled them under the carpet, moved them out of the mainstream and stuck them out of the way. Please have a reality check, look at how many trucker families you have, its not even just for canadian truckers, you lumped them in with Auzzies, Kiwis and any other nationality. Why couldnt you have a sub forum within the Canadian section for them. You got the maple leaf where people can just post off topic things, how about a section that helps what is a sizeable chuck of your audience.

I have PMed Sue & Ray to try to get this matter resolved and avoid all this uneccasary unpleasantness, i asked them to respond. They responded by banning me, that may be the answer for you but how about the people you serve. I was told that i was banned for discussing moderator actions publicly but i was only banned after i sent the PM's, if i offended them then i have to say they deserve it, and they dont deserve the positions they hold.
I have even offered my services to moderate the thread my self, but never recieved an answer, as a matter of fact i believe the thread where i made that offer has been deleted, i now make that offer again to you but i extend that to the whole of the proposed Canadian Truckers Forum.
This letter will also be pulished on my trucking blog which is also read by a large number of you audience, remember i am doing it for their benefit so they have a right to know of its progress.

http://lyndon001.blogspot.com/

Please note: I am asking you for the following:
1. Reinstate my posting rights immediatly.
2. Reinstate the H&R Transport thread.
3. Create a Canadian truckers Forum within the Canadian forum.
4. A sticky note of apology to the trucking comunity from Ray & Anne to be atached to the Canadian Truckers Forum to be left there for 14 days

I await your response.

Lyndon Lomanovskis

Canadian Trucker.

NOTE: If this complaint is recieved by either Anne or Ray then i do expect it to be dealt with by someone else who can give an unbiased judgement.

Walking the dog

One thing i used to love about UK was walking the dog round Coate Water resevoir before Sunday lunch. What a way to build up an appetite ready for the roast beef and yorkshire pud.

Well out here in Raymond it is 10 times better, its quiet, the scenery is out of this world and there is a load of water for Gizmo to dive in half way round. I would like to point out that those pipes come from the lake, its not a sewerage outlet, remember this is Canada not UK.

Just like to mention the roast beef, if you aint tried Albertan AAA beef then you aint tried beef, it is fantastic, it is tender, it is juicey and the taste is out of this world.

Back in Lethbridge

Thats the first trip over, i got an easy week next week, 3 days in the classroom learning all the paperwork, computer systems and im sure loads of other stuff. Sorry its a short post but i have sunk a few beers and i am knackered, speak to you all tomorrow and i'll put a few more pics up to

Hot and bothered in California

Its 21:30 pacific time and we are sat in a Flying J in a place called Ripon (43 degree C) which is just south of Sacremento. We had a busy couple of days, we drove down thru Montana and into Idaho, then west into Nevada and south into California, as we got into California we went thru a scale and got pulled on a tech inspection. Our paperwork and logbooks were good but we got shut down on an air pipe leak in the middle of the chasis. We lost an hour and half waiting for the repair and then we were off again.

Up and down mountains till we approached Sacremento then it was south down to Riverbank. We tipped easy enough and headed a few miles north to yet another Flying J which is where i am now. Tomorrow we got 2 collections then we can start heading north

1st night out in America

This is it, first trip south of the border, we are at the flying J at Great Falls in Montana, pretty uneventfull day really, we crossed the border at Coutts, did the meat inspection at sweetgrass then trundled down to here for the night and to set up the internet. We are delivering to a place called Riverbank in California, anyway heres some pics from the border crossing.

1st run into the States

Well thats it, my first run out tomorrow, 08:00 and its waggons roll! I have to do a mentored drive down into California, i am taking the old laptop so i should still be posting. Ive got the trip bag all packed so its an early (ish) night tonight.

I passed my Class 1 today

Well thats all the training finished, i am now a Class 1 Canadian Truck Driver. i Had a phone call off my instructor this morning saying we had a slot for 13:30 so it was a quick shave & shower and a rapid drive up to Lethbridge.

We had a warm up drive and i was crap, steering all over the place, gears as crunchy as a crunchy thing on a particularly crunchy day and my brain maintaining a steady altitude of 25000 meters.

What could possibly go wrong i hear you ask yourselves, well actually nothing did and the examiner passed me, damn i am so happy.

Well i thought i would pop into H& R and just let them know and guess what, i am off to California on Sunday, (that was quick)

So thats it i guess, we went down to Michaels tonight and got me kitted out and good to go so thats it, i guess i have done it, I am now a Canadian Long Haul Trucker.

Gizmo has landed

Had to drive up to Calgary this morning to collect a parcel that got stuck in customs and to pick up Gizmo He was not a happy dog and he was absolutely shattered, thats the first time in his life he has been locked in a box. We have got him home now and he had a good run around and watered a few trees.

The process is crazy, you go to cargo, collect the paperwork, take it to customs to have it stamped then go back over to crgo to collect him, oh well its over now.

Canadian trucks are different

Guess what, canadian trucks are different to the ones in uk and i dont just mean the steering wheel is on the other side. I have been driving "lorries" for a fair few years now but this is a completely different ball game. They are slower "around town" and more clumsy, the turning circle is bigger and sometimes it feels like you are trying to navigate a jumbo jet around town (minus the wings obviously).

There is also the small matter of the gear box, in Alberta even if you are going to be driving autos, you still train and take your test in a none-syncromesh, its the law or something.

Anyway here's a couple of pics.

We got a New Car

Went out and bought a car on Tuesday, what a fantastic service, bought, insured, registered and driven away all in the same afternoon, try doing that in UK.

Sunday Lunch

Had a great day today, Abdul, John, Carol and kids came round for Sunday lunch. After we figured out the oven things went pretty well and i hope everyone had a good time, it was good to see the kids go a little mental after being stuck in a hotel room for 2 weeks.

Anne, our neihbour also popped round and bought us some lovely plum jelly and honey, all home made, thanks Anne.

So far this little adventure is what dreams are made of. Remember back on Feb 13th when i started this weblog, so much has happened to us since then, we feel as though we are completely different people.

The folks over here are so welcoming and friendly and the way of life is so laid back, at this moment in time i just cannot imagine going back to UK.

The sun is just starting to sink over the back yard and the shaddows are getting longer, its also getting a little cooller which is nice, Lukes out playing with is new friends, just lately he has become inseparable from his new basketball, just as well because basketball is life round here.

Thats another thing about Raymond, there is little or no crime so Luke can stay out even after dark, thats something that would never happen in UK.

At the moment i really do think we made the right decision about moving to Canada.

Wow its hot

Thurday went driving, great fun playing tunes on the crash box, it was a 3 hour lesson, started with gear change exersises then went for a drive round the town, finished off with some coupling and went through pe trip checks again.

The weather is pushing 40 C again, its damn hot.

Friday was all day in the classroom for the air brake endorsement, weather was still baking but we got through it, we passed the exam at the end so its just the pre trip and road driv e to get through.

Its a long weekend but i got to get my nose into some books, i had a couple of beers and a bourbon or two to celebrate passing the "air test" last night. Big mistake, i have been dehydrated all day, its just dropping dark now and cooling down a little, i think i will stick to the Gator-aid tonight.

Must focus on buying a car next week, coinsidense realy coz i am concidering a Ford Focus wagon. We have invited Abdul and John, Carol & kids round for Sunday lunch tomorrow so that should be fun, John and bdul are the other 2 drivers who started the same day as me.

The pic is of the sea food counter at the Canadian Superstore, you can either pick the one you want or just line up and let the crab choose, not sure i would have the heart to eat it after it had waved to you

More news in a couple of days.

1st week so far

Well here we are, there are three of us, John from Birmingham, Abdul from Manchester and of course me, Lyndon from Swindon.Heres what you can expect if you decide to drive a truck for H & R Transport in Canada.

Monday, met by boss in hotel lobby and went for a drive,

Peed in a cup (drugs test)
Squinted at some letters and numbers (eye sight test)
Got prodded and poked and blood pressured (Class 1 medical)
Filled out some forms (Medicare and some other stuff)
Went to the bank (self explanitory)

then finished for the day so went to our house to sort things out.

Tuesday, no work so we went shopping and getting things for the house, bought furniture and white goods to be delivered Wednesday. Met some of the neihbours and set up utilities.

Wednesday, spent morning doing coupling, uncoupling and pre-checks. Afternoon, changed licencies from UK to Canadian, bought 2 satelite TV boxes and organised satelite instalation. Saved the life of a little dog, did more shopping then went to Raymond to await delivery of dining table, washer & dryer.

Thursday, dunno yet.