Australian truckers in drive for safe rates

A couple of things that I would like to point out, here in Oz we have government bodies who's sole aim is to make work places safer. They have more power than your Home Land Security, believe me, close down a premises, place huge fines on company directors, etc,etc. Ok when we tried to have " the road " classified as our place of work and it be maintained at a safe standard, ie. potholes, cambers, corners, broken surfaces, etc, the state governments, their pay masters howled and behold, sorry, but its got nothing to do with us. We have won some concessions with the COR ( Chain of Responsibility ) that makes management just a liable for traveled hours, over loading, keeping equipment in good order with servicing schedules and such, more than your average steering wheel attendant. Pay has increased for drivers due to a shortage of experienced operators with MC multi combination licenses but that will probably change very soon with market pressures favoring the employers again. The big super market chains use trucks as mobile warehousing, sitting in a cue for a few hours is run of the mill. We still have a few cowboys in our midst but they are getting slowly weeded out, Darwinian style I think. Having all of these promotions is great but Mr and Mrs average still regard us as beer gutted, knuckle dragging, rock apes one step above a caveman, we need first to change their attitude ( win hearts and minds ) and good things will come. The only thing truckies don't deliver are babies.