My Licence

[EnviroImports.com]

NO your licence is NOT valid here for driving Class 1 or air brake equiped vehicles, I would talk to your licencing people where you live, get an International drivers licence, when you come here, check that your international drivers licence will let you operated a class 3 vehicle as a learner with someone in the passenger seat who has either a Class 1 licence or better a Class one Instructors licence like I have. then you take an air brake course, takes an entire afternoon... about $150, with that you can either go and challange the road test for your class 3with air, or go right for the Class 1, you will need to pay a rental for the tractor/ trailer you wish to use. do the road test, have a basic medical exam and then you can drive here if you have a work visa.
Class 3 is Tandem axel tractor with a dump box and you can tow a pup. A Class 1 includes EVERY thing from Tractor trailer with multi trailer combos , to ambulance, police car, highway bus, school bus, Class one does not however cover Motorcycles.
If you do come here and end up on the island, I would be happy to take you for a few drives in a tractor as your class one "parent" but I would probably make you buy me lunch....

I was just thinking about the different circomstances, and you could come and drive here on a special permit if you came as part of a company or in your own tractor, while going across the country, but if your looking to come here and work for a Canadian company, you will need to go through the process I said in the above steps
Noel

[jwfchase]

There are also some driving challenges here not found on roads in the UK (though perhaps on the continent)- namely mountain roads with very long, very steep grades and in extreme winter weather-- and I believe much heavier loads are allowed here than there. If you do have to take your class 1 road test here, consider it a good thing!

[konadog]

Hey Drooper, when are ya going to do a reconnaissance trip and come over to visit? There'll be L-400s starting to show up in April, so you should feel right at home anytime after that

[Drooper]

Hey Drooper, when are ya going to do a reconnaissance trip and come over to visit?

Once I bulid up enough courage to get on to one of those big lumps of steel that everyone (except me) expects to stay in the air!!


Strange isn't it I will drive anywhere on any terrain in any thing from a car to an 18 wheeler, but mention to me about getting on a plane and I break out in a cold sweat!

[Green1]

well... you COULD drive... but it would be quite the adventure... and I'm a little unsure on the legs through russia to the pole...

[loki]

well... you COULD drive... but it would be quite the adventure... and I'm a little unsure on the legs through russia to the pole...

ya the guys from top gear drove to the pole from Canada, if you can get there from Russia then your golden :)

[konadog]

Once I bulid up enough courage to get on to one of those big lumps of steel that everyone (except me) expects to stay in the air!!


Strange isn't it I will drive anywhere on any terrain in any thing from a car to an 18 wheeler, but mention to me about getting on a plane and I break out in a cold sweat!

You sound like my dog Kona. He'll run anytime, anywhere, and will even happily hop into the deli, but once she starts to moving he rolls his eyes back and settles into a slow burn anxiety attack that lasts as long as the drive. The last trip we took (4 hours) we doped him with gravol (vet's advice) and it really helped reduce his anxiety. Maybe you could find something similar... I'm sure some of us over here could set you up for the return journey And of course there is always the lure of your destination - just keep your eyes on the ball, grit your teeth and repeat "Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island", or, if you prefer, "Calgary, Calgary..." You get the idea. Good luck. Hope to see you... soon!

[Drooper]

Its one of those things I have never ever wanted to do.

I had no intention of ever getting in one of those things, I had no interest what so ever in going any where that I would need to use one.

"I ain't getting on no plane fool!!!!!!"

But obviously if I want to move then I will need to get on one at least once, but I have found myself wanting to come visit more and more recently.

[EnviroImports.com]

Is there not a way for you to take a nice leasurly ride here on a ship? rent a berth, you could even bring your van that way.... if you get a temp visa for a limited amount of time, you can bring your van , but it has to leave one day when your visa expires.... so you could keep extending the visa...

[Drooper]

If I was to come I would probably try and bring the Delisaurus anyway, would save me trying to find one once I get there.

It would be the only thing I would bring with me.

But it would depend on how much it would cost me compared to how much I could get another one for.

[EnviroImports.com]

what year and month is your van? that would make a difference if you were planning to stay here permanent vs a termed stay with a visa, since the van is yours now and for the past while, you can bring it and avoid alot of taxes, and if you would like to be able to sell your van here vs take it out of the coutry when you go back.
my sister in law can import anything she wants with no age restrictions as she is on an ongoing student visa and then aplying for permanent status, BUT she cant sell her vehicles here. they have a lock on them with icbc so they cant be re-registered . only exported in the end.
so it really makes a difference with what your final plans are.
Shipping here can be anywhere from $1200 USD, up to $1600 for container and then around $400 to take it out of the container . shipping out of Canada is usually under $1000. depending on the country its going to as to many containers dead head back to asia and the UK

[Drooper]

Mine is a 94 not sure on the month.

Its handy to know that it not that expensive to get it shipped over, I think I'm right in saying that it would be cheaper for me to bring mine than trying to find one when I get there.

[impalator]

BEWARE:

I re-moved from Switzerland back to Canada (living in Vancouver from 1999 until 2005 - then 3 years in Switzerland - now back in BC since April 2005).

I have a swiss and a canadian drivers license. I took a motorcycle exam in Switzerland many years ago - and Canada (or better BC - or better yet ICBC) did not accept either, my Swiss car drivers license or my Swiss Motorcycle license.

So I had to go through drivers exam in 1999 upon arriving. In the meantime, when returning back to Canada in April 2005, I had read somewhere that now Canada (or better BC - or ICBC) now accepts Swiss Drivers licenses and issues a canadian one based on the swiss. Since I had my valid Motorcycle license from Switzerland, I attempted to get a Canadian (BC) license for both, Motorbikes and Cars in April 2005 upon my return.

This was a big honking mistake: First of all, the motor vehicle branch would only accept my Swiss Car license and not my Motorbike license -and secondly these bastards told me that I would have to - effective immediately - surrender my Swiss license (which - again is good for bikes and cars) to get a new BC car license (my old BC license had expired since leaving in 2005).

And this despite the fact that I had to take a BC road test and had an obtained previously (in 2005) and independently of my swiss license a BC license. They would not even re-issue the original BC license.

So there I was: The choice of surrendering my Swiss license for them (ICBC) to retain and not hand back anymore (keep in mind that this license allows me to rent a motorcycle in BC as a tourist - but not to ride one as a resident) for a lousy "car only" BC license - or to retain my swiss license and drive illegally after 3 months after landing....

Keep in mind too that a Swiss license is good forever (no expiry date - i.e. no re-occuring "every five years" cash grab from ICBC).. Who in their right mind would give that up? I certainly didn't

So I sent my swiss license back to Switzerland - and then a reluctant and hesitant ICBC clerk finally forked over my new BC license....

These guys are real bastards ... foreign license holder beware!!!!
So I sent

[konadog]

Yikes, what a run-around. Just to clarify - ICBC does not collect driver's licence fees, nor regulate driver licensing. That's up to the Motor Vehicle Branch (I think it's still called that... ). Anyway, ICBC does vehicle insurance. And I agree the every five year fee is a scam - I think there should be a test every five years along with that fee. LOTS of people are ignorant of the proper rules of the road and a brushup test every five years would keep us all more aware

[TardisDeli]

Hey Drooper,

Last year there were various trucking companies wanting new drivers, as many people don't want the Long Haul trips (remember, long haul here can be 5 days in each direction, eating junk fast food etc). They were willing to reimburse the cost of driver exams.

A friend recommends Yanke as an employer, yes spelt yanke (its a canadian company). Listed as "One of The Best Employers". They team you up with a driver, until you want to go on your own (drivers like doing the cross training as they get extra pay for training new drivers). He used to be away working for 2 to 3 weeks, then back home for a week-off, dint suit his social life, so he then worked locally on the film sets driving huge electric generators around. Both gave long hours of boredom. He enjoyed seeing new cities, but limited time to be tourist, as the trucks all have gps satellite trackings, he can't stop for long times in tourist areas except for lunch breaks, and the load is under his care so had to ensure he parks in an area not subject to break-ins and theft.

You know, you are welcome to stay here for a few weeks when you arrive, or use our address as permanent address, etc. The Tardis Deli Motel is our fancy name for our spare room, which several out-of-town deli owners happily enjoyed.

Cheers, Christine.