Counting time

Drivers and other responsible parties in the supply chain are required by law to count work and rest times in a specific way. Understand the rules for counting work and rest times for fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle drivers.

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What is work time and rest time

Work time

Work time includes all tasks to do with the operation of the fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle such as:

  • driving
  • sitting in the driver’s seat with the engine on
  • waiting in a line of vehicles to load or unload
  • loading and unloading the vehicle performing marketing tasks in relation to the use of the vehicle
  • inspecting, servicing or repair work
  • attending to the load or to passengers (on a bus)
  • cleaning or refuelling the vehicle
  • instructing or supervising another person (for example, a trainee learning to drive a heavy vehicle, navigate a new route or make deliveries)
  • recording information or completing a document (for example your work diary).

It doesn’t matter if any of these tasks occur on private property or on a road or road-related area, they are still classified as work.

Rest time

Any time that is not work time.

Rules for counting time

This information will help you understand how to count work and rest hours in different periods of time.

The legislation requires that:

  • time periods are always counted forward from the end of a rest break (in other words, from the start of work time)
  • time periods of 24 hours or longer must be counted forward from the end of a relevant major rest break.

Less than 24 hours

Work periods of less than 24 hours must be counted forward from the end of any period of rest time.

For example, it is an offence for a solo driver operating under standard hours to work more than 7 hours and 30 minutes during an 8-hour shift.

24 hours and more

Periods of 24 hours or more must be counted forward from the end of a relevant major rest break (the longest continuous rest break required for your hours option).

For example, you must start counting 24-hour periods from:

  • Standard Hours solo - the end of a rest break of 7 or more continuous hours.
  • Standard Hours two-up - the end of a rest break of 5 or more continuous hours.
  • Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) solo - the end of a rest break of 7 or more continuous hours (or at the end of a rest break of 6 continuous hours if a split rest break has been taken).
  • Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) two-up - 24-hour periods can be counted forward from the end of any rest break because this option does not require a major rest break in a 24-hour period.
  • Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) - the end of a rest period defined as the relevant major rest break on the AFM certificate.

Important note: You must count work and rest time for the whole 24-hour period following the end of a relevant major rest break. If you take another (subsequent) relevant major rest break during that 24-hour period, it does not reset the 24-hour period and you must continue counting work time for that 24-hour period after the break. You must count all work time before and after the subsequent relevant major rest break in that 24-hour period.

For example, if you started working at 6:00am and:

  • worked 5¼ hrs (6:00am-11:15am) and then took a 15-minute break
  • worked 2¼ hrs (11:30am–1:45pm) and then took a 90-minute break
  • worked 4½ hrs (3:15–7:45pm) then took a 7-hour major rest break

then you have completed the maximum 12 hours work time in any 24-hour period at 7:45pm and may not commence working again until 6:00am the next day because that is when the 24-hour period you are counting finishes.

How to determine a 24-hour period for the purposes of counting time?

What if a driver doesn’t take the legally required rest break?

If you do not have the required relevant major rest break in the period, you must count 24-hour or longer periods from the end of any rest break.

Periods of 7, 14 and 28 days

Periods of 7 days or longer must be counted forward from the end of any relevant major rest break.

The relevant major rest break for a period of 7 or more days may be either:

  • a 24 continuous-hours rest period
  • a rest break of at least 7 continuous-hours stationary rest time for two-up drivers
  • a night rest break of 7 continuous-hours stationary rest time (taken between 10:00pm on a day and 8:00am on the next day) for drivers of buses and coaches.

For example:

  • for a 24 continuous-hours rest period, count forward from the end of a previous 24 continuous-hours rest period.
  • to check if you comply with night rest requirements, count forward from the end of a previous night rest.

Rounding time intervals when using a written work diary

Work time is rounded up

Work time limits are maximum limits, so work time is always rounded up to the next 15-minute interval.

For example:

  • 10 minutes work is counted as 15 minutes of work time
  • 40 minutes work is counted as 45 minutes of work time
  • 2 hours and 21 minutes work is counted as 2 hours and 30 minutes of work time.

Rest time is rounded down

Rest time limits are minimum limits, so rest time is always rounded down to the last 15-minute interval.

For example:

  • 12 minutes rest does not count as rest time
  • rest between 30 minutes and 44 minutes is counted as 30 minutes rest time
  • 6 hours and 40 minutes rest is counted as 6 hours and 30 minutes of rest time.

Time zones

Rules for recording time in different time zones

Both work time and rest time must be counted in 15-minute blocks relative to the time zone of your base (that is, your journey starting point).

For example:

  • If you are based in Queensland and you drive into NSW during daylight savings time, record your work and rest hours in Queensland time.

Changing time zones

Drivers travelling outside their normal time zone should ensure they schedule their night rests according to the time zone of their base.

BFM hours solo drivers must calculate ‘long and night hours’ according to the time zone of their base.