Gidday All,
I thought that I would help you out as some of you are looking to come down here to work.
Boots can fill you in with local rates but out on the highway doing interstate we are mostly paid on a km rate. For example I drive a bdouble KW K104 with 12 pallet lead and 22 pallet rear total length 26meters 6x4 primemover 550hp 18sp with tri tri trailers. Look in google or the ozprodrivers website for images.
This means we get a base rate of for example A$700.00 and a km rate of 33cents per km. We have to travel 2121kms to clear our base rate then after that we get 33cpkm. The base rate is what your holidays, sick pay and superannuation is rated at. Every km traveled there after at .33cpkm. A typical two day trip is Bris to Sydney at 1000kms per leg so after 2 days you have your base rate just about covered. Most blokes doing this lane would do 5 legs or even 6 legs so you can work it out for yourselves. So if you do 6000kms in the first week 6 days and 4000 in the second week 4 days 10 days in a fortnight you will have earned A$3300.00 plus most guys get an overnight allowance which is tax free of say $30.00 per day which is to cover basic living expenses meals etc so thats another A$300.00. So all up you will have earned $3600.00 in the fortnight less tax of say $600.00 so you have $3000.00 in the palm to take home to mum.
At the end of the tax year we are able to claim additional rebates from the tax here due to the nature of the tax system and truck drivers
What you have to be careful of is the employers who embed the overnight allowance into the km rate so this may mean you will only get 29 cpkm. Bit long winded to tell you here but hope this helps you out if you are looking to come over. One thing don’t think 2000, 3000, 4000kms etc is a long way as you get use to it and the equipment is modern and suits the climate.
Cheers
i thought it was hard to emigrate there as a truck driver, is there much need for long haul drivers over there.
also a mate of mine is living over there working as a plasterer, he reckons he could sponsor me to come over and work as a truck driver, is this true,
he as only been there 8 months and also tends to brag alot.
That works out to about £720.00 per week after tax.
Not bad for nice easy work.
Only about 3000 miles per week. or 600 miles per day on 5 days.
So you could do monday to friday at that.
I might give it a shot if i can talk her indoors into it.
Thanks for the info.
Do the employers cap your maximum?
limeyphil:
That works out to about £720.00 per week after tax.
Not bad for nice easy work.
Only about 3000 miles per week. or 600 miles per day on 5 days.
So you could do monday to friday at that.
I might give it a shot if i can talk her indoors into it.
Thanks for the info.
Do the employers cap your maximum?
Mate the regulations are tightening up with driving hours but you will still be able to earn a good quid. I just thought that I would post this info as I see so many trucking people posting messages on different forums about driving and jobs in oz with so many differing ideas and experiences so I thought why not put it in here to put my experiences on the table.
I earned $86000 plus my living away from home allowance which is tax free of $10000. This equates to $96000. You would work on a take home pay of about $60000 pa 4 weeks holidays and as I said above a tax rebate of this year $7000. I was away from home 282days traveling I think 270000kms. the 86000 mentioned is before tax is paid.
I won’t get into dialoge with any of you as everyone is different but these are my experiences with a very big public company as a company driver.
If you want to come over this is the money that can be earned, I will say again “that can be earned” I am a 10year with this company and we travel Qld to Melbourne, Adelaide and occasionally Sydney. I try to make at least 5-6000kms every 7 days, I work 10-12 days straight then take 2-4 days off, Then back at it again.
Cheers
Some questions for you pal.
Can i transfer my UK licence or do i have to do a test?
Do you have speed limiters on your trucks?
Are the fines steep for going over your hours?
Is Port hedland full of inbreads? 
That’s what Kevin Bloody Wilson says.
Do you have speed limiters on your trucks?
Are the fines steep for going over your hours?
He he…watch out OZ, Limey’s coming!
PS; I’ll tell you what - the way the haulage industry and this country’s going period, I might be joining you! (although I don’t fancy those black widow spiders!)
didster7:
i thought it was hard to emigrate there as a truck driver, is there much need for long haul drivers over there.
also a mate of mine is living over there working as a plasterer, he reckons he could sponsor me to come over and work as a truck driver, is this true,
he as only been there 8 months and also tends to brag alot.
Gidday Cobber,
There is a need world wide for truck drivers here is no different. I think your mate would be pulling ya leg if he reckons he can get you in here. I helped my mate bring his lady our from europe. He married her here and rest is history. The hassle we had to go through and the leaches along the way.
Best you get down to the embassy and check it out more as there are UK blokes here on 4 yr visas where you go where the govt tells you and you have to do your time out. The other option is the 457 visa but the union has got in on that and put a stop to it.
If you are keen and want a change of life then get into it. Plenty of UK boyos over here.
Cheers
limeyphil:
Some questions for you pal.
Can i transfer my UK licence or do i have to do a test?
Do you have speed limiters on your trucks?
Are the fines steep for going over your hours?
Is Port hedland full of inbreads? That’s what Kevin Bloody Wilson says.
Gidday Cobber
Check the web out I think you can with the car but truck license you have to sit again rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/index.html
and you only get a semi trailer you are more employable if you have a B Double Road Train License
Fines they will be higher come sept 29 everything is changing and getting tighter, Best put head on and do it to the law. The fines are real big
Port Headland real big money up there big gear because it is full of mining sites. The pay is real big compared to what i wrote as the conditions, cost of living etc is way higher.
Big Gear Big Money Lots of Flies and the heat is real hot. But its closer to the UK fly down to Perth and home. well its 4hrs closer than bris or Syd