Super calculation methods for drivers
For drivers covered by the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2020, ordinary hours of work are 38 hours per week. In some cases, ordinary hours may be determined as an average of up to 28 consecutive days.
Qualifying earnings are defined in the same way as for other employees. You should seek advice if you are unsure how to calculate qualifying earnings for employees when multiple methods are involved in determining the ordinary hours earning base for super.
You can calculate super guarantee for long-distance drivers using one of the following 3 methods:
- minimum-guaranteed-wage method – you can't use this method if the driver's wages are more than the minimum under one of the other 2 methods
- hourly-driving-rate method
- cents-per-kilometre method.
The following examples are based on the award. You should seek advice if the terms of your enterprise agreement vary from the award.
Example: minimum-guaranteed-wage method
Marge is a long-distance driver Grade 6 working under the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2020. The award stipulates a minimum guaranteed rate of $1,052.00 per week (rate from 1 July 2025). This is regardless of how long Marge actually drives.
Marge is paid on 21 July (the QE day, or payday) for the week of 14–20 July 2026. She receives only the minimum award payment.
Marge's super guarantee for the QE day of 21 July is calculated as:
Qualifying earnings × super guarantee rate
= $1,052.00 × 12%
= $126.24
End of example
Example: hourly-driving-rate method
Sean is a long-distance driver Grade 6 working under the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2020. He is paid under the hourly-driving-rate method.
The hourly driving rate of $41.03 (rate from 1 July 2025) for full-time employees includes 2 components:
- an industry disability allowance of 1.3 times a base rate
- an overtime allowance of 1.2 times a base rate.
Although the hourly rate includes a component referred to as an overtime allowance, the allowance is not deducted from the total when calculating qualifying earnings. This is because the whole hourly driving rate is paid for what are defined to be ordinary hours of work (except where the hours worked exceed 38 hours).
Sean works his ordinary hours of 38 hours in the week of 6–12 August 2026. He is paid on 13 August 2026 (the QE day, or payday).
Sean's super guarantee for the QE day of 13 August is calculated as:
Qualifying earnings × super guarantee rate
= ordinary hours × hourly rate × super guarantee rate
= 38 hours (as defined in the award) × $41.03 × 12%
= $187.09
End of example
Example: cents-per-kilometre method
Jack, a Grade 6 long distance driver, travels from Melbourne to Darwin during July 2026 via the Stuart and Western highways (3,749 km). He is paid using the cents-per-kilometre method under the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2020. The minimum cents per kilometre rate for a full-time employee is 54.70c/km from 1 July 2025.
Jack receives:
54.70c/km × 3,749 km = $2050.70
As this amount exceeds the minimum guaranteed payment stipulated in the award, Jack's employer uses his ordinary hours of 38 hours per week to work out his qualifying earnings.
For simplicity, we allow the cents-per-kilometre rate to be applied to the kilometres driven during ‘ordinary hours of work’ based on an average driving speed of 75 km per hour.
Therefore, a reasonable method of calculating the distance travelled during ordinary hours of work is:
38 hours × 75 km = 2,850 km.
The calculation to determine Jack's minimum amount of super guarantee for each weekly QE day (weekly payday) is:
Qualifying earnings × super guarantee rate
= c/km × 2,850 km × super guarantee rate
= 54.70c/km × 2,850 km × 12%
= $187.07
End of example