Heavy vehicle work and rest hours in Australia are set by the Heavy Vehicle National Law. Every driver of a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle must stay within defined maximum work limits and take minimum rest breaks – and the people who schedule their work carry the same legal obligation.
Since 1 August 2026, the framework around heavy vehicle work rest hours has shifted. BFM and AFM are being phased out in favour of Alternative Compliance Hours under the new Heavy Vehicle Accreditation scheme. But Standard Hours remain the default, and the fundamental counting rules have not changed.
This article breaks down exactly what the hour limits are under each option, how to count time correctly, and what the transition to ACH means for your fleet.
Which Vehicles Are Covered
The work and rest rules apply to drivers of fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles:
- Trucks and vehicle combinations with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) or Gross Combination Mass (GCM) over 12 tonnes
- Buses with a GVM over 4.5 tonnes designed to carry more than 12 adults (including the driver)
If your vehicle falls below these thresholds, the specific work-rest counting rules do not apply to you under the HVNL. However, the broader “unfit to drive” duty introduced 1 August 2026 applies to all heavy vehicles over 4.5 tonnes GVM – meaning even if you are not subject to the hour counting rules, you still cannot drive while impaired by fatigue.
The HVNL applies in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, TAS and ACT. Western Australia and the Northern Territory have their own rules, though WA drivers must follow the HVNL when they cross into participating jurisdictions.
Standard Hours: The Default
Standard Hours are the baseline option. No accreditation is needed. If you are driving a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle and you do not hold BFM, AFM or ACH accreditation, you are operating under Standard Hours. The NHVR provides a daily work and rest hours planner you can download for quick reference.
Solo Driver Limits – Standard Hours
| Period | Maximum Work | Minimum Rest |
| In any 5.5 hours | 5 hours 15 minutes of work time | 15 continuous minutes of rest |
| In any 8 hours | 7.5 hours of work time | 30 minutes of rest in blocks of at least 15 continuous minutes |
| In any 11 hours | 10 hours of work time | 60 minutes of rest in blocks of at least 15 continuous minutes |
| In any 24 hours | 12 hours of work time | 7 continuous hours of stationary rest |
| In any 7 days | 72 hours of work time | 24 continuous hours of stationary rest |
| In any 14 days | 144 hours of work time | The 7-day and 24-hour rest requirements above |
Stationary rest means time spent out of the fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle, or in an approved sleeper berth of a stationary vehicle. Sitting in the cab at a traffic light is not rest. Sitting in a moving vehicle as a passenger is not stationary rest either.
Two-Up Driver Limits – Standard Hours
When two drivers share the driving of a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle, both must operate under a two-up work option. The limits are more flexible:
| Period | Maximum Work | Minimum Rest |
| In any 24 hours | 12 hours of work time each | 7 continuous hours of stationary rest each (can be taken in a sleeper berth while the vehicle is moving) |
The key difference: in a two-up arrangement, rest in an approved sleeper berth of a moving vehicle counts as stationary rest. This allows longer continuous trips. Both drivers must individually comply with the limits, and both must record their time in a work diary.
Basic Fatigue Management (BFM)
BFM gives operators more flexibility than Standard Hours but requires NHVAS accreditation, along with trained drivers and trained schedulers.
Important: From 1 August 2026, BFM is being replaced by Alternative Compliance Hours (ACH) under the new HVA scheme. Existing BFM accreditation remains valid until it expires. No new BFM applications are being accepted.
Solo Driver Limits – BFM
| Period | Maximum Work | Minimum Rest |
| In any 6.5 hours | 6 hours of work time | 15 continuous minutes of rest |
| In any 9 hours | 8.25 hours of work time | 30 minutes of rest in blocks of at least 15 continuous minutes |
| In any 12 hours | 11 hours of work time | 60 minutes of rest in blocks of at least 15 continuous minutes |
| In any 24 hours | 14 hours of work time | 7 continuous hours of stationary rest |
| In any 7 days | 36 hours of long/night work time* | Night rest requirements** |
| In any 14 days | 144 hours of work time | 4 night rest breaks** |
*Long/night work time is any work beyond 12 hours in a 24-hour period, or any work between midnight and 6 AM (using the time zone of the driver’s base).
**Night rest breaks are 7 continuous hours of stationary rest taken between 10 PM and 8 AM (base time zone), or a 24-hour continuous stationary rest break.
BFM’s key advantage when it comes to heavy vehicle work rest hours is the extra 2 hours of work in a 24-hour period (14 vs 12 hours). But the night rest requirements are strict – they exist specifically because extended and overnight work carries significantly higher fatigue risk.
Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM)
AFM offered the most flexibility under the previous system, using a performance-based risk management approach. Operators needed an NHVR-approved fatigue management system, including a safety case identifying hazards and controls specific to their proposed schedule.
From 1 August 2026, AFM is also transitioning to ACH under the HVA scheme. Existing AFM accreditation remains valid until expiry.
AFM hours were customised to each operator’s approved safety case, so there is no single standard table of hours. If your fleet currently operates under AFM, your specific arrangements will need to be mapped to an ACH template or submitted as custom hours when you transition.
Alternative Compliance Hours (ACH) – The New System
ACH is the replacement for both BFM and AFM, available from 1 August 2026 through Alternative Compliance Accreditation – Fatigue (ACA-Fatigue) under the HVA scheme.
How ACH Works
- You apply for ACA-Fatigue accreditation through the NHVR portal
- GSA (General Safety Accreditation) is a prerequisite
- You can select from templated tables of hours based on common BFM and AFM setups, or submit custom hours for assessment
- Your proposed ACH must comply with the Ministerial Standard for Alternative Compliance Hours
- For solo drivers, work in any 24-hour period cannot exceed 15.5 hours, and stationary rest must include at least 7 continuous hours
- Your case manager assesses whether the proposed hours provide a safe balance between work, rest, risk management and fatigue countermeasures
Key Differences from BFM/AFM
The practical effect for most operators transitioning from BFM will be minimal if they select a matching template. The structural difference is that ACH sits within the HVA framework, which requires a documented Safety Management System meeting the SMS Standard 2026. Your fatigue management practices are assessed as part of a broader safety system, not as a standalone module.
For a detailed transition guide, read: BFM and AFM Are Being Replaced: Your Guide to ACA-Fatigue and Alternative Compliance Hours
How to Count Work Rest Hours Correctly
Getting the counting rules wrong is one of the most common causes of fatigue breaches. The NHVR’s counting method is specific:
For periods less than 24 hours (all drivers): Work periods must be counted forward from the end of any rest break. If you have not taken the required rest break, count from the end of the most recent qualifying rest break.
For 24-hour periods:
- Under Standard Hours or ACH: count from the end of the longest major rest break
- Under BFM or AFM: count from the end of any major rest break
What counts as work time: Everything connected to operating the fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle. This includes driving, loading and unloading, pre-trip inspections, refuelling, paperwork, waiting to load (if you cannot leave the vehicle), and any other task related to the vehicle’s operation. It does not matter whether these tasks happen on a public road or on private property – they are still work time.
What counts as rest time: Any time that is not work time. But for it to count toward your required rest breaks, it must meet the minimum duration (15 minutes, 30 minutes, 7 hours continuous, etc.) and, for stationary rest, the driver must be outside the vehicle or in an approved sleeper berth of a stationary vehicle.
A common mistake: assuming meal breaks automatically count as rest. If you are eating at a depot while your vehicle is being loaded and you need to supervise or move the vehicle, that time may not qualify as rest.
Night Work and Circadian Risk
Fatigue risk is not uniform across the 24-hour cycle. Driving between midnight and 6 AM – the circadian low period – carries substantially higher crash risk, which is why BFM (and now ACH) includes specific night work limits.
Under BFM, the 36-hour limit on long and night shifts over any 7-day period exists specifically to prevent operators from scheduling excessive overnight work. The night rest break requirements (7 hours of stationary rest between 10 PM and 8 AM) force regular reset opportunities aligned with natural sleep patterns.
The NHVR has noted that planning rosters to minimise driving during the midnight-to-6 AM window is a best practice for all operators, regardless of which hours option they use.
For more on managing night driving risk, read: Night Driving Fatigue Rules for Heavy Vehicles
What Happens When You Breach Work Rest Hours
Breaching heavy vehicle work rest hours is categorised by severity:
- Minor breach: exceeding limits by a small margin (e.g. working slightly over the 12-hour limit)
- Substantial breach: exceeding limits by a significant margin
- Severe breach: exceeding limits by a large margin (e.g. driving 16+ hours in a 24-hour period under Standard Hours)
- Critical breach: the most serious – sustained, dangerous exceedances
Penalties escalate accordingly. Since 1 August 2026, the base fatigue duty penalty is $26,610. For serious and repeated breaches, Chain of Responsibility penalties apply – up to $4,230,550 for corporations. Heavy vehicle crash data confirms fatigue remains one of the top three contributors to fatal heavy vehicle incidents.
It is not just the driver who faces consequences. If a scheduler, fleet manager or other CoR party created conditions that made the breach inevitable, they carry independent liability.
For the full penalty schedule, read: Fatigue Breaches, Work Rest Penalties Under HVNL
Frequently Asked Questions
Does loading/unloading time count as work?
Yes. Any activity related to the operation of a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle counts as work time, including loading, unloading, pre-trip inspections, refuelling and paperwork. This applies whether it happens on a road or on private property.
Can I split my 7-hour rest break?
Under Standard Hours, no – it must be 7 continuous hours of stationary rest. Under BFM, the 7-hour rest can be split in some jurisdictions, but not in Victoria. Check the specific conditions of your accreditation.
What happens if I switch from AFM to Standard Hours mid-trip?
You must not drive a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle unless you are compliant with all the work and rest requirements of the new option (Standard Hours). You cannot carry over flexible hours from your previous AFM arrangement.
Do I need to record time on private property?
Yes. Work time is counted regardless of where the activity takes place. A pre-trip inspection at a private depot is work time. Loading on a farm is work time.
Is rest in a moving vehicle counted as rest?
Only in a two-up arrangement, and only if the rest is taken in an approved sleeper berth. For solo drivers, rest must be stationary.
