Minimum pay rates for road transport workers in Australia under the Road Transport Award. Updated 1 July 2025.
Last verified: 21 May 2026Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2020 (MA000039)
$24.95
Base rate/hr
$31.19
Casual rate/hr
The minimum pay rate for road transport workers is $24.95/hr under the Road Transport Award. Casuals receive $31.19/hr (base + 25% loading). Rates effective from 1 July 2025.
Long-haul drivers, local delivery drivers, and road transport workers are covered by the Road Transport and Distribution Award. This award covers the heavy vehicle side of transport — from rigid trucks to B-doubles and road trains. Fatigue management and loading/unloading time are key pay issues.
| Level | Classification | Base Rate/hr | Casual Rate/hr | Annual (38hrs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Road Transport Driver Grade 1 | $24.95 | $31.19 | $49,301.20 |
| Grade 2 | Road Transport Driver Grade 2 | $25.10 | $31.38 | $49,597.60 |
| Grade 3 | Road Transport Driver Grade 3 | $25.97 | $32.46 | $51,316.72 |
| Grade 4 | Road Transport Driver Grade 4 | $26.83 | $33.54 | $53,016.08 |
| Grade 5 | Road Transport Driver Grade 5 | $27.72 | $34.65 | $54,774.72 |
| Grade 6 | Road Transport Driver Grade 6 | $28.85 | $36.06 | $57,007.60 |
Rates effective from 1 July 2025 under the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2020. Casual rates include 25% loading.
Casual workers get a 25% loading on top of the base rate. This compensates for no paid leave, no notice period, and no redundancy pay. Here's what that looks like for each level:
| Level | Base Rate | + 25% Loading | Casual Rate/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | $24.95 | +$6.24 | $31.19 |
| Grade 2 | $25.10 | +$6.28 | $31.38 |
| Grade 3 | $25.97 | +$6.49 | $32.46 |
| Grade 4 | $26.83 | +$6.71 | $33.54 |
| Grade 5 | $27.72 | +$6.93 | $34.65 |
| Grade 6 | $28.85 | +$7.21 | $36.06 |
Penalty rates are calculated on the base rate (Level 1: $24.95/hr). Casual employees receive penalty rates on their base rate before casual loading is applied.
Saturday
$37.43/hr
1.5x base
Sunday
$49.90/hr
2x base
Public Holiday
$62.38/hr
2.5x base
| Penalty Type | Multiplier | Level 1 Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 1.5x | $37.43/hr |
| Sunday | 2x | $49.90/hr |
| Public Holiday | 2.5x | $62.38/hr |
| Overtime (first 2 hours) | 1.5x | $37.43/hr |
| Overtime (after 2 hours) | 2x | $49.90/hr |
View the complete Road Transport Award including all classification levels, break rules, allowances, and more.
View Full Road Transport Award Pay Rates →If your payslip shows less than $24.95/hr (or $31.19/hr casual), you might be getting underpaid. It happens more than you'd think in road transport. Use our underpaid checker to calculate what you're actually owed.
Check If You're Underpaid →The minimum base rate for road transport workers is $24.95/hr (Grade 1) under the Road Transport and Distribution Award. A Grade 4 heavy vehicle driver earns around $27.83/hr base. Casual drivers receive the 25% loading on top.
Yes. All time spent loading, unloading, and waiting at depots or customer sites is paid working time. If you're required to be at a location, you must be paid. Unpaid waiting time is a common breach in this industry.
Saturday pays 1.5x for the first 2 hours and 2.0x after that. Sunday is 2.0x all day. Public holidays pay 2.5x. Overtime beyond 38 hours per week is 1.5x for the first 2 hours, then 2.0x.
Long-distance drivers are entitled to meal allowances and overnight accommodation allowances when away from their home depot. The amounts are set out in the award and are updated annually. These are separate from your hourly rate.
Embed this calculator on your site — free
One line of HTML. Auto-updates with the latest Australian rates. Click to copy the code.
Copy & paste into any HR blog, payroll docs, intranet, or CMS.
<iframe
src="https://fairworkmate.com.au/embed/pay-rates?partner=YOUR_NAME"
width="100%"
height="700"
frameborder="0"
loading="lazy"
title="Road Transport Pay Rates 2025-26 by FairWork Mate"
style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:8px;max-width:680px;"
></iframe>YOUR_NAME with your site identifier for attribution (optional).“I'm using the Road Transport Pay Rates 2025-26 on FairWork Mate. Walk me through what this typically tells me and what I should do next.”
Ask FairWork Mate AI →
Get notified when rates change
Free alerts when minimum wage, award rates, or workplace laws are updated.
Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stuck on your numbers?
Ask our AI advisor — it'll talk you through your specific situation in seconds.
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.
Complete guide to modern award pay rates for 2025-26. Covers the 3.75% increase, how to find your award, minimum wage levels, penalty rates, overtime, and allowances under the Fair Work system.
KFC Australia Pay Rates 2026: Crew Member to Manager PayKFC Australia hourly rates 2026 — crew member, cook, team leader, and manager pay under the Fast Food Industry Award. Junior rates and weekend penalties.
Coles Pay Rates 2026: Award Rates by Age, Casual & Penalty RatesWhat Coles workers should be getting paid in 2026. Full breakdown of hourly rates by age, casual loading, weekend and public holiday penalty rates under the General Retail Industry Award.
Free tools surface the issue. Our partners help you solve it.
Authorised Employment Hero Partner
Australian HR, payroll, rostering and award interpretation in one platform. Used by 300,000+ businesses. Fixes the underlying payroll/compliance issues our calculators surface.
Best for: SMEs that have outgrown spreadsheet payroll or want automated award interpretation.
See Employment HeroAuthorised Lawpath Partner
Register an ABN, form a Pty Ltd, or grab an ongoing legal plan. 400,000+ Australian businesses use Lawpath for fast, fixed-price legal admin without the $400/hr solicitor bill.
Best for: contractors, sole traders, scaling businesses, anyone forming a company.
See LawpathAffiliate partners — commissions fund the free tools on this site. We only recommend partners we've vetted as a good fit for Australian workplaces.