Truck Drivers - More Information

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Drivers

 

This thread (or this post, anyway) is solely to bring you up to date with the delving I have been doing to try to find out why there is a visa problem for you.

 

Giacci Bros are a major haulier in WA by the looks of things, though they do not seem to have a website. This is what they told somebody on British Expats a year ago:

 

HGV sponsorship.......not likely now!! : British Expat Discussion Forum

 

That said, though, please see this thread in which Booth Transport are the employer and they plainly did sponsor someone for a 457 visa in 2006/7:

 

457 how long to perm residency : British Expat Discussion Forum

 

Jamie Smith of Hire A Migrant was kind enough to tell me that Linfox are one of the largest road transport companies in Australia, though my searches on them have not produced anything except their website:

 

Linfox

 

Jamie has said that if enough HGV drivers are willing to club together to pay Hire A Migrant's costs for investigating just what is going on. he estimates that the costs per person would be negligible.

 

I would imagine that Jamie would start by contacting the various Regional Certifying Bodies in Oz, plus the DIAC State Offices, to find out what they can tell him about why there is a problem. The major transport companies might know as well and if not, their views (for or against the idea of sponsoring foreign drivers) might provide some valuable insights.

 

Jamie reckons it would be about 3 days work. He could NOT get the answers in 3 days! He means it would be about 3 full days worth of work in total, or around 24 actual hours of work. Mmmmmm. I'd go higher than that and probably treble it myself.

 

I just have a feeling that the whole of this story has yet to be sussed out and told. The strands that I've heard from various sources simply do not hang together in a logical sequence so far.

 

If Jamie can get the right sort of dialogue going with senior DIAC people at State level he can probably also track down the bod at DIAC Central Office in Canberra who is in charge of this particular piece of Policy and find out from him/her why it is that HGV driving has been removed from the SOL and why it is plainly the case that different people have been having different experiences with the supposed embargo.

 

Please respond to this thread if you are interested in pursuing this sort of line of enquiry. My own inclination is to leave it to Jamie to talk with the companies, in particular, and also he is likely to get further with DIAC if he is asking on behalf of lots of British drivers than if anyone tries to do this via individual, piecemeal enquiries.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[MelandJas]

It would be good for any information you can get a hold of Gill

We are going to oz in December to try and get sponsorship. My hubby has his own business with concrete mixers and with the building boom going on we seem to think that he might be able to get sponsorship. They obviously need concrete to build!

It is a shame that HGV isnt on the list, we didnt even know that it had even been on in the first place

Melanie

[calNgary]

In was in the papers not too long ago that they were reluctant to release a visa for drivers in fear of lots of foreigen drivers coming over and not quite understanding the language or road rules.I dont think it was aimed at the uk drivers but they cant say that can they? with the amount of driving jobs on offer it is such a shame theres no current way in for drivers ,go go jamie i say!

Cal x

[Guest rosie]

Hi Jill

 

I was in contact with Booths last June about sponsorship as a truck driver when I got a reply from them stating that the government were not processing any applications for truck driving 457's until they had the results of a "Working Party" set up to look into the needs of the Aussie Transport Industry, due to publish it's findings towards the end of 2007 but doesn't seem to of yet. I contacted the then Minister for immigration Kevin Andrews for him to tell me that they were still processing 457 applications but they were coming under extra scrutiny and would probably go to Canberra for review! The Unions DO NOT want immigrant drivers and are opposing any form of visa's for Truckies as they are certain that it'll drive down wages and conditions. Similar has happened in the UK with the East Europeans and Polish drivers in my opinion?

There is a thread on British Ex Pats Unfortunately – No Go with Australian Drivers for now !! : British Expat Discussion Forum The whole forum on Trucking Employment is a mine of information on the current situation regarding sponsorship if any one is interested.

I spoke to Jamie personaly at the Sandown show this year about the difficulties currently faced to which he did have a few ideas!

I myself spent 3 months in Qld last year trying to gain sponsorship, there are loads of vacancies out there but mention the dreaded S word and they run for cover.

My own personal worry is paying out what is in fact a lot of money to different specialists (Recruitment Agencies etc: I know you're not one Jamie) only then to be told by the Government that you can't have a visa temporary or otherwise.

What is a shame is that if I wanted to go to Canada I could be out there on a Temporary Work permit in 6 wks with PR in 9 months under the PNP program, just wish Oz was as easy!!!

Hope I didn't go on too much but this is my own experiences of the sponsorship route.

 

Alan

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Alan

 

Thanks very much for your post and for the link contained in it.

 

I'm not directly involved in the trucking issue in any way, so my information about it is necessarily second-hand, unlike your own.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you for one moment. I want to run something past you though, if I may?

 

Earlier this year I was chatting with Sandy Coates of Global TradeDearach in Adelaide, which is a recruitment agency. Sandy is a recruitment specialist and she is married to Richard Coates, a recently qualified Registered Migration Agent.

 

Sandy mentioned that she has LOADS of vacancies for drivers of all kinds (ie both road vehicles and the big dumper trucks etc that they use in the mines.) I mentioned that there is no shortage of Britons who would gladly fill the vacancies if they could get visas.

 

Sandy spoke with some of the companies and they were hot to trot, willing to sponsor British drivers etc, so Sandy asked me to ask the British drivers to send her their CVs. Together, she and I decided to consult Richard first, to see how confident he felt about being able to get the visas, and which visas. I mentioned that I had heard that the Unions are allegedly the driving force in slamming the door on visas for foreign drivers.

 

Richard's view was/is that this is not the case. He said that the Unions are vociferous but that companies who need drivers are not intimidated by the Unions. (Jamie also shares this view to judge from a recent exchange I had with him.) Richard reckoned that the statistics held by the RTAs in Australia show that there are enough licensed drivers in Oz to fill all the vacancies for them annd that therefore - in theory at least - Australia does not have a need to import this particular range of skills..

 

Richard reckoned that DIAC themselves - not the Unions - are blocking the visas: as is now confirmed on the recent BE thread. Richard's view - adamantly - was that Sandy and I were wasting our time because he would not be able to get visa for the drivers, no matter what they and the companies with the vacancies might want.

 

This was back in Jan/Feb 2008. I did a bit of digging around in Google Australia at the time and found a PDF file. It was some sort of briefing by one of the Unions, for what seemed to be a forthcoming annual parley between the Unions and DIAC about the topic of visas for HV drivers. As far as I could gather, a series of meetings between DIAC and the Unions - or one of them - was scheduled for about the same time but I have not been able to discover any more about that, or about any outcome.

 

Much more recently I read that a lady called Barbara Deegan, who I think is something to do with the Department of Industry - is heading some sort of Working Party to investigate road transport in Australia in general. I don't know whether this is the same Working Party that you have mentioned?

 

I've read loads of arguments put forward by the Unions (via Google Australia.) I haven't ben able to discover anything about what the employers say though. (And not a squeak about what DIAC think or say either.) Jamie tells me that Linday Fox is on record recently as saying that he thinks the roads are inadequate to deal with the increased levels of road transport that are going to be needed d in the foreseeable future. I have not managed to find a single word by Mr Fox on the subject of visas for drivers.

 

Having read your post, I think that the work which Jamie volunteered to undertake has probably already been done by yourself and the other contributors to the BE trucking forum. Jamie was merely willing to see what else he could discover if anyone wants him to try.

 

I find the whole thing thoroughly frustrating because I am still not clear about what the sticking points are actually supposed to be in all this. I just get the feeling that we are hearing from the factions - some of it possibly greatly exaggerated - but that we are not hearing anything from the centre, if you see what I mean? If the Unions are the ones blocking the visas, how have they managed to stifle the companies with the need for the drivers? Something about all this does not compute but I can't pinpoint the exact crux of the issue.

 

It is just plain irritating that we do not seem to be able to clear this jog jam.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[MACDONALDO67]

Gill

 

Again, thanks for the info.

 

It was Sandy who sent me an email about a month ago advising that they are after approximately 20 HGV drivers for a project in the Adelaide area and that her husband was trying to get that off the ground. What you have written makes sense now.

 

I am keeping in touch with Sandy this month before we go on holiday to Ibiza and when I come back. If I do get the chance of an interview then to be honest I'm bricking it.

 

Haven't driven HGV for 20 years, everything has changed and I would need to go an an immediate refresher. The driving doesn't bother me but I'm getting nerves at 40 about doing a totally different job.

 

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.:yes:

 

I'm not going to get a railway job in Oz and even if did get a HGV job, with this credit crunch looming, it's going to be difficult to move.

 

I have a job interview coming up for another position in London shortly and I think depending on how that goes, depends on what my family and I do.

 

Speaking honestly I don't think Australia is going to happen for us and may have to turn attentions to Spain, which is what we were planning a while back. Will see how it goes.

 

My only disheartening thoughts are that if this Island, Britain, was so rigerous in its immigration imports, as is Australia, I could accept that. We are a good, hard working, honest family trying to live on another part of the planet and it appears that it's becoming impossible trying to achieve this goal.:no:

 

We'll see how it goes anyway but thanks for the info Gill and co.

[Guest rosie]

Hi Gill (apologies I spelt your name with a J in my last post)

 

I wasn't disagreeing with you either, I didn't mean that the Unions rule the roost entirely just that with the current Labour Government are pretty closely aligned with them. The main problem is that Truck driving is only regarded as a semi skilled occupation and the fact that the UK HGV is not recognised in Oz and you'd have to be retested upon arrival doesn't help. Truck Driving in Oz is not as regulated as it is here in the UK and from my own experiences is a much more rough and ready than here.

I have e-mailed replies from dept immigration saying that they will process 457 applications for Truck drivers but the DIAC have e-mailed a colleague saying they won't.

As I said there is lots of vacancies for drivers especially in Qld where I was looking and lots of agencies willing to take your money for a job offer which aren't that hard to secure due to the shortage but the chances of getting a visa approved are virtually nil at the mo. As for Allan McDonalds fears of getting the cold shoulder I drove a low loader for SK Group out of Brisbane Port and was accepted ok saying that I think the profession ranks with the best for being politically incorrect so you have to have quite a thick skin!

As for the mines I've got a contact quite high up in BHP Biliton who cannot do anything on the sponsorship front because they've got people wating for the "unskilled" jobs therefore can't justify the sponsorship criteria.

Personally I've about given up on Oz as I'm 45 at the end of this year and probably left it too late, I've been trying to find an opening for nearly 18 months to no avail just lots of people wanting to releive me of some quite big sums of money.

If the DIAC would approve some sort of criteria at least you would have the chance of proving whether you were experienced enough.

The working party you're on about with Barbara Deegan is not the same one I was talking about so you're ahead of me on that one. I've got documentation on it but it's to big a file to insert on this post.

I would back Jamie in his approaches as like you say the more he's speaking for the more weight he'll carry hopefully!

 

Alan :arghh::arghh:

[MACDONALDO67]

Personally I've about given up on Oz as I'm 45 at the end of this year and probably left it too late, I've been trying to find an opening for nearly 18 months to no avail just lots of people wanting to releive me of some quite big sums of money.

 

Alan

I have 4 years to sort it and in the same boat as you for trying and getting nowhere.

 

Yes I do have thick skin. It's called working on the railway here so piss taking just has no affect on me whatsoever. :twitcy:

 

And it would just be nice to get back to the good old politically incorrect instead of the PC Brigade trying to do you for dropping an apple core, piece of sausage role or having the wrong fishing rod licence.

Allan (your namesake but with an extra "l")

[Guest rosie]

[quote

And it would just be nice to get back to the good old politically incorrect instead of the PC Brigade trying to do you for dropping an apple core, piece of sausage role or having the wrong fishing rod licence.

 

With you on that 110% :notworthy:

[Guest lynneflinn]

Hi Gill (apologies I spelt your name with a J in my last post)

 

I wasn't disagreeing with you either, I didn't mean that the Unions rule the roost entirely just that with the current Labour Government are pretty closely aligned with them. The main problem is that Truck driving is only regarded as a semi skilled occupation and the fact that the UK HGV is not recognised in Oz and you'd have to be retested upon arrival doesn't help. Truck Driving in Oz is not as regulated as it is here in the UK and from my own experiences is a much more rough and ready than here.

I have e-mailed replies from dept immigration saying that they will process 457 applications for Truck drivers but the DIAC have e-mailed a colleague saying they won't.

As I said there is lots of vacancies for drivers especially in Qld where I was looking and lots of agencies willing to take your money for a job offer which aren't that hard to secure due to the shortage but the chances of getting a visa approved are virtually nil at the mo. As for Allan McDonalds fears of getting the cold shoulder I drove a low loader for SK Group out of Brisbane Port and was accepted ok saying that I think the profession ranks with the best for being politically incorrect so you have to have quite a thick skin!

As for the mines I've got a contact quite high up in BHP Biliton who cannot do anything on the sponsorship front because they've got people wating for the "unskilled" jobs therefore can't justify the sponsorship criteria.

Personally I've about given up on Oz as I'm 45 at the end of this year and probably left it too late, I've been trying to find an opening for nearly 18 months to no avail just lots of people wanting to releive me of some quite big sums of money.

If the DIAC would approve some sort of criteria at least you would have the chance of proving whether you were experienced enough.

The working party you're on about with Barbara Deegan is not the same one I was talking about so you're ahead of me on that one. I've got documentation on it but it's to big a file to insert on this post.

I would back Jamie in his approaches as like you say the more he's speaking for the more weight he'll carry hopefully!

 

Alan :arghh::arghh:

Hi Alan

 

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

[Guest rosie]

Hi Alan

 

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

 

Thanks for the reply though

[Guest lynneflinn]

Hi

 

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

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi All

 

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.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Alan (Rosie)

 

The Minister has mentioned Barbara Deegan's involvement with the 457 visa today. Please see here:

 

Record skilled migration program to boost economy

 

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.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Sara

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.

Please see this thread:

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/jobs-careers/35063-truck-drivers-more-information.html

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:

http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/Lookup/A86A0162E6F672DFCA256ADB001D10D4/$File/asco.pdf

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.

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/rsms/exemptions.htm

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.

Best wishes

Gill

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi All

 

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.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest coventryBillynowMelbourne]

HI there!! Just read your story about driving trucks in oz! u still use this forum?

[Guest austprodriver]

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.:yes:

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

[tracy123]

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

[Guest Jamie Smith]

HI all

 

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.

 

Frustrating.

[Guest Jamie Smith]

From this:

 

Queensland Business Review - Trader Business Media

 

It looks like the ATA missed the critical meeting and were overlooked.

 

Daft.