What are the standard driving hours for a heavy vehicle driver?

Under Standard Hours (a solo driver with no fatigue-management accreditation) the Heavy Vehicle National Law limits are: in 5½ hours, a maximum of 5¼ hours work and 15 minutes rest; in 8 hours, 7½ hours work and 30 minutes rest; in 11 hours, 10 hours work and 60 minutes rest; in 24 hours, a maximum of 12 hours work and 7 continuous hours of stationary rest; in 7 days, 72 hours work and 24 continuous hours rest; and in 14 days, 144 hours work plus set night rest breaks.

What is the difference between BFM and AFM?

Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) is an accredited option that lets an operator extend driving to up to 14 hours work in any 24-hour period, in return for stronger fatigue-management systems and record-keeping. Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) does not use a fixed published table — the limits are tailored to the operator and approved case-by-case by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator based on the operator's own fatigue-risk management system.

Does the Heavy Vehicle National Law apply in Western Australia or the Northern Territory?

No. The Heavy Vehicle National Law applies in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory only. Western Australia and the Northern Territory have not adopted it and have their own heavy-vehicle and driver-fatigue laws, so the standard hours, BFM and AFM limits do not apply there.

What vehicles are covered by the heavy vehicle fatigue rules?

A fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle is a truck or combination with a gross vehicle mass over 12 tonnes, or a bus over 4.5 tonnes built to carry more than 12 adults including the driver. Below these limits the Heavy Vehicle National Law fatigue rules generally do not apply.

What happens if I exceed the work and rest limits?

Exceeding the work and rest limits is a fatigue-management breach under the Heavy Vehicle National Law. Breaches are graded by how far the limit is exceeded — minor, substantial, severe or critical — and can lead to penalties for the driver and, under chain of responsibility, for other parties such as the operator, scheduler or consignor. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator can also require fatigue records and take enforcement action.

Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue & Work-Rest Hours Checker

Check heavy-vehicle driver work and rest hour limits under the Heavy Vehicle National Law — standard hours, BFM and AFM.

Last verified: 21 June 2026

Heavy vehicle drivers have legal limits on how long they can work and how much rest they must take. This tool shows the work and rest limits for Standard Hours, Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) and Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, confirms whether your vehicle is fatigue-regulated, and flags that Western Australia and the Northern Territory have their own laws.

Check heavy vehicle driver work and rest limits

Choose your state or territory and your fatigue-management option to see the work and rest limits, whether your vehicle is fatigue-regulated, and whether the Heavy Vehicle National Law applies to you. This is general information — safety-critical limits depend on your accreditation, so confirm with the NHVR.

1. Your state or territory

2. Which fatigue-management option do you work under?

Standard Hours (no accreditation)

Under Standard Hours a solo driver can work at most 12 hours in any 24-hour period and must take 7 continuous hours of stationary rest in that period. The full set of work and rest limits is shown below. No accreditation is needed to drive under Standard Hours.

In this period	Maximum work	Minimum rest
In any period of 5½ hours	5¼ hours work	15 continuous minutes rest
In any period of 8 hours	7½ hours work	30 minutes rest (in blocks of 15+ minutes)
In any period of 11 hours	10 hours work	60 minutes rest (in blocks of 15+ minutes)
In any period of 24 hours	12 hours work	7 continuous hours stationary rest
In any period of 7 days	72 hours work	24 continuous hours rest
In any period of 14 days	144 hours work	set night rest breaks (2 nights of 7 continuous hours stationary rest taken on consecutive days, plus more)

Is your vehicle covered?: A fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle is a truck or combination with a gross vehicle mass over 12 tonnes, or a bus over 4.5 tonnes that is built to carry more than 12 adults (including the driver). If your vehicle is below these limits, the HVNL fatigue rules generally do not apply.
Does the HVNL apply where you are?: The Heavy Vehicle National Law applies in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, and is administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). The limits shown apply to your jurisdiction.
Source: Source: Heavy Vehicle National Law and the Heavy Vehicle (Fatigue Management) National Regulation, administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).

This is general information, not legal advice. Heavy vehicle fatigue limits are safety-critical and depend on your accreditation, vehicle and the exact work you do. Confirm your obligations with the NHVR or a qualified adviser before relying on this.

Last verified 2026-06-21.

Other parties in the transport task — operators, schedulers, consignors and loaders — can also be responsible for driver fatigue. Check your duties with the Chain of Responsibility Checker, or see more workplace safety tools in the Safety Hub.

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FairWork Mate is an independent commercial service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work Commission, or any Australian Government agency. Content is general information and estimates only — not legal, financial, or tax advice. Always verify with the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified professional.

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