Pay & Wages
Qube Pay Rates 2026: Stevedore, Driver & Terminal Pay
What Qube workers should be paid in 2026 — the Stevedoring Industry Award floor by classification, casual loading, penalties, and where the Qube enterprise agreements sit.
Who covers Qube workers — award or agreement?
Qube is the country's largest integrated logistics and port operator, with stevedoring at most major ports, bulk haulage, rail terminals, container parks and the Patrick terminals joint venture. Its workforce is stevedores, forklift and crane operators, truck drivers, rail terminal staff and warehouse workers.
Qube has one of the largest enterprise agreement footprints in the country — port by port and business by business (below). The federal awards underneath are the Stevedoring Industry Award 2020 at the wharf (tabled below) and the Road Transport and Distribution Award for haulage; agreement rates sit well above the award ladder.
The federal awards relevant to Qube roles:
- Stevedoring Industry Award 2020 (MA000053)
- Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 (MA000038)
Workforce snapshot. In its 2024-25 report to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Qube Holdings Limited declared 7,759 employees across 21 reporting entities — 19.4% casual and 12.9% women, with 510 in management roles. Source: WGEA 2025 Public Data File, data.gov.au (CC-BY 3.0 AU).
Stevedoring award floor (1 July 2026)
Wharf work sits on the Stevedoring Industry Award 2020 (MA000053), which uses a 35-hour week (hourly = weekly ÷ 35):
| Classification | Permanent | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Stevedoring Grade 1 (entry — lashing, general) | $27.95/hr | $34.94/hr |
| Stevedoring Grade 2 (forklift, general operator) | $28.71/hr | $35.89/hr |
| Stevedoring Grade 3 (straddle/reach stacker, clerical) | $30.02/hr | $37.52/hr |
| Stevedoring Grade 4 (crane driver, leading hand) | $31.75/hr | $39.69/hr |
| Stevedoring Grade 5 (multi-skilled operator) | $32.41/hr | $40.51/hr |
| Stevedoring Grade 6 (supervisor) | $34.56/hr | $43.20/hr |
| Stevedoring Grade 7 (senior supervisor/manager) | $38.91/hr | $48.64/hr |
Port agreements pay well above these figures and restructure shift loadings — the award is the floor when an agreement lapses.
Source: Fair Work Commission modern awards pay database, current-operative rates (1 July 2026 annual wage review). Casual figures add the 25% casual loading.
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.
The Qube enterprise agreements
Enterprise agreements set rates above the award, with their own classification structures and allowances. Current Qube agreements in our corpus (71 in total):
- Qube Energy Pty Ltd BBMT Enterprise Agreement 2026 — approved April 2026, nominal expiry 8 April 2030.
- Qube Logistics (NSW) and the TWU Road Transport Enterprise Agreement 2026 — approved August 2026, nominal expiry 1 January 2030.
- Qube Ports Pty Ltd Brisbane Bulk and General Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved December 2025, nominal expiry 12 December 2029.
- Qube Bulk Pty Ltd Utah Point Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved November 2025, nominal expiry 4 November 2029.
- Qube Logistics Carrington Intermodal Terminals Enterprise Agreement 2026 — approved August 2026, nominal expiry 31 October 2029.
- Qube Heavy Lift Qld Projects Enterprise Agreement 2024 — approved September 2025, nominal expiry 15 September 2029.
- Qube Offshore Services Pty Ltd Workplace Determination 2025 — approved September 2025, nominal expiry 5 September 2029.
- Qube Logistics Rail Victorian Train Crew Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved March 2026, nominal expiry 30 June 2029.
Plus 63 more — search "Qube" in our agreements database.
We don't reproduce agreement dollar figures here — the agreement covering your site, state and stream is the document to read. Find your agreement, then your classification, then your pay point, and compare it with your payslip. The award tables on this page are the floor every one of these agreements must beat.
Port and logistics pay issues worth checking on any payslip
General award-compliance issues that come up across the port and logistics sector. This is a checklist for your own payslip, not a finding about Qube:
- 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.
FairWork Mate AI
Check your own pay with the advisor
“I work at Qube. Am I being paid the right rate for my age and hours — and are my weekend and public holiday penalties correct?”
Cited answers grounded in the Fair Work Act, your award and the Fair Work Commission decisions behind them. Free to start.
Ask the advisor →Get pay and rights updates for your job
Free email updates when award rates, the minimum wage or workplace laws change.
Official resources
Related articles
FairWork Mate is an independent Australian publisher of workplace-rights information. Our content is prepared with AI assistance and draws on primary sources — the Fair Work Act, modern awards, and Fair Work Commission and Fair Work Ombudsman material. It is general information, not legal advice.