Canadian schools acceptable to American companies?
 

I am in the immigration process right now. I am wondering if I took truck driving school here in Canada, would that be acceptable to American companies?

I know I'd have to take another road test in the U.S. but would I have to go to an American school? I was thinking of going here http://www.otds.com/ and then just taking a road test when I'm in the states since I will already know how to drive a truck. Is this school acceptable to American companies? Please help. I don't want to waste money.

Not one of you 41 people can help me with a simple yes or no?

you best bet is to call the DMV of where you want to live in the states and see if the license will be accepted.

I know from a phone call if I want to move to BC from WA my license will just transfer right over.

Thanks. I checked it out and it looks like it would be a waste of time and money for Indiana (which is where I'm going to). There goes that plan. I may never drive a truck. :sad:

You might want to check in Michigan and see what they can do for you, since you are right across the river.

I'll look into that. thanks for the tip.

Canada - USA Blues
 

Oops - messed this up. Will try again.

Canada - USA Blues
 

REALLY SORRY that I just today saw your posting. I spent three months going around in circles on this one myself. And on this board, great as it is, no one seems to know much about what wannabe drivers in Canada are going through. And, ok, why should they care?

I got it right between the eyes, when I read a blog written by a retired RCMP guy who went through trucking school in Ontario, and then COULD NOT find a job, because the Canadian carriers insisted on 1-yr OTR experience. And this ex-policeman probably went to one of those schools which are good at taking money and little else.

Now since I'm a woman, and not RCMP calibre by any stretch of the imagination, I was appalled at what my own prospects for work would be. In Ontario as you probably know already, unless you live close enough to the school location to commute, you have to add $1,500 living expenses on top of the $6-7,000 you have to shell out for your training.

Good news, brother, if you're in Quebec. With a year's residency in that province, you pay $150.00 Canadian for a FOUR-MONTH TREMENDOUS TRAINING SCHOOL, IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, plus room rental and meals.

But getting the job in Canada -- Who is there to hire a new graduate? Schneider? CRT? Challenger Motor Freight is very good, I think.

But for me, I'm still an American citizen anyway, after living north of the border in Canada for years. And not having all that money, I just decided to go to a PTDI (Professional Truck Driver Institute) certified school in Missouri. The only PTDI schools in Ontario are Fifth Wheel and KRT. Fifth Wheel up is Liskeard is out-of-the-way. Their campus in Caldeonia opened about a year ago. They supply room-and-board, but you still pay a lot for tuition.

Yes, I was told that some U.S. states across the Great Lakes will take a Canadian Class A as a U.S. CDL license. I never checked into that. I do know a lot of things have changed and things have tightened with the U.S. companies and schools, even for Americans trying to get into truck schools in different states, if they live in other states.

I HOPE YOU'VE FOUND SOME ANSWERS SINCE YOU POSTED EARLIER THIS MONTH. I almost gave up myself several times.

But now I'm starting school October 23rd.

Good luck!

I am pretty sure you are mistaken.

The only way I am sure that a license can transfer straight across is if you come to BC from another province.

If you come to BC from Wa (or anywhere else outside of Canada) you will have to take a road test. This is information that I have gotten from an Insurance Corporation Of British Columbia road test examiner who also is the manager of our local ICBC agency.

The ICBC agency I talked to said it would cross over, I would just have to get a "higher medical" than for a standard DL. They stated they have an agreement with WA to accept it.

GOOD INFORMATION - THANKS
 

Yes, thank you Rocky Mountain. You should know, since you operate a trucking school up in BC. Hope you found a good name for your new truck! Congratulations!

With the U.S. economy in a bit of distress, I don't know what the climate will be for trucking companies in the U.S. in 2007. But I have a pre-hire with a VERY good outfit arranged already. So just have to hope for the best.

I find these days several phone calls to places are sometimes necessary to get the details of anything right. Everyone is in the same boat.

Really appreciate you both trying to check this out for me.

Shebear

I talked with the Manager at the ICBC office in Cranbrook on Friday.

He said that the US and Canada do not have a reciprocal agreement to transfer licenses.

If you come to BC then you will have to first get a Class 5 license (car) then take your learners license, then take the complete driving exam. He said that the best you can hope for is to be able to go directly to the Class 1 learners license. But you will still have to take the road test with the full pretrip. Also, you will probably have to take the Air Brakes course as delivered by an ICBC Air Brakes certified school.

I have seen many ICBC agents make bold statements as what is allowed for some things and what is not allowed. I run into this all the time with the Creston BC agent. Many of their employees are misinformed.

Where the confusion comes in is who you talk to. If you talk to an ICBC Employee, then your chance of getting the right info is much better. If you talk to a ICBC Agent (Private company who do the paper work for ICBC) then your info might be tainted.

If you PM me, I will give you the phone # of my guy. He has never been wrong with an inquiry yet that I have asked him.

As a side note, my guy told me that it is not because Canada does not want a reciprocal agreement with the US, it is because the US does not want one with Canada.

There are also imigration issues that surround it. I am currently trying to get someone from England into my school, and it is not easy.

I wish we had one. It would be good for buisness.

This is kind of interesting.

If a person was a US citizen, and lived just south of the border, in say Eureka Montana, they could drive into Canada and then over the Big hills on a daily basis.

The could do this for ten years and still not be able to transfer their license if they moved to BC and set up residence. They would have to take a road test.

If someone lived in Saskatchewan, had a class one license and NEVER driven in the mountains in BC, they would be able to transfer their license straight across.

I know who I would rather see driving in BC.

Ah...don't you just love Government Think? (wait, that is an oxymoron isn't it??)

Thanks for the info RMPD. Eventually I want to move into BC and will need to know all I will need so the transition is a smooth one.