How do Standard Hours and 24-hour counting periods work?
Short answer
Under Standard Hours, a solo driver must satisfy every applicable short and long counting period, including no more than 12 hours work and at least seven continuous hours stationary rest in any applicable 24-hour period.
Plain English
Standard Hours are cumulative limits, not a simple 12-hour shift rule. For a solo driver, the current table includes no more than 5 hours 15 minutes work in 5.5 hours, 7.5 hours in eight hours, 10 hours in 11 hours, 12 hours in 24 hours, 72 hours in seven days and 144 hours in 14 days, together with the corresponding rest requirements.
A 24-hour counting period does not automatically reset at midnight. The statutory counting rules can create overlapping periods, so a roster that appears compliant by calendar day may still breach when measured from the legally relevant starting point. Work is recorded in 15-minute blocks using the time zone of the driver’s base.
What this means operationally
Build rosters and fatigue checks against every applicable period, not only the daily total. Include driving and non-driving work, record changes of base correctly, and test the return journey after a late finish. Scheduling software should flag overlapping 24-hour, seven-day and 14-day limits rather than treating midnight as a reset.
Who it applies to
Solo drivers operating a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle under Standard Hours and the operators, record keepers, schedulers and other parties controlling their work.
Example
A driver works late on Monday and starts early on Tuesday. Each calendar day may show less than 12 hours, but the work inside an applicable 24-hour period can still exceed 12 hours, so the second start time may need to move.
Exceptions and traps
Different tables apply to two-up drivers and qualifying bus operations. Approved alternative compliance hours or a work and rest hours exemption may replace Standard Hours, but only for the drivers, vehicles and conditions actually covered. The duty not to drive while impaired or unfit still applies under every option.
What changed
From 1 August 2026, the reformed regulation retained the core solo-driver Standard Hours limits in Schedule 1, including the 12-hour maximum work and seven-hour continuous stationary-rest requirements in 24 hours. The reform replaced the former BFM and AFM terminology with the alternative compliance hours framework and reorganised parts of the fatigue legislation.
Previous rule
Before 1 August 2026, separate BFM and AFM tables and terminology sat alongside Standard Hours; new alternative arrangements now use the alternative compliance hours framework.
Legal foundation
Heavy Vehicle National Law ss 243-253; Heavy Vehicle (Fatigue Management) National Regulation 2013 ss 5 and 22 and Sch 1 Table 1
Sources & primary documents
- www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-2012-hvnlq
- www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2013-0078
- www.nhvr.gov.au/safety-accreditation-compliance/fatigue-management/counting-time
- www.nhvr.gov.au/safety-accreditation-compliance/fatigue-management/counting-time/definition-of-work-and-work-time
WWTG verification: Queensland legislation, NHVR
Frequently asked questions
Is Standard Hours just a 12-hour shift limit?
No. Every applicable short and long counting period and rest requirement must be satisfied.
Does the 24-hour period reset at midnight?
No. It is counted under the statutory rules and can overlap calendar days.
What is the solo-driver limit in 24 hours?
No more than 12 hours work and at least seven continuous hours stationary rest under the Standard Hours table.
Does loading count in the 12 hours?
Yes. Loading and other tasks connected with operating the vehicle can be work time.
Do two-up drivers use the same table?
No. Two-up drivers have a separate Standard Hours table and different long-period requirements.