I have been in contact with Darrell Todd from thinking Australia today and he has told me he has managed to get 9 HGV drivers into QLD and SA............why don't you try him if you haven't already done so. We are meeting up with him in June in Sheffield so maybe have more news then
good luck
Hi Lynne
Are yourselves trying to gain sponsorship as Truck Drivers?
I'm sure I spoke to someone from Thinking Australia at this years Sandown show without much joy, thanks though will give Darrell a call and give it a go!
As I said there's no shortage of vacancies in Qld from my experiences nor people offering to sort a job it's just the success probabilities of getting a visa approved that's the stumbling block
yes we are trying to get sponsorship, i know its a tricky road but Darrell has managed to get 9 drivers in this week so he must be doing something right. OH is a fuel tanker driver and we know he has to go out and resit driving tests but we go on holiday on Saturday so thats why we didnt meet up with Darrell last weekend, we will wait until we come back. We are also looking into USA as well, but possibly buying a business, we arent sure yet whats the best route to take. We have been looking at Bunbury near Perth and a little bit of research into Adelaide but didnt even consider QLD, do you know what its like.............apart from hotter than WA.
good luck Lynne
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Best wishes
Lynne Anton & Molly:jiggy:
I read a post recently on one of the forums. The chap said that he is an HGV driver and that he has spoken with Darreell very recently.
The poster said that Darrell told him to go to Oz, bang on doors and find a sponsor, after which Darrell would be able to arrange a visa for him, but seemingly the guy would have to find his own sponsor first.
Darrell also told him to act quickly - it sounded like Darrell may be expecting this path to be closed pretty soon.
I can't remember whether the post was on here or on British Expats but I have read it within the last 3-6 weeks.
It could be that they are bringing her into the Working Party that you already know about, though I got the impression that she is heading up a separate think tank of some sort.
It will be interesting to see what she eventually says.
I've been following the stuff about truck drivers with a keen interest because I do not understand why it seems to be almost impossible to get DIAC to give them visas.
I think that in Post #13 on the thread above I was probably referring to you without being able to find the thread on which you had said it? Next, please see this link, which is the ASCO Code:
Wade through the Index. Something called "Heavy Truck Driver" is in Group 7 under Code 7311-11. Therefore in theory it should be possible to use the 457/RSMS "regional" exemption schemes in order to get visas for "Heavy Truck Drivers" using the eligibility exemptions in ASCO Group 7.
However, if Truck Drivers are considered to be in Groups 8&9 instead then they appear to be banjaxed as far as eligibility for a visa might be concerned
So - carry on down the ASCO Code Index to see what skills are in Groups 8 & 9. In Group 9, right at the end of the Index, Code 9992-15 speaks of a "Truck Driver's Offsider". Because that is considered to be an elementary or labouring job, the Offsider has no chance of obtaining a visa, it would seem.
I strongly suspect that the problem lies in getting Hubby classified under ASCO Group 7, rather than as an Offsider in Group 9.
Therefore the next step is to take a detailed look at the job-description under each of the two relevant Codes.
The Page Index is right at the very end of the Code. This tells us to go to Page 508 for Heavy Truck Driver, and Page 590 for Truck Driver's Offsider.
The description of "Heavy Truck Driver" looks normal enough to me except that the emphasis is on "heavy" trucks. Carry on down to see what is says about the "Truck Driver's Offsider. His tasks are as one would expect and he does not appear to need ay qualifications at all.
From the stuff I have read on the web, somebody has persuaded DIAC to believe that a foreign truck driver is no more skilled than an Australian Truck Driver’s Offsider, I suspect, because reference to this idea crops up again and again as you wade through the Web trying to find out what the problem is about.
It is easy to imagine that a bunch of Australian Civil Servants in suits in Canberra could be persuaded (possibly by the Unions) that a foreign trucker has insufficient experience and know-how with Australian driving conditions, particularly in the Outback. Everybody in DIAC’s HQ in Canberra has heard of the Outback. I’d lay money on the idea that none of the senior Policy staff have ever actually been there, however.
In the UK right now, a guy who has only ever been an amateur yachtsman on boats of up to 40ft in length, a guy called Peter Cardy, is in charge of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. This guy is supposed to be able to represent the UK in international merchant maritime affairs and to run one of the most significant Merchant Navy fleets in the world according to completely skewed thinking in Whitehall! (I’ve met Peter Cardy a couple of times.) The wallahs in the Department of Transport (the MCA’s Guv’nor) cannot get their heads round a ship. Roads, trains, panes etc – stuff they travel on (as passengers only) themselves – maybe. But none of them would know the bows from the stem on a cargo ship, or be able to say what type of cargo it carries just by glancing at the shape of the ship. The proper Merchant Navy & Coastguard guys can all do that, but their immediate boss definitely can’t! So – why not put a guy who wouldn’t be allowed on the bridge of a ship in charge of the UK’s maritime affairs? It happened, so I guess somebody in Whitehall thinks they know why!!
I suspect that exactly the same problem besets Canberra in terms of trying to imagine what the guys actually driving the road trains in the Outback do, and what the offsider on a road train might do. A road train is undoubtedly “heavy.” The offsider doesn’t drive it himself. They might have vehicles comparable to road trains in Canada but there definitely aren’t any in the UK or on mainland Europe.
I don’t think it takes genius from there to figure out that it is not difficult to convince a stiff in a suit that somebody who is not (a) licenced to drive the heaviest possible Australian road train; and (b) has never done so for real either (by reason of not being an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident and having spent all of his adult life in Australia driving the things) can’t possibly be as skilled as the Heavy Truck Driver, and since nothing in the Code apart from Truck Driver’s Offsider is possible, then foreign drivers might have a skill between those of the Driver and the Offsider, but they surely are not the Driver in ASCO Code 7.
I reckon that this argument is at the very heart of the whole thing, because if the would be migrant driver is not within Code 7 then he is not eligible for a visa either. And to be fair, not every truck driver in Australia drives the really heavy stuff or ever has. My guess is that the great majority have never driven the Outback road trains and wouldn’t want to. And because the Code is so crude and so limited, there is nowhere else in the thing in which to lump them except in with the Offsiders.
I don’t think this is as simple as finding a road-freight company willing to sponsor Hubby for a visa. However willing the company might be, I suspect that the problem lies in convincing DIAC that Hubby is not the Truck Driver’s Offsider and that therefore Hubby “must be” the Heavy Truck Driver instead.
Whether that is do-able is another matter, I fear. Has your Agent explained exactly how he intends to win DIAC over so as to get them to co-operate with your wishes and those of the wannabe Sponsoring employer? If not I would insist on having it explained to me, in detail.
In case anyone thinks I have gone completely barmy, my post above is a copy of one that I posted to a lady on another thread.
I have not got an answer. I think that I might merely have identified the evidence that explains the problem - which has probably already been done 500 times elsewhere.
Also, it would be interesting to see how fellow Australian HGV drivers would take to you. Can see a bit of the "Cold Shoulder" playing a part here because the union said so.
Hello everyone.
With all due respect, I strongly disagree. To tell you the truth, there are quite a few Pommie truck drivers over here.
Yes, you will have to retake your written and practical driving test again. However, once you have all that sorted out, and, obviously, your issues regarding your visa etc, you won't have a problem getting work in the transport industry, as a professional driver.
I've been driving professionally since I left school. I've had driving jobs ranging from taxi driver, truck driver, forklift driver, courier driver etc, and I can tell you that irrespective of whether their companies are unionised or not, there won't be the cold shoulder syndrome.
Currently I'm driving a concrete truck, and have been doing so for five years now. And yes, we definitely have a shortage of drivers, not only here in Brisbane, but all over Australia too. I know that this same adage applies to a lot of other developed countries, i.e, USA, Canada, the UK too.
My suggestion to everyone out there who wants to gain employment over here as a professional driver is simple- gain your visa, retake your written and driving test, and canvass around a few employers. Yes, you can enrol with a number of employment agencies too.
Yes, the transport industry is viewed as having a politically incorrect culture. By and large, this is true. However, that doesn't mean that everyone discriminates against everyone to the nth degree, as workplace philosophies like EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) apply here also.
It's also worth bearing in mind that, due to the driver shortage, the ball is in your court, in terms of negotiating conditions, i.e, pay, hours etc. You don't have to accept anything that you perceive to be sub-standard.
I hope this helps.
Kindest Regards and Best Wishes,
Thomas :)
hi all
1st of all im a hgv class 1 driver in England (4 years) but in my last life In Australia i was an interstate truck driver, so i think i can talk a bit of sense when it comes to pros and cons of working as a driver in Australia compaired to the Uk.
My information that i write about is four years old and may of changed but this is what i have personally gone through and seen in my years of driving trucks (vans to b doubles) and coaches (8seaters to double deckers). I promise what i tell you is the truth with no lies or streching the truth. some of it you may not believe.
Personally i feel driving in Australia to be alot harder, the trucks are older, most are American or have American gear boxes so that means crash boxes, very rare will you find a syncro box or automatic. If your doing local work depending on the company you will have a hand me down truck. that is one that has been doing highway work with over 1,000,000mls on the clock 1st! so not often will you get a new truck.
If you want a new truck that means going on the highway, (interstate) When i did interstate i would leave on a sunday afternoon and get back on a saturday i could drive past my house without stopping.
Doing highway work will give you the greatest winfall the last job i had i was bringing home $1,500 to $1,800 a week getting to sleep in my own bed every 2nd night. I would drive the truck (b-double(2 trailers)) to Sydney sleep in works yard until night then drive back to Melb. i did nothing other than drive the truck no un loading no cleaning no nothing. to work to regulations thats really the only way it can be done but sadly not many compaies offer that....
The job i had before that doing the same job, i was getting paid $1,200 to $1,500 per week. but i would pick the truck up on a sunday drive to Sydney, drive around Sydney to un load then to re load (not at the same place) then drive to Melbourne un-load re-load back to sydney + the truck had to be cleaned every trip (truck and trailer) plus i did the loading and un loading. all of this i never got paid any extra for as its part of the job. I would get between 2 to 4 hours sleep a day if lucky.
Also to let you know you get paid by the kilometre and only the distance from point a to point b (eg melb to syd) not for the running around. If you get held up thats your problem and you will not get paid for waiting in line!!!!.
Every night on the road you will see a roll over and you are expected to cook the books, no tacho cards or digital cards you run on a log book, (you need a logbook if you are traveling more than 100kms as the crow flies from your depot) by the way mis spell a name, draw a line where you are not ment to, not have a correct break you will be fined $$$ per mistake. and they can go to the start of the log book i have heard of drivers being fined over a thousand dollars for mistakes so you throw your log book away every month or so, so you dont get cought with a load of infringements.
Whist driving i have seen a truck over take me leave the road and end up over turned, i have come around a corner to have a truck on my side of the road coming straight at me seen people being chased with wheel braces because they cut someone off, and these arnt one offs. There are lots of drivers taking speed etc to stay awake!!!
If you do local it is alot better but the money is not as good nor are the trucks, when i went to Oz 2 to 3 years ago i worked for an agency for 2 weeks (a.p.s in Melb) i was on nearly $18 an hour + time and a half after 8 hours then double after 10 1/2?
If you want to drive a coach or bus your truck licence will cover you all you need is a police and licence check you dont need to do another driving test!!!! But once again one company i worked for would start you at 2 to 3 in the morning doing airport runs, then do a school run followed by a charter then they would send you home for 2 hours then back to do an express to syd qld or SA. once in syd they would expect you to help out at the syd or qld depot then do the return leg back to melb yes you had 2 drivers but there was always a new driver with an experienced driver so the experienced driver could not sleep and we are talking 40 odd passengers on board.
Once again they get away with this as you dont need a log book for local outings....
Doing tours is not much better if you do a group you will collect 1st thing take them to there hotel then city sights, lunch then penguin parade be time you drop them off clean the coach (inside and out it can be after 1am before you leave work and then your back at work for 5 to 6 to do it all over again.
Saying all that i loved driving in Australia, i hate driving in the UK how you get traffic jams at 2 in the morning i will never know!!!
All i am trying to do is make you aware of what is out there as a driver you/we have it pritty easy as hours go. i dont think there is an us and them attitude when it comes to drivers in Australia as there are loads of kiwi's driving in Oz and we hate them just as much as the poms maybe more depends how the cricket or rugby is going lol
If you want to know anymore let me know
Geoffrey
PS Linfox is a great company to work for, it is all done by the book. also the fox driving company in the uk is related to linfox in OZ or so i was told.
PPS a great company to get your licence through is decca out of Melbourne
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Kind Regards
Geoffrey (32, an aussie!!), Tracy (35), Jake (7), Jessica (2) & Joseph (1) :jiggy:
It appears that truck drivers are specifically excluded form the 457 programme, and can only be accepted if the rig is on mine sites.
Alternatives are street sweeper driver and bus driver or construction machinery driver eg grader.
It appears that it's more important to keep streets clean than have goods delivered.
This resistance to truck drivers may also spread to RSMS programme in that RCBs are often involved in signing off and they'll probably be a mind of the SOL/457 list anyway.
