Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award
Industry award covering employers in the private transport industry engaged in long distance operations and their employees in classifications listed in cl 12. "Long distance operation" = interstate operation OR return journey >500 km moving livestock/materials between principal points (32 km radius from the GPO of a capital city = the capital city). 8 classifications (Grade 3-10 — Grades 1 & 2 explicitly excluded; D12). Standard rate = Grade 6 weekly $1,052.00. Distinctive features include cents-per-kilometre method as first-class pay alternative (D1), industry disability + OT allowances baked into hourly driving rate at 1.3 × 1.2 (D2), separate loading/unloading rate at 1.3 × no OT (D3), public-holiday flat $/shift add-on at 20% (other) or 30% (Christmas/Good Friday) — NOT hourly multiplier (D4), majority-of-trip-on-PH test (D11), 30% annual leave loading (D9 — higher than standard 17.5%), guaranteed minimum fortnight floor of 2× weekly rate (D8), RDOs at 20% of weekly with max 10 accumulation (D10), casual loading split 15% on driving / 25% on loading-unloading (D6).
Fully built. Rates, allowances, penalties and any required apprentice / junior rates are all wired to the rate resolver and have been verified against the consolidated award text and the latest pay guide.
What's built
- All 8 cl 12 classifications (Grade 3-10) at corrected July 2025 figures (PR786576 ppc 1Jul25): Grade 3 $1,009.60/wk → Grade 10 $1,144.40/wk. Standard rate = Grade 6 $1,052.00.
- Cl 16 minimum rates with three rate triplets per grade: hourly driving rate (loaded), CPK rate (loaded), loading/unloading rate (loaded with disability only, no OT factor) — all 8 grades × 3 rate types stored per-grade in configuration.
- Cl 16.4(b) full 30-pair capital city DISTANCE schedule (Sydney/Brisbane = 950 km, Sydney/Perth = 4,044 km, etc.) stored per-route.
- Cl 16.5(c) full 30-pair capital city DRIVING HOURS schedule (Grade 6) stored per-route — Sydney/Brisbane 11.6 hrs, Sydney/Perth 47.6 hrs, etc.
- Cl 18 allowances: 7 wage-related (temp transfer, oversize length/width, furniture carter, livestock carter, dangerous goods bulk/packaged) + 6 expense-related (travelling LDO $56.28, housing offset $4.01, work diary, special clothing, protective clothing, training).
- Cl 25 PH penalty rates as flat $/shift add-on (D4): 20% (other) or 30% (Christmas/Good Friday) of weekly rate, paid IN ADDITION to method-of-payment earnings. Per-grade $/shift cached in configuration. Min 4 hrs.
- Cl 25.5 majority-of-trip-on-PH test (D11) documented in penalty descriptions.
- Cl 13.5 RDO config: 1/month accrual, max 10 accumulated, 20% weekly rate per RDO, 48-hr change notice.
- Cl 13.7 call-back min 4 hrs at cl 16.1 rate.
- Cl 13A right to disconnect with on-call exception cl 13A.4 (must respond if paid on-call under cl 16.2(d)) and recall exception cl 13A.5 (D13).
- Cl 15 delays/breakdown payment: max 8 hrs in any 24-hr period at cl 16.1 rate when long distance op delayed (D14).
- Cl 19.4(a) single default super fund per PR794736 ppc 23 Jan 2026: Team Superannuation Fund (D15).
- Cl 20.2(b)(ii) AL loading 30% (D9) — higher than standard 17.5%. Does NOT apply to proportionate leave on termination.
- Cl 16.2(a) guaranteed minimum fortnight floor (D8): 2× weekly rate per fortnight.
- Cl 11.1/11.2 casual loading split (D6): 15% on driving (CPK + hourly) / 25% on loading-unloading. Single AwardClassification.casual_loading=25 with 15% on driving label via separate AwardConfiguration.
- Cl 10.7 PT 15% premium on unagreed days (D7).
Known limitations
- CPK calculation engine (D1, D5) requires runtime computation against the per-route distance + agreed-hours schedule.
- PH flat $/shift add-on (D4) requires payroll engine to combine with method-of-payment earnings rather than apply hourly multiplier; majority-of-trip test (D11) is a per-trip condition.
- Loaded vs ordinary rate routing (D2): resolver must NOT multiply the loaded driving rate by weekend/OT rules (industry disability and OT factors already baked in).
- PT 15% unagreed-day premium (D7) requires runtime evaluation of agreed-pattern vs actual day worked.
- Guaranteed minimum fortnight floor (D8) requires per-employee fortnightly minimum check.
- RDO accrual/cap evaluator (D10): 1/month, max 10, with 48-hr change notice.
- Delays/breakdown 8-hr cap per 24 hrs (D14) requires per-event tracking.
- Right to disconnect on-call exception (D13) requires runtime check whether employee is currently being paid on-call under cl 16.2(d).
Setup & special instructions
- Standard rate = Grade 6 weekly $1,052.00 (cl 2 + B.1.1).
- Grades 1 & 2 are EXPLICITLY EXCLUDED from this award — drivers commence at Grade 3 (cl 12 / D12).
- Hourly driving rate (cl 16.5(b)) is `weekly ÷ 40 × 1.3 × 1.2` — already loaded for industry disability AND overtime. Do NOT multiply by weekend or OT rules.
- Loading/unloading rate (cl 16.6(a)) is `weekly ÷ 40 × 1.3` — loaded for industry disability only, NO OT factor. Distinct rate label.
- PH penalty (cl 25.3/25.4) is a FLAT $/SHIFT ADD-ON (20% other / 30% Christmas-Good-Friday of weekly rate), NOT an hourly multiplier. Combines with method-of-payment earnings. Min 4 hrs. Applies only when MAJORITY of trip work is on the PH (cl 25.5).
- Annual leave loading is 30% (cl 20.2(b)(ii)) — higher than standard 17.5%. Does NOT apply to proportionate leave on termination.
- Guaranteed minimum fortnight = 2× weekly rate (cl 16.2(a)).
- Casual loading is SPLIT: 15% on CPK + hourly driving (cl 11.1); 25% on loading/unloading (cl 11.2).
- PT max 3 days/week (cl 10.5); min 8h/day or 500km/day on hourly/CPK methods (cl 10.8); 15% premium on unagreed days (cl 10.7).
- Casual min 8h or 500km per engagement (cl 11.3).
- Right to disconnect (cl 13A) — TWO award-specific exceptions: cl 13A.4 on-call (must respond if paid on-call under cl 16.2(d)); cl 13A.5 recall to work under cl 13.7.
- Cl 15 delays/breakdown: paid for ALL TIME up to MAX 8 hrs in any 24-hr period at cl 16.1 rate. Employee must take all reasonable steps to minimise delay.
- Cl 14 unpaid meal break does NOT apply where meal breaks are taken in accordance with fatigue management rules/regulations.
- Single default super fund per cl 19.4(a) PR794736 ppc 23Jan26: Team Superannuation Fund.
- • Road transport
- • Long-distance trucking
- • Interstate freight
- • Long distance drivers
- • Livestock cartage
- • Furniture cartage
- • Dangerous goods transport
- • Heavy haulage
- • Articulated vehicles
- • B-doubles
- • Road trains
The consolidated award text is the authoritative source. Always confirm specific obligations against the award itself — Mployr's implementation status reflects what we've seeded; it does not replace legal advice.
Want to see this award running on your data?
We can demo a pay run on the road transport long distance award using sample employees in a sandbox tenant — including any of the special-instruction steps above so you can see exactly what your team's day-to-day looks like.
Book a demo