Junior drivers aged 18 or over who drive a vehicle in sole charge must be paid the adult rate for that class of driving (cl 17.3(b)).
Which award covers truck drivers
Truck drivers doing local and regional work are covered by the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 [MA000038]. Your grade depends on the vehicle you drive, not on how long you have been driving: the award's Schedule B lists each vehicle type against a Transport Worker grade from 1 to 10.
Drivers on long-distance work — interstate runs, or return journeys of more than 500 km — are covered by a different award, the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2020 [MA000039]. It uses the same weekly rates for grades 3 to 10 but pays drivers by the kilometre or by an hourly driving rate.
If you drive more than one class of vehicle in a day, you are paid the highest grade for the whole day (cl 17.4).
Read the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 [MA000038] on the Fair Work Commission’s site (consolidated to 1 July 2026).
Truck Driver award pay rates 2026–27
These rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rates for the hours they work.
Truck driver pay rates by grade, 2026–27
Clause 17.1(a) of the award, for transport employees. Casual rates from the award's Schedule C.4.1. The vehicle each grade covers is from Schedule B.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport Worker Grade 1Yardperson, driver's assistant, loader | $26.87 | $1,021.00 | $53,092 | $33.59 |
| Transport Worker Grade 2Rigid vehicle up to 4.5 t GVM | $27.51 | $1,045.50 | $54,366 | $34.39 |
| Transport Worker Grade 3Two-axle rigid over 4.5 t up to 13.9 t GVM; forklift up to 5 t | $27.83 | $1,057.60 | $54,995 | $34.79 |
| Transport Worker Grade 4Three-axle rigid over 13.9 t GVM | $28.32 | $1,076.20 | $55,962 | $35.40 |
| Transport Worker Grade 5Rigid with 4+ axles over 13.9 t; 3-axle articulated up to 22.4 t GCM | $28.67 | $1,089.60 | $56,659 | $35.84 |
| Transport Worker Grade 6Articulated (semi) with 4+ axles over 22.4 t GCM | $29.00 | $1,102.00 | $57,304 | $36.25 |
| Transport Worker Grade 7B-double up to 53.4 t GCM; low loader over 43 t | $29.42 | $1,118.00 | $58,136 | $36.78 |
| Transport Worker Grade 8B-double or rigid-and-trailer over 53.4 t GCM | $30.28 | $1,150.50 | $59,826 | $37.85 |
| Transport Worker Grade 9Trailer combinations over 94 t GCM; mobile crane over 50 t | $30.78 | $1,169.70 | $60,824 | $38.48 |
| Transport Worker Grade 10Multi-axle platform over 70 t capacity | $31.55 | $1,198.80 | $62,338 | $39.44 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Truck Driver penalty rates and overtime
| When you work | Full-time / part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 150% | 175% |
| Sunday | 200% | 225% |
| Good Friday and Christmas Day | 200%* | 325% |
| Any other public holiday | 150%* | 275% |
Percentages of the minimum hourly rate (Schedule C.2.1 and C.4.1). *For full-time and part-time employees, public holiday payment is in addition to the amount payable for the weekly wage (cl 23.2(b)). Casual percentages include the 25% loading.
Overtime
- 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200% (Schedule C.3.1).
- Public holiday overtime: 250%. Good Friday and Christmas Day overtime: 300%.
- A casual working overtime does not receive the 25% casual loading, but is paid an extra 10% of the minimum hourly rate on top of the overtime rate (cl 11).
Work out a shift with penalties or overtime using the overtime pay calculator.
Truck Driver pay after tax
On the Transport Worker Grade 6 rate of $1,102.00 a week, a full-time truck driver earns $57,304 a year before tax.
| Gross annual pay | $57,304 |
|---|---|
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$7,571 |
| Medicare levy | −$1,146 |
| Take-home per year | $48,587 |
| Take-home per week | $934 |
2026–27 resident tax rates with the low income tax offset and the 2% Medicare levy; no HECS-HELP repayment and no Medicare levy surcharge. Superannuation is paid on top by your employer. For the full breakdown see take-home pay on $55,000 (the nearest step to $57,304), or put in your own hours with the weekly pay calculator.
What truck drivers actually earn
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings for Truck Drivers (ANZSCO 7331) at $1,960 a week ($42 an hour), against $1,852 a week for all occupations.
Median weekly pay of full-time, non-managerial adult employees before tax and salary sacrifice, from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) as published by Jobs and Skills Australia. It reflects what employers actually pay, including people on enterprise agreements or above-award salaries, so it is a market figure, not a legal minimum.
What this page does not show
- Long-distance (MA000039) cents-per-kilometre and hourly driving rates.
- Oil distribution worker rates (cl 17.2), which use a 35-hour week.
- Allowances such as meal, first aid and dangerous goods, which depend on the job.
Truck Driver pay questions
Pay rates for other jobs
How this page is sourced▼
Every minimum rate was read from the Fair Work Commission's consolidated text of the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020, consolidated to 1 July 2026, on 23 September 2026. Casual rates are the award's own published figures wherever it publishes them. Nothing is estimated.
The median comes from Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation profile and is a market figure, not an entitlement. Take-home figures use the same tax engine as the rest of this site. Award rates change every 1 July, so re-check after the next Annual Wage Review.
Sources & References
- 1Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 [MA000038] — consolidated to 1 July 2026— Fair Work Commission
- 2
- 3Pay guides for modern awards— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 4Annual Wage Review 2025–26 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 5Truck Drivers (ANZSCO 7331) occupation profile — ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025— Jobs and Skills Australia
Last verified: 23 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
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Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
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