Mainfreight Pay Rates 2026: Driver, Depot & Warehouse Pay
What Mainfreight workers should be paid in 2026 — the Road Transport and Distribution Award floor by classification, casual loading, penalties, and where the Mainfreight enterprise agreements sit.
Payroll & Compliance Editor · Registered BAS Agent, Cert IV Accounting & Bookkeeping
Who covers Mainfreight workers — award or agreement?
Mainfreight is a New Zealand-founded logistics group running freight forwarding, warehousing and transport operations across Australia, including its Owens Transport distribution business. Its workforce covers warehouse and distribution-centre staff, freight forwarders and truck drivers, almost all on permanent rather than casual terms.
Warehouse and distribution roles are covered by the Storage Services and Wholesale Award 2020, and driving roles by the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020. Our corpus holds no current registered Mainfreight enterprise agreement, so the award tables below are what should be on the payslip for either type of role.
The federal awards relevant to Mainfreight roles:
- Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 (MA000038)
- Storage Services and Wholesale Award 2020 (MA000084)
Workforce snapshot. In its 2024-25 report to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Mainfreight Holdings Pty Ltd declared 2,474 employees across 4 reporting entities — 2.3% casual and 37.1% women. Source: WGEA 2025 Public Data File, data.gov.au (CC-BY 3.0 AU).
Road transport award floor (1 July 2026)
Drivers sit on the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 (MA000038). The grade follows the biggest vehicle combination you're required to drive:
| Classification | Permanent | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Transport Worker Grade 1 (courier/van, light rigid) | $26.87/hr | $33.59/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 2 (rigid over 4.5t, forklift) | $27.51/hr | $34.39/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 3 (heavy rigid) | $27.83/hr | $34.79/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 4 (semi-trailer/heavy combination) | $28.32/hr | $35.40/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 5 (B-double) | $28.67/hr | $35.84/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 6 (road train) | $29.00/hr | $36.25/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 7 (double road train / specialist) | $29.42/hr | $36.78/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 8 | $30.28/hr | $37.85/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 9 | $30.78/hr | $38.48/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 10 | $31.55/hr | $39.44/hr |
If you regularly drive a bigger combination than your grade pays for, that is a classification underpayment. Overtime, night and weekend loadings apply on top.
Source: Fair Work Commission modern awards pay database, current-operative rates (1 July 2026 annual wage review). Casual figures add the 25% casual loading.
Storage and warehouse award floor (1 July 2026)
Warehouse and distribution-centre staff sit on the Storage Services and Wholesale Award 2020 (MA000084):
| Classification | Permanent | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Storeworker grade 1 (on commencement) | $27.08/hr | $33.85/hr |
| Storeworker grade 1 (after 3 months) | $27.41/hr | $34.26/hr |
| Storeworker grade 1 (after 12 months) | $27.72/hr | $34.65/hr |
| Storeworker grade 2 (forklift, RF picking) | $27.97/hr | $34.96/hr |
| Storeworker grade 3 (leading hand, inventory control) | $28.77/hr | $35.96/hr |
| Storeworker grade 4 (supervisor) | $29.61/hr | $37.01/hr |
Source: Fair Work Commission modern awards pay database, current-operative rates (1 July 2026 annual wage review). Casual figures add the 25% casual loading.
Does Mainfreight have an enterprise agreement?
As at 25 September 2026, our corpus of 14,141 federally registered enterprise agreements holds no current agreement for Mainfreight. That usually means one of three things: the employer pays on the award (or on individual contracts above it), the agreement covering you is registered under a different entity name (check the employer name on your payslip and search our agreements database), or — for state public-sector employers — pay is set by a state award or agreement outside the federal register. If you have a copy of an agreement that names Mainfreight, it beats the award figures above.
Common transport pay issues at Mainfreight
The patterns worth checking on a Mainfreight payslip:
- Driving a bigger combination than your grade pays for — the grade follows the vehicle you're required to drive.
- Unpaid loading, waiting and pre-start time.
- Overtime and night loadings absorbed into a flat rate that doesn't beat the award for the roster.
- Contractor arrangements that look like employment — owner-drivers who are really employees.
What to do if your pay looks wrong
Match your payslip to your classification in the agreement (or the award tables above), and price any gap with our back-pay calculator. Raise it in writing with payroll or your manager first — most underpayments are fixed at that step. Unresolved, the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) recovers underpayments at no cost, up to six years back, and your union can run the claim for you. Not sure which instrument covers you? Ask our AI advisor with your role and location.
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Official resources
General information and estimates only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Always check your specific award, agreement or contract, or a qualified professional, before you rely on the result.
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Six years running payroll for a Western Sydney commercial builder before moving to compliance writing and contract payroll. Registered BAS Agent (TPB). Cert IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping. Writes about pay calculations, superannuation, and the 2026 Payday Super rollout. Based in Cabramatta, Sydney.