Making the move from AUS to the US

Try Interstate Distributor Company or IDC here http://www.intd.com/ they used to hire from down under a lot and furnished the HB2 Visa you need but be warned pay sucks right now up here!

 

Don't worry about driving on the right. every so often someone will make you feel right at home, usually after the bars (pubs) close

 

Forget about the flight for now---that's the easy part.

What we/you need to do is how to figure out how(and this subject fascinates me, i don't know why as i personally have no need to do this) to drive here legally, or otherwise at least "not attracting attention to the point where someone/some entitity may question your actions to the point where your actions may be considered illegal."

1) You'll need a CDL----commercial driver's licence to be able to drive trucks 26,001 gross weight.

a) i pretty certain that some, if not most, states have no citizenship requirements to obtain a licence. (doesn't seem right to me, but that's the way it is for now). In other words, you can be a citizen of Australia or Zimbabwe and obtain a U.S. driver's licence.
We would need to determine which states these are.

2) As an Aussie, i don't think you'll be able to obtain a social security number. Most companies cannot legally hire you without a social security number unless you have a work permit/work visa etc.

a) i'm not sure how obtaining a work visa to drive trucks is even possible especially considering the current economy.

b) If you manage to obtain a work visa fine, if not one alternative is to buy your own tractor(and if nessesary, trailer). You can then obtain you're own authority (no citizenship requirements to do so) and then immediately start hauling loads that you find on your own or through loads boards/brokers.

c) another alternative is to find a smaller company or owner operator who will hire you though what's known as a 1099. Essentially, they are paying you cash and not reporting you're income through the normal channels. This, in itself, is not nessesarily illegal although it has sparked much debate.
It should not be too difficult to find one of these companies or O/O's.
What you would then do is obtain a TIN number-------tax identification number. Again, no citizenship requirement. And use this for the 1099 form which is a "non-employee" form. Essentially what you're doing in this case is acting as a business that is providing a service for another business------driving a truck.

d) Another alternative is to buy a tractor and lease to a larger trucking company and use the TIN number.

 

Move to Florida no income tax keep more of your money

 

Or Tenn and Texas. Bigger market for drivers and freight.no state income tax

 

I ran with a couple from down under one night. They were doing the exact thing you want to do. See the country. They were running team and here on a work Visa. I'm not sure of the specifics as we didn't talk about that stuff. I think it was Covenant Transport. I forget, it's been awhile. It was one of the bigger companies that took them in. Watch out, you might want to stay.

Tennessee is the cheapest start to live in. No state income taxes and real estate/rentals is cheaper. I recommend between Chattanooga and Knoxville in the Tennessee valley. Major lanes and some of the prettiest country you'll see.