What are your views on Federal Government plans to allow foreign nationals in our roads behind the wheels of heavy vehicles?
WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO NOTHING ….. BAD THINGS HAPPEN ……
Given the alarming fact that Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews (Kevin 457) has not called for community input into his plans to consider allowing foreign nationals on our roads to drive heavy vehicles, we the comminity must take the matter into our own hands and ensure he does not acquiesce with the $$ driven objectives of large transport operators but rather to the road safety needs of all Australians. Your comments and concerns will be forwarded to the Ministers office. Keep em coming! Let’s send his website into meltdown!
October 12th, 2007 at 10:05 am
The idea of 457 visa’s being used to attract heavy vehicle drivers to Australia is in itself not a bad idea. There are too few Aussie men and women wanting to get behind the wheel and make a career of driving and the freight task is getting bigger and bigger as the population grows. We have to do something. I applaud the government for putting this on the agenda as a possible solution.
I think we all need to look at this objectively. I don’t think Kevin Andrews or anyone in his department or a freight company manager would want to put for example a non english speaking driver from a country whose conditions vary so greatly from ours (weather, terrain etc) behind the wheel of a truck without any testing or one on one instruction. To do so would clearly put the driver out of his or her depth and place half a million dollars worth of truck and freight at risk.
There are many foreigh drivers who drive equally if not longer distances as our truckies do. Many of them in European countries have far better roads and trucks than us.
Many European countries are taught English at school and can quite easily get by. I have no doubt there are many Americans, Canadians and the like who would love to come here and drive. They too would need a period of adjustment to our road conditions and rules but they too be capable.
My point being is this: I have read several posts on this matter and most seem to think the government will allow any Tom, Dick or Harry into the country on a 457 Visa and throw them willy nilly behind the wheel of a truck to “take our jobs” and that simply is not the case.
If any company is found under paying a driver because they are on a 457 visa, that company should be prosecuted and outted. They would be doing the same work as our drivers and therefor should be paid the same.
Of course what really needs to happen is we need to come up with a plan to make truck driving a sought after career by our youngsters.
At the moment I’m on the fence on this one. Lets see details before we go off.
Damien
October 12th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
I drive from Lennox Head to Brunswick Heads every day for work & understand fully the dangers the trucks impose on our goat track of a highway & the dangers faced by motorists trying to go about their business in an area that does not offer any alternatives i.e. public transport. To bring more trucks with unskilled drivers on to the highways is in my opinion premeditated manslaughter. I’m sure if the powers that make these decisions had family at risk living in this area they may think differently about bringing these unskilled 457 visa drivers into the country to take up jobs that could also kill them & make life 10 times worse for their families back in their home country.
October 14th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
The trucks driven on the Pacific Highway are frightening for car travellers as they are, I dread to think of the situation whereby inexperienced drivers are given control of huge semi-trailers and b-doubles. I suspect that those who make decisions regarding allowing the huge numbers of trucks to mingle with ordinary car drivers on the Pacific Highway have never experienced the sheer fear of travelling amongst these trucks. I challenge Minister Keven Andrews to travel from Sydney to Brisbane on the Pacific Highway before making a decision regarding allowing foreign nationals on our roads behind the wheel of a b-double.
October 19th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
damien go to a truck stop and get yourself a copy of ‘big rigs’ or ‘owner driver’ that should bring you up to speed on the situation on 457 visas and also on oarking bays and facilities for truck drivers because i can clearly see you havent got much of an idea. i applaude you for trying to have a non biased view on these matters.
October 20th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Marty, I hope that I haven’t overstepped the mark with my complaints to the media and politicians on the visa 457’s and parking/rest stops for truckies. I’m continually trying to learn from you blokes on here and others who I talk to in my region. If I have in any way,I sincerely apologize.
By the way I think that we’re giving Scooter an inferiority complex on his choice of vehicle haha.
Dave
October 21st, 2007 at 8:25 am
oi leave me truck alone. 2.5 million k’s and nohting has gone wrong with it except for 2 fan belts not bad for an old mack v8 ay,
cheers fellers talk soon
see youuuu
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:41 pm
So where do we stand in relation to our Kiwi & Pacific Islander brothers? Kick them out of the industry?
November 3rd, 2007 at 3:27 pm
“John Mc Says:
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:41 pm
So where do we stand in relation to our Kiwi & Pacific Islander brothers? Kick them out of the industry?”
Hahahahahaha. If that were the case, I know of at least 3 companies who would have trucks parked up everywhere! They are staffed almost wholly and solely by Kiwis, Maoris, Pacific Islanders and similar. They do a stirling job, too, I might say. Interestingly enough, quite a few of them come from “3rd world” countries, with sugnificantly different road conditions etc to ours.
Makes you think, doesn’t it?
Kindest Regards
Indy
November 3rd, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Anyone got a “non typo” keyoard I could beg, borrow or steal? My damned fingers are wayyyyyyyyyy too big for this laptop of mine!
November 3rd, 2007 at 9:23 pm
John ya naughty boy, where have ya been?
Fancy calling me a Racist,that’s not nice John.You really should apologize,I don’t know about the others but I’m a true blue son of the Southern Cross.3 cheers for Ned Kelly!
No! we shouldn’t kick anyone out if they have gone through the same procedures and testing as other International drivers.
You have got to watch out for loopholes in any thing that a Government wished to proceed with.There are good Companies and there are ones that will take advantage of the situation,this has been proven many times.
Dave(old buggar-class 48)1948 not 1848
December 2nd, 2007 at 3:56 pm
I don’t normally like to entangle politics with the job I love so much, but I’m just wondering….say for example Steve from China came out here as a 457 worker and was working as a mechanic. He earns $36 000 per year. The rest of Steve’s co-workers doing the same job were on $40 000 do you think that the Steve’s co-workers would let that happen? Another example….Steve once again being on $45 000 per year and his co-workers on $40 000 do you think his co-workers would do the job? You see I doubt if Steve’s co-workers are going to let him work for less. I also doubt if Steve’s co-workers would let him come into their shop for more than they are getting.