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 2026Heavy 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.
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.
FairWork Mate AI
Is the figure right for you?
The advisor reads your payslip, contract or letter against the Fair Work Commission case library and cites the decision behind every answer.
Just need this week sorted? A 7-Day Pass is 50 questions over 7 days, no account. Get a 7-Day Pass — $14.99
Get pay and rights updates for your job
Free email updates when award rates, the minimum wage or workplace laws change.
Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
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.