Fatigue management and work diaries

By the end of this topic you can

• You can tell whether a vehicle is a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle.
• You can explain the standard hours limits for a solo truck driver in short periods.
• You can say when a work diary is needed under standard hours.
• You can recognise the early warning signs of fatigue and know to stop.
• You can explain why WA and NT drivers must check local fatigue rules.

What you need to know and understand

• National fatigue laws cover trucks or combinations over 12 tonnes GVM or GCM, and buses over 4.5 tonnes GVM built to carry more than 12 adults including the driver.
• Work time includes driving and other tasks such as loading, refuelling and paperwork, not just time behind the wheel.
• Under standard hours, a solo truck driver can work no more than 12 hours in any 24 hours and must have 7 continuous hours of stationary rest.
• Under standard hours you must keep a work diary if you work more than 100 km from your base.
• The Heavy Vehicle National Law applies in every state and territory except Western Australia and the Northern Territory, which run their own systems.
• Changes to the Heavy Vehicle National Law began on 1 August 2026, including simpler written work diary records, with some transitional arrangements.

Which vehicles and drivers are covered

The fatigue rules apply to fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles. That means a truck, or a truck and trailer combination, with a GVM or GCM over 12 tonnes, and a bus with a GVM over 4.5 tonnes that is built to carry more than 12 adults including the driver.

The Heavy Vehicle National Law is run by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA, Tasmania and the ACT. Western Australia and the Northern Territory have their own rules, so check with the local transport or work safety regulator if you drive there. National law still applies to WA and NT trucks once they cross into a participating state.

Standard hours for a solo truck driver

Most new drivers work under standard hours. The limits work like a sliding window: in any period of the length shown, you cannot go over the work time, and you must take at least the rest shown.

• Any 5.5 hours: up to 5.25 hours of work, with at least 15 continuous minutes of rest.
• Any 8 hours: up to 7.5 hours of work, with at least 30 minutes of rest in blocks of 15 minutes or more.
• Any 11 hours: up to 10 hours of work, with at least 60 minutes of rest in blocks of 15 minutes or more.
• Any 24 hours: up to 12 hours of work, with at least 7 continuous hours of stationary rest.
• Over 7 days and 14 days there are further limits, including a 24 hour continuous rest break and night rest breaks.

Bus drivers and other schemes

Solo bus and coach drivers can choose standard hours or a separate set of bus and coach hours with different weekly and monthly limits, but not both at once. Operators can also use accredited schemes with different hours. Ask your employer which scheme you are working under before your first shift.

Keeping your work diary right

Under standard hours, a work diary is needed when you work more than 100 km from your base. Under the accredited schemes, a diary is needed whatever the distance. Fill it in as you go, not at the end of the day, and carry it with you while driving. If your diary is lost, stolen or full, tell the NHVR quickly and get a replacement.

Records are only half the job. Signs of fatigue include yawning, heavy eyes, drifting in the lane and missing signs. If you notice them, stop somewhere safe and rest, even if your hours allow more driving.

Common mistakes

• Counting only driving time. Loading, unloading and other work tasks count too.
• Filling in the diary from memory at the end of the shift. Record each change as it happens.
• Treating the maximum hours as a target. Stop earlier if you feel tired.
• Assuming national rules apply in WA or the NT. Check the local rules for those places.

Test yourself: Fatigue management and work diaries

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.