Road safety remuneration system
In this section you’ll find information about the Road Safety Remuneration System (the System). From 1 July 2012, the System applies to most drivers and businesses in the road transport industry. The System is a Government initiative which aims to improve road safety for truck drivers, their families and all Australian road users.
Under the System, the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (the Tribunal) can set pay and related conditions for road transport drivers in the road transport industry. The Tribunal will do this by making road safety remuneration orders (orders). If you or your business is covered by the System, your rights and obligations may change because of any orders that apply to you or your business.
The Tribunal will also be able to approve road transport collective agreements between owner drivers and hirers and help if there are disputes involving drivers, their employer or hirer and/or supply chain participants.
Note: if you’re covered by the System, your minimum pay and related conditions won’t change straight away. New pay or related conditions will only apply if the Tribunal makes an order or decision that applies to you or your business. When the Tribunal sets new conditions they will be posted on the Tribunal’s website. If you’re covered by the System you should check this section for updates.
Owner drivers are sometimes also called independent contractors, contractor drivers and owner operators. Owner drivers will generally provide their own vehicle. Owner drivers are engaged by hirers in the road transport industry under a contracting arrangement to transport goods by road.
A hirer is a business that engages an owner driver to perform work under a contracting arrangement, also called a contract for services. This contract can be a written or verbal agreement.
Employers engage road transport drivers in the road transport industry as full-time, part-time or casual employees. They will usually drive a vehicle supplied by their employer.
Employee drivers will be entitled to pay and related conditions under the System in addition to their usual entitlements.
Supply chain participants include consignors and consignees, intermediaries and operators of certain sites used for loading and unloading (e.g. distribution centres and ports).
You can find out more about the System, including the roles of the Tribunal and the Fair Work Ombudsman in the About the System section.