Americanisation of Australian Car Market.

[Ben73]

I hate it at work when someone says our trains have 88 trucks on the back. They're called wagons not trucks! oh wait isn't a wagon a sedan with a bigger trunk?

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by castellan

Well that does not bother me at all, but what does is, our young kids using words that are 180 deg to what it is meant to be, like the word wicked and too easy then they believe that they evolved from Apes as well what an idiot generation and just look at them walking about with their crack showing and hat on the wrong way I just don't get it at all. walking about with shoe lace undone .

To be fair, we used to use the words like 'cool' ( I still do) which never had anything to do with temperature.

As for clothes, remember body shirts and flares

[castellan]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

To be fair, we used to use the words like 'cool' ( I still do) which never had anything to do with temperature.

As for clothes, remember body shirts and flares

What's a body shirt.

Flares are fine, I think it's got to do with the high platform shoes more so in the days fashion, I don't look down on it, as it's has it's place, for short people mainly, they loved them.
I never had them as it's bad enough talking to so many people who are like 12 inchers lower than yourself, and I am not into shoes man ! as the next size up are Violin cases they tell me.

Fashion is only fashion, some things look good on some regardless.

[ken1939]

Originally Posted by Kieron

Nah, the Americanisation happend many moons ago with this -

image

Indeed!

[ken1939]

Originally Posted by Kieron

Nah, the Americanisation happend many moons ago with this -

image

I thought it was anti palmmy? Bonnet vs Hood. I did raise the question why would your bonnet release be spelled hood?

[MrZ]

You do realise that by referring to a Kenworth as a "truck", you are using an American term? You should *all* be ashamed.

[Itsme]

We have had over 70 years or more of influence from America, why complain now.

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by trublu

We have had over 70 years or more of influence from America, why complain now.

My point is this - why complain about a 1-tonne "ute" being referred to as a "truck", when we already use that same American term to describe a "lorry" ?

[castellan]

Originally Posted by MrZ

My point is this - why complain about a 1-tonne "ute" being referred to as a "truck", when we already use that same American term to describe a "lorry" ?

Well if you are around a mob of people who drive Trucks for a living and you say that you are a Truck Driver yourself or own a Truck yourself and they ask what it is and you say it's a VZ Commodore 1 Tonne or a Falcon 1 Tonne.

I am sure they look up to you as one of their own mob.

Going for a job interview, Had any experience in driving trucks, yes I drive a Falcon 1 tonne ?

[Fordman1]

The Falcon ant Holden "Commercials" are Utes, the Ranger and Colorado are body on frame light trucks.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by castellan

Well if you are around a mob of people who drive Trucks for a living and you say that you are a Truck Driver yourself or own a Truck yourself and they ask what it is and you say it's a VZ Commodore 1 Tonne or a Falcon 1 Tonne.

I am sure they look up to you as one of their own mob.

Nah, we'd all be rolling on the floor laughing

[burnz]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

But George Dubbya made it Nucular

funny I agree with that definition, nucular (nucleus/nuclei)

[Harrison]

Pickup, coupe utility, trayback let's not split hairs here.

Put this bloke in / on the back. If he smiles and bites everyone within range it's a ute, okay ?


https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...fycW6d5NwKMhnL

[2011G6E]

Heaven forbid we become like the USA...cheap huge trucks, reasonably priced performance cars of all sizes, dirt cheap second hand cars only a few years old...

Oh the horror...

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Heaven forbid we become like the USA...cheap huge trucks, reasonably priced performance cars of all sizes, dirt cheap second hand cars only a few years old...

Oh the horror...

Earning 6 bucks an hour for unskilled work.......

[LoudPipes]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Earning 6 bucks an hour for unskilled work.......

That may be the case but to be fair if you look at the international purchasing power index based on earnings you’ll find the average United States citizen is well ahead of Australians because of our high prices.

Yanks may have low wages where some need to supplement their incomes by other means but Australia isn’t short on people living on or below the poverty line either.

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Earning 6 bucks an hour for unskilled work.......

Wow, very misinformed. Minimum wage in the US is $7.25 USD, or $9.50 AUD. This is decent pay.

[ken1939]

Originally Posted by MrZ

Wow, very misinformed. Minimum wage in the US is $7.25 USD, or $9.50 AUD. This is decent pay.

Not trying to hijack the thread.


There may be a set minimum wage in the US, but there are a few things to take in to account.

Most of the jobs that pay that low are entry level work. When I was growing up I had a job as a teen at a car wash. Paid min wage. In those days it was $3.25. I then worked for a retailer in a office capacity I was making slightly higher, I then went into management and made more. When you moved as an assistant manager to different locations, you also got more money. An incentive to move and grow.

Min wage jobs are to be experience builders and stepping stone jobs to help you move on to better work. If you want to stay at a fast food place and flip bugers you are only going to ever make so much. Its the nature of the job and skill level.

Wage scales I have worked with in two companies were based on experience and level of the job. Not based on wether they were a man or a woman. Our pay scales for those positions had a range for starting and maxing out. This was designed to encourage people to move upward with an organization. I can honestly say I have never started anyone out at Min wage numbers as the pool of talented people is high and the openings are few. The only way you can attract better people is to pay them.

Some jobs were based on hustle. Mechanics in most dealerships are paid on flat rate. This encourages mechanics to get more jobs done, as they still get paid for the published amount of time the standard is to do the repair.

I won't get into the wages and such on automotive factory production lines as my experiences in this area are biased based on the GM Plant in Lordstown Ohio.


Cost of living in New York City/State and California for example is ridiculously expensive. So when you hear about some bloke making 10K more in those states, its misleading. They may just be scraping by. Especially in NYC. Where in Nebraska some of those small towns have lower costs of living. Gold Coast vs pick a small town.

I wont get into the debate of the experts in govt wanting to set the min wage at $15 now, and what it will do to jobs here.

[2011G6E]

I'd be happy earning less money...providing we had a cheap massive and staggeringly well stocked chain of stores like Walmart and fuel and vehicle prices at the prices they pay...

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by ken1939

Not trying to hijack the thread.


There may be a set minimum wage in the US, but there are a few things to take in to account.

Most of the jobs that pay that low are entry level work. When I was growing up I had a job as a teen at a car wash. Paid min wage. In those days it was $3.25. I then worked for a retailer in a office capacity I was making slightly higher, I then went into management and made more. When you moved as an assistant manager to different locations, you also got more money. An incentive to move and grow.

Min wage jobs are to be experience builders and stepping stone jobs to help you move on to better work. If you want to stay at a fast food place and flip bugers you are only going to ever make so much. Its the nature of the job and skill level.

Wage scales I have worked with in two companies were based on experience and level of the job. Not based on wether they were a man or a woman. Our pay scales for those positions had a range for starting and maxing out. This was designed to encourage people to move upward with an organization. I can honestly say I have never started anyone out at Min wage numbers as the pool of talented people is high and the openings are few. The only way you can attract better people is to pay them.

Some jobs were based on hustle. Mechanics in most dealerships are paid on flat rate. This encourages mechanics to get more jobs done, as they still get paid for the published amount of time the standard is to do the repair.

I won't get into the wages and such on automotive factory production lines as my experiences in this area are biased based on the GM Plant in Lordstown Ohio.


Cost of living in New York City/State and California for example is ridiculously expensive. So when you hear about some bloke making 10K more in those states, its misleading. They may just be scraping by. Especially in NYC. Where in Nebraska some of those small towns have lower costs of living. Gold Coast vs pick a small town.

I wont get into the debate of the experts in govt wanting to set the min wage at $15 now, and what it will do to jobs here.

This is the system Australia used to have. A basic wage for the unskilled & then a skill 'loading' for extra skill, knowledge or qualifications.

The unions have now turned this upside down, where quite often, the unskilled takes home more than the skilled. A good example is in warehousing where the forklift driver or shelf stacker receives more than the mechanic that services the forklift. Similarly a taxi driver or restaurant worker takes home more than the technician that repairs the taxi or the fridges in the restaurant. Plus 17.5% holiday loading, WTF!!

As can be seen by our manufacturing industry being all but extinct, it is simply too expensive to employ people in Australia.

A good example is the car manufacturing industry which, inside 2 years, will be 100% gone. Ford & Holden will have some type of OS replacement for the Falcon & Commodore (most likely FWD, sadly) but Toyota will continue with the Camry/Aurion twins. I hear rumours that that they will be imported from the good ol' USA, not some cheap **** Asian country where the daily wage is the legendary 'bowl of rice'. Apparently the cost of the US Camry (including shipping) will be a substantial saving on the current Aussie version.

Methinks there will be big 'correction' in this area over the next few years, otherwise Australia will just be inhabited by the unemployed.

Dr Terry

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

This is the system Australia used to have. A basic wage for the unskilled & then a skill 'loading' for extra skill, knowledge or qualifications.

The unions have now turned this upside down, where quite often, the unskilled takes home more than the skilled. A good example is in warehousing where the forklift driver or shelf stacker receives more than the mechanic that services the forklift. Similarly a taxi driver or restaurant worker takes home more than the technician that repairs the taxi or the fridges in the restaurant. Plus 17.5% holiday loading, WTF!!

As can be seen by our manufacturing industry being all but extinct, it is simply too expensive to employ people in Australia.

A good example is the car manufacturing industry which, inside 2 years, will be 100% gone. Ford & Holden will have some type of OS replacement for the Falcon & Commodore (most likely FWD, sadly) but Toyota will continue with the Camry/Aurion twins. I hear rumours that that they will be imported from the good ol' USA, not some cheap **** Asian country where the daily wage is the legendary 'bowl of rice'. Apparently the cost of the US Camry (including shipping) will be a substantial saving on the current Aussie version.

Methinks there will be big 'correction' in this area over the next few years, otherwise Australia will just be inhabited by the unemployed.

Dr Terry

Thats because auto trades in servicing generally aren't unionised which is why they get nothing, big difference in wages between union and non union shops in auto service industry.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Thats because auto trades in servicing generally aren't unionised which is why they get nothing, big difference in wages between union and non union shops in auto service industry.

Could you imagine how it would be if the car service industry was unionised, it would cost $200+ per hour to get your to get anything repaired/serviced.

I'm not necessarily anti-union, but I believe they have made more than a 'meal' of it recent years.

In the 50s & 60s when wages & conditions were genuinely bad, unions had their place. However these days, the country as a whole, is reaping the outcomes of their activities.

Dr Terry

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

Could you imagine how it would be if the car service industry was unionised, it would cost $200+ per hour to get your to get anything repaired/serviced.

I'm not necessarily anti-union, but I believe they have made more than a 'meal' of it recent years.

In the 50s & 60s when wages & conditions were genuinely bad, unions had their place. However these days, the country as a whole, is reaping the outcomes of their activities.

Dr Terry

It already costs you well into three figures at a dealership, and they generally aren't unionised, mechanics getting $19.50/hour.

At the end of the day, you walk into the dealership and see their flashy showroom, nicely dressed service staff, spotless workshop with 15 hoists, mechanics in neat uniform, customer lounge with nice TV and coffee machine that makes everything with one touch of a button.

Plus the location and bazillion people behind the scenes you don't see tapping away on keyboards.

There is your expense.

Or you go to the local guy with overalls, a single hoist, entry level scan tool, single apprentice with an office that if you wait you breathe the same air as the office person and share in the instant coffee if you're lucky, but pay $90-$100/hr for it.

In 2014 me and two other qualified auto tradies were on $19.23-19.50/hr is that excessive in 2014?

No CPI increases for us or pay rises and two of us worked for big companies, the other dude a small local shop and never got paid overtime, flat 8 hour pay regardless of pulling 12+ hour days often and working 6 day weeks.

On our end the union shops look pretty attractive to us, we see them in a different light than you guys.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

It already costs you well into three figures at a dealership, and they generally aren't unionised, mechanics getting $19.50/hour.

At the end of the day, you walk into the dealership and see their flashy showroom, nicely dressed service staff, spotless workshop with 15 hoists, mechanics in neat uniform, customer lounge with nice TV and coffee machine that makes everything with one touch of a button.

Plus the location and bazillion people behind the scenes you don't see tapping away on keyboards.

There is your expense.

Or you go to the local guy with overalls, a single hoist, entry level scan tool, single apprentice with an office that if you wait you breathe the same air as the office person and share in the instant coffee if you're lucky, but pay $90-$100/hr for it.

In 2014 me and two other qualified auto tradies were on $19.23-19.50/hr is that excessive in 2014?

No CPI increases for us or pay rises and two of us worked for big companies, the other dude a small local shop and never got paid overtime, flat 8 hour pay regardless of pulling 12+ hour days often and working 6 day weeks.

On our end the union shops look pretty attractive to us, we see them in a different light than you guys.

How much does it cost the employer an hour to keep someone on $19.50/hr like you say ? he pays your super, holiday pay, sick pay, insurance and so on and on maybe.

I know of a good Tradesman who worked as a Tiler for 17 years and then became a Cop and he said as a first year Cop he got payed more than he could ever earn then being a Tiler, when you work it all out, sure he earned much more gross as a Contractor but when you factor everything in, over years, Contracting can smell that bad, that he would not even give it a second thought.
As he moves up the ranks it's all just cream and fine sailing without a care in the world financially.
Sure he gets attacked by total morons a lot, who try to fight him and sees the worst of how some grubs live, the rape and murder and all, but he says he still prefers people trying to bash or kill him every day, than go back being a Tiler any day.

He says the other Cops complain about the lack of pay, but he says they have never had to truly work a day in their lives or come home feeling like you have just gone a couple rounds with Mike Tyson everyday.

[LoudPipes]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Or you go to the local guy with overalls, a single hoist, entry level scan tool, single apprentice with an office that if you wait you breathe the same air as the office person and share in the instant coffee if you're lucky, but pay $90-$100/hr for it.

There are a couple of these around where I live and one of the owners I know from the club.

He says he barely survives on small jobs as he doesn’t have the facilities to allow the time and space requirements of larger time consuming jobs and spends a big part of his day pushing through as many rego checks as possible.

I don’t see much of a business model from what he says and would guess these types of shops are starting to become a dying breed.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by castellan

How much does it cost the employer an hour to keep someone on $19.50/hr like you say ? he pays your super, holiday pay, sick pay, insurance and so on and on maybe.

It costs around $35/hr that's what.

If you calculate per hour actually charged out on a job, it's more like $45/hr.

Once you add in rent (often several $1000s per month) plus equipment & the biggest hidden costs of all, insurance & software upgrades to scanners (usually 4 or 5 of those). At $120-$140 per hour the owner would be better off going fishing, at least then he could eat on a daily basis.

I might add these are Sydney costs , where the median house price for whole greater Sydney area is over $1.1 million & in my suburb, closer to $1.5 million.

Dr Terry

[mik]

Originally Posted by JG66ME

Some do. The word Lorry tends to be used in the common vernacular but not in the transport industry. They call them trucks or, in the north, wagons. A waggon is usually a two to four axle rigid. There, large four axle tip trucks are usually called "8 leggers".

The term Lorry must have been in the official Australian vernacular at some point. Last year I brought home a tractor from Gosford down to Melbourne and had to swing into the "Heavy Vehicle" check point just by the Hawksbury River. A few weeks ago we watched that old Australian classic film "Stone" with the bikes driving through the same spot in 1972/3. The road sign on the film said "Lorry Checking Station". I was gob smacked.

Language changes all the time. The Australian vernacular today is nothing like it was 30 years ago. I think the word ute will hang around for a some time but possibly not forever. Most countries refer to utes as pick ups, except South Africa, where the term Bakkie is used.

Steven

Indeed, language is very strange or funny at times.
I remember as a young bloke in high school, i was always trying to impress this sheila, she eventually got a bit annoyed with me and gave me a good kick in the vernaculars,
Gotta love the way you can change a word to something completely wrong and it can still convey the message.

Regarding Ute's, to me they've always been utes, falcon/Holden /Toyota /f series....... All utes, on occasion ute would be uterus, trucks are kenworths /macks/ etc.

[janddbone]

Dont get me started.

[2011G6E]

Those who bash unions are generally those who have never had an employer happily ride roughshod over their rights and conditions at work...like mine who has recently just cancelled our workplace agreements because they had a lot of "awkward" things in them like sensible rostering practices and certainty about our hours of work..."not competitive in the modern world", don'tcha know...and the Fair Work commission happily agreed with them and scrapped our perfectly legal enterprise agreements, just like that.

Which, neatly, has set a precedent for every other workplace in the country with an agreement in place...all the boss has to do is whine sufficiently well to the commission and they will just tear up and throw out the workers long held rights and conditions.

But yeah, who needs unions these days...it's all peachy keen and friendly and fluffy in industrial relations, right?

Right...?


ANYWAY...cost of servicing. Even a small corner service guy will charge pretty big hourly rates, especially for newer stuff, as will big dealerships.

[LTDHO]

That add makes me angry and I mute it every time.

Also the 'plate sale' has nothing to do with 'crockery'. WTF?
How dumb do they think we are?

Sadly this is the direction of Australia.

Speaking of ad's on TV, how many of them are Australian? 25-30%?