Canada Canada

[whitewolf53]

I am thinking of signing on with Panther,do you have your choice of going to Canada or not?????? As i will not go to that Foreign country.Not because i can't but i just refuse to.Any reply is welcomed.
whitewolf53

 

[Glen Rice]

Most carriers including Panther do a great deal of business in Canada. By saying you're not going, you are limiting your income potential greatly. They may lease you on, but after you turn down multiple shipments to Canada, they may let you go. Good luck with your decision.

 

[SillySafetyGirl]

By stating outright that you won't go to Canada (not that you can't but you won't), you're limiting yourself on the expediting companies that may have hired you.

Your attitude and unwillingness to go to Canada is not a quality that most carriers look for in their drivers or owner/operators.

We don't force dispatch here, but I do know that when a driver refuses too many loads we tend not to call him or her unless we know he or she will take the load. It's difficult to accomodate the shipper's needs when the driver refuses to fulfill their obligation to our customers.

My suggestion (take it or leave it) is:
Don't be silly by telling a potential employer that you refuse to go to Canada. If you can't go there, that's a different story...if you won't go there, then you're only hurting yourself with a bad attitude.

Silly

 

[ACE]

I Didn't think Whitewolf53 comment about not going to Canada was a bad attitude. I think he is making a business decision which he can as an I/C.
The carrier can either say okay or they can't use him.

 

[RobA]

>I am thinking of signing on with Panther,do you have your
>choice of going to Canada or not?????? As i will not go to
>that Foreign country.Not because i can't but i just refuse
>to.Any reply is welcomed.
>whitewolf53



As the resident Canadian of this board, I am certainly distressed by this statement by whitewolf53. The issue of limiting areas of operation have been dealt with by the others.

My question is; why do you harbour such a great dislike of my "foreign" country that you refuse to go?
What is your issue or issues with Canada?

 

[RobA]

>I Didn't think Whitewolf53 comment about not going to Canada
>was a bad attitude. I think he is making a business decision
>which he can as an I/C.
>The carrier can either say okay or they can't use him.


How is refusing to go to an area a "BUSINESS" decision?
Seems more of a personal issue to me.

 

[LDB]

>I Didn't think Whitewolf53 comment about not going to Canada
>was a bad attitude. I think he is making a business decision
>which he can as an I/C.
>The carrier can either say okay or they can't use him.

If that's a business decision it has to be asked what sort of decision it is. Arbitrarily declining 15%-20% of the available work certainly reduces one's income potential as well as reducing one's marketability. There are a few companies that don't do Canada I believe but any that do Canada runs are going to want every driver capable of doing so to go there.

I'd rather not go to Canada either, simply because it's outside my normal comfort zone. It's probably no more likely to get lost there or have any other problem that happens here in the U.S. however it's still not home. That being said, I'm also looking forward to getting the FAST and CDRP and going outside my normal comfort zone as well.

Good luck to you whatever happens.

Leo
truck 4958

Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[Spinners]

Whitewolf try contacting Nations Express the give you a choice when you sign on if you want to go to Canada or not and that is put next to your name with dispatch nd they want sent you there.

 

[merkurfan]

Panther DOES have a non-canada lease. Thus they will not even offer you canada loads. I have one now because my recuiter was new and did not know I would need some sort of release from canada for some uhh youthfull indescressions (theift). I was a minor when I was charged and as a adult I had 1 bad check go to court (ended up with a misdeminor) all are felonies in Canada (boy you guys are strict) and thus I have to spend 750-1000 dollars to get permission to enter canada. I'll probably spend the cash, but this week I ran 2000 loaded miles, and that is my first week out had 2 575+ mile runs, 2 250+ and one 200 I am pretty sure was dumped on me because I was new and they knew I probably would not turn it down (ready at 1 due by 7.. no other work by then), I look at every run as money. Saying no to even the short ones will not earn you any points.

I'm in South Carolina for the weekend, and that is fine with me. It's nice out, lowes is right next to walmart and I wana redo my sleeper anyways (Yes.. I carry a lot of tools and a big inverter )

Back to Panther and Canada. A non-Canada lease pays .02 a mile less for a cargo van not sure on tractors or straight trucks.

Now.. if you look at panthers site they are now serving Mexico.. I wonder how that will work. I have concerns about saftey in Mexico. Canada I have no worries but I won't do mexico.

 

[LDB]

For a straight truck it is 5cpm less without Canada. I was set up that way at orientation because I didn't have all the Canadian provinces on my baseplate that are required. It was just for a few days until people at home got the update faxed in.

Leo
truck 4958

Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[rode2rouen]

I just got back from a quickie run to Oakville, ONT. Although I don't do a lot of Canada runs, I'm not too enthused about going back again.

Going into Canada is a snap. The Canadian Customs folks are, as a rule, friendly and courteous. Coming back to the American side is another story...rude, abrupt, disrespectful and ruder!

I've had enough!


Rex

 

[ACE]

I did not say it was a good or a bad decision. I said it was his decision to make. I believe all business decision are made with the personal feelings as a contributing factor.

When you buy a piece of equipment don't your personal feelings play into your purchase.

 

[plumcrazy8]

Very honest and lucent choice NOT to do the Canada thing.

Here's one for you ALL to consider: In Minesota, if you pay child support the county can have your driver's license pulled for non-payment as with any other state or county agency.

BUT here's the kicker (and it happended to me once): If your payment gets lost in the mail or mis-applied it will show up as non-payment and the license will get pulled and they DO NOT have to inform you!!

Mine got hung up in the switch a few years ago when checks were supposed to be mailed to the state rather than the county, I mailed mine to the state as requested and the state lost them. For 3 months! And from what the local news agencies said there were a vast majority of "regular", non-deadbeat dads that this happened to. Showing them cancelled checks as proof is, of course, a remedy that shows no immediate cure since this IS government we're talking about here.

Please pay attention to this, THEY DO NOT HAVE TO INFORM YOU.

Now, I ask, in this near-socialistic society we "live" in should a driver risk detainment and possible arrest at a foreign border? And what other laws can they pass that will result in the same?

Thankfully my child support will be through in a couple of months. I have run Canada quite a bit, but have gotten skiddish about it because of this. I will run it again and the Canadians are pleasant people and the country is clean and impressive. Can't blame them for our "Gestapo" government.

 

[davekc]

Now.. if you look at panthers site they are now serving Mexico.. I wonder how that will work. I have concerns about saftey in Mexico. Canada I have no worries but I won't do mexico.

One can have their shipment sent to Mexico, but it is swapped at the border. Panther trucks are not insured to go across the border.
Davekc

 

[whitewolf53]

Thanks to all who replied,i have decided to sign on with Panther.Go to orientation tommorrow morning.I have nothing against Canada.I just choose not to go there.I will sign that no Canada clause,and take the loss.I think it will be a lot cheaper taking the loss than bringing something back from Canada to the good old U.S.A and forgetting to dot my i's and cross my t's and getting hit with a 5,000 dollar fine.
whitewolf53

 

[merkurfan]

You might change your mind about canada after orentation. They do a *very* good job of making sure you know how to get accross the boarder with out troubles. And are always a phone call away to make sure everything was done right.

Of course I am kind of talking out of my butt because I can't go to canada just yet

By the way, the fine is a US thing, not a canada thing if I am not mistaken.

 

[DannyD]

In response to message #0

I just got back from a quickie run to Oakville, ONT. Although I don't do a lot of Canada runs, I'm not too enthused about going back again.
Going into Canada is a snap. The Canadian Customs folks are, as a rule, friendly and courteous. Coming back to the American side is another story...rude, abrupt, disrespectful and ruder!



Rode,

You hit the nail on the head. Most of my runs are to Canada & while I love GOING there, coming back was a total pain in the wazoo for about 3 months or so until I got my FAST Card. After that the border patrol seemed to settle down some.

Until you get that card though, which seems to be their proof that you're not out to destroy this country, being treated like that seems to be the norm.

 

[redytrk]

>You might change your mind about canada after orentation.
>They do a *very* good job of making sure you know how to get
>accross the boarder with out troubles. And are always a
>phone call away to make sure everything was done right.
>
>Of course I am kind of talking out of my butt because I
>can't go to canada just yet
>
>By the way, the fine is a US thing, not a canada thing if I
>am not mistaken.

Yes it is US Homeland Security that is being difficult and handing out those $5000.00 fines.
Brokers are also being finned for not doing their part after you fax your paperwork. You can bet they will do everything they can to put the blame on the driver

 

[DannyD]

I can see both sides of the Canada issue. Living in Michigan, I'd much rather go to Toronto than say Chicago. The odds of hitting a major traffic tie up is less on the 402/401 than 94. Traffic is less congested in Toronto. Though TO's rush hour has it's moments, it's a picnic compared to Chicago. I got a 407 transponder for times when I hit the 401 during rush hour. If I can save an hour or so on my delivery, it's worth a few bucks to take the toll road.

Having said that, coming back to the US can be difficult. For some people, no amount of money is worth how some of those border people treat ya. The worry of a $5000 fine is more stress than some people want to deal w/. Yes, there's a way to do it right. The thing is though, not everyone is perfect. You have to learn the right way & if ya mess up, you can get whacked for 5K.

It's almost like learing to walk on a balance beam 50 feet in the air. I had a close call on a fine & it's a less than great feeling wondering if you're going to have to pay that kind of money for an honest mistake. Especially when that mistake was something you were told to do. To some people that's not worth it.

Also, using the cell phone is a lot more expensive in Canada. I have to pay 30 cents/minute to use the thing over there. That effectively cuts off any communication you might have w/ friends & family & such while you're waiting for another load.

I work for a company that does mostly US/Canada freight & love it. For me the positives outweigh the negatives in going to Canada. I can totally see where others would disagree though. This is only my personal opinion, but if I was w/ a company that did 20% of so Canadian freight I'd hold off on going to Canada until I got my FAST card. Something about that card (probably the background check needed to get it) changes how the US Customs people treat ya. Once that's taken care of, going to Toronto is like going to any American city.

Best of luck to everyone w/ your decision on Canadian freight, no matter what that decision may be.