What is a driver's work diary under the HVNL?

Under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) and the Heavy Vehicle (Fatigue Management) National Regulation, drivers of fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles must record their work and rest periods in the official National Driver Work Diary issued by the NHVR. The diary captures two primary statuses (work and rest), with rest sub-types including short rest, long rest, night rest and 24-hour break. The diary forms the legal record used by NHVR and police during roadside inspections to verify the driver is operating within Standard Hours, BFM or AFM limits.

Which vehicles are fatigue-regulated under the HVNL?

Fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles include rigid and articulated vehicles over 12 tonnes gross vehicle mass (GVM), buses over 4.5 tonnes GVM that carry passengers, and combinations over 12 tonnes gross combination mass (GCM). Drivers of these vehicles must carry the official NHVR National Driver Work Diary while driving, comply with the chosen hours-of-work option (Standard Hours, BFM or AFM), and record every change of work or rest status as it occurs. Vehicles below the threshold are not subject to the work diary requirement, although operators may still choose to track work and rest for fleet management and chain of responsibility purposes.

What is the difference between Standard Hours, BFM and AFM?

Standard Hours sets a baseline of up to 12 hours work in any 24-hour period with at least 7 hours continuous rest, no more than 72 hours work in 7 days and required short rest after 5.25 hours of continuous work. Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) allows up to 14 hours work in 24 hours and 100 hours in 14 days, but requires NHVR accreditation, scheduled night rest periods and operator fatigue policies. Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) allows operator-specific schedules outside Standard Hours and BFM limits, subject to NHVR approval and a higher level of fatigue risk management evidence.

Does this template replace the official NHVR National Driver Work Diary?

No. Drivers of fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles must carry the official NHVR-issued National Driver Work Diary, which is a numbered, bound book with carbon-copy pages. This template is a training aid, supplementary internal record or fatigue record for vehicles below the fatigue-regulated threshold. It does not satisfy the legal work diary requirement under the HVNL Fatigue Management Regulation. Drivers caught operating a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle without the official diary face on-the-spot infringement notices and possible licence sanctions.

How long should work and rest records be retained?

Operators must retain work and rest records for at least three years under the HVNL Fatigue Management Regulation. NHVR auditors can request records during compliance audits, accreditation reviews and incident investigations. Many operators retain records for longer to support insurance claims, internal reviews and chain-of-responsibility evidence under the WHS Act. Drivers should retain a personal copy of their work diary entries even after submitting the original to the operator.

How does this work diary template compare to the FMCSA RODS?

The FMCSA record of duty status used in the United States divides time into four categories (off duty, sleeper berth, driving, on duty not driving) and applies an 11-hour driving limit and 14-hour on-duty window. The Australian work diary uses two categories (work and rest) with rest sub-types and applies daily and weekly hour limits based on the chosen Standard Hours, BFM or AFM option. The Australian framework is task-based (any task for the operator counts as work) while the US framework separates driving time from other on-duty time. International fleets running both jurisdictions often keep both formats: see the linked driver's daily log with duty status grid for the US RODS template.

Free drivers work diary template (nhvr-aligned)

Jump to download form ↓

Enter your email below to download this drivers work diary template (nhvr-aligned) as a ready-to-use PDF.

Free driver's work diary template aligned to HVNL fatigue management. Record work and rest periods for heavy vehicle compliance. Print-ready PDF.

Jarrod Milford

Commercial Director

Updated 7 May 2026

How to use: download the PDF, print or complete digitally on any device.

✓PDF format, ready to print or fill on screen
✓Use as-is or customise to suit your operation
✓Go digital in MapTrack for photos, alerts and audit trails

See template in action →

Download free PDF template

Trusted by teams across Australia and New Zealand

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

Preview the template

See the first part of the drivers work diary template (nhvr-aligned) below. Download the full version above.

Download to get full template →

What is a drivers work diary template (nhvr-aligned)?

A driver's work diary template is a structured 24-hour record of work and rest periods used to support fatigue management under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). The Australian work diary uses two primary status categories - work (which includes driving plus loading, unloading, inspections, paperwork and any other tasks for the operator) and rest (with sub-types including short rest of 15 minutes or more, long rest of 7 hours or more continuous, night rest of 7 hours including the period 22:00 to 07:00, and 24-hour breaks). The grid uses 24 hourly columns subdivided into 15-minute increments, with a right-hand cumulative tracker for 7-day and 14-day work and rest totals.

Under the Heavy Vehicle (Fatigue Management) National Regulation administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), drivers of fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles (most rigid and articulated vehicles over 12 tonnes GVM, all buses over 4.5 tonnes GVM carrying passengers, and combinations over 12 tonnes GCM) must record work and rest periods. Hours-of-work options include Standard Hours (a maximum of 12 hours work in any 24-hour period with a 7-hour continuous rest), Basic Fatigue Management (BFM, allowing up to 14 hours work in 24 with operator accreditation), and Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM, scheduled hours subject to NHVR approval). Each option carries cumulative work and rest limits across 7-day and 14-day windows.

Important: drivers of fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles must carry the official NHVR-issued National Driver Work Diary while operating; the bound book is the legal record under HVNL. This template is a training aid, supplementary record and reference document , it does not replace the NHVR-issued diary. Use it to coach new drivers on how to fill out the diary, to keep an internal duplicate at the depot, to record work and rest for fleet vehicles below the fatigue-regulated threshold, or to track sleep planning ahead of a long shift. The 7-day and 14-day cumulative tally on the right side helps drivers and schedulers verify that the planned roster stays within Standard Hours, BFM or AFM limits before the shift begins.

Learn more about gps and fleet tracking in MapTrack.

Benefits of using this drivers work diary template (nhvr-aligned)

HVNL-aligned format: mirrors the work and rest structure used in the NHVR National Driver Work Diary, supporting consistent recording across the fleet.
Schedule planning: 7-day and 14-day cumulative tracker helps schedulers verify rosters stay within Standard Hours, BFM or AFM limits before drivers depart.
Driver training: an effective tool for inducting new drivers, demonstrating how to record work and rest events accurately in the official work diary.
Supplementary record: provides operators with an internal duplicate of work and rest data for accreditation evidence, audit preparation and incident investigation.
Light fleet support: gives operators of vehicles below the 12-tonne fatigue-regulated threshold a structured fatigue record, even though the NHVR diary is not legally required.
Chain of responsibility: documented work and rest records help every party in the supply chain demonstrate they took reasonable steps to manage driver fatigue.

Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack

When you digitise heavy vehicle log / registers in MapTrack, you get:

Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
Ability to share forms digitally.
Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
Electronic signatures.
Edit forms later without reprinting.
Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
Monitor odometer and service-interval triggers across your entire fleet.
Capture fuel receipts and trip logs alongside vehicle inspection data.
Compare vehicle downtime and repair costs to inform replacement decisions.

Book a demo to see how MapTrack handles heavy vehicle log / registers.

Try MapTrack free for 30 days

Full access to every feature. No credit card required. Per-asset pricing so you scale as your fleet grows.

Start free trial

No credit card required
30 days free trial
Cancel anytime

What to include in a drivers work diary template (nhvr-aligned)

This drivers work diary template (nhvr-aligned) covers 9 key areas:

Date fields: day, month and year for the 24-hour period covered by the diary entry.
Driver details: full name, licence number and issuing state, employer or operator, and base location.
Vehicle details: registration, fleet number, GVM/GCM and configuration (rigid, semi-trailer, B-double or road train).
Hours-of-work option: Standard Hours, Basic Fatigue Management (BFM), Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) or two-up driver scheme.
Work and rest grid: two rows (work and rest) with 24 hourly columns from 00:00 to 23:00, each subdivided into 15-minute increments.
Duty change events table: time, status, location and notes for every transition between work and rest, including odometer and load details.
Daily totals: total work hours, total rest hours, longest continuous work block, longest continuous rest block, hours since last long rest and hours until next mandatory rest.
Cumulative tally: total work hours and rest hours over the previous 7 days, count of 24-hour breaks and night rest periods, plus a 14-day total for BFM operators.
Counter-signatures: driver signature, scheduler or operator signature and the date the entry was counter-signed.

How to use this drivers work diary template (nhvr-aligned)

Complete the driver, vehicle and hours-of-work option fields before starting the shift.: Print the driver name, licence number and issuing state, employer or operator name, and base location. Record the vehicle registration, fleet number, GVM/GCM and configuration. Tick the applicable hours-of-work option (Standard Hours, BFM, AFM or two-up driver). The hours-of-work option determines the daily and weekly limits that apply for the rest of the diary entry.
Mark work and rest blocks on the 24-hour grid as they occur, using the 15-minute subdivisions for accuracy.: Draw a horizontal line on the work row whenever the driver is performing any task for the operator (driving, loading or unloading, inspecting the vehicle, paperwork, fuelling). Draw a horizontal line on the rest row when the driver is free from any task. Use the 15-minute subdivisions to record start and end times to the nearest quarter hour. Mark every change of status with a vertical line on the grid.
Record each duty change in the events table with time, status, location and notes.: For every transition between work and rest, write the time of the change, the new status (work or which type of rest), the location (suburb and state, or roadhouse name) and a short note covering odometer reading, load number, hand-off detail or rest sub-type. The events table provides the audit trail that supports the grid and helps reconstruct the day if questions arise.
At the end of the shift, complete the daily totals and continuous-work tracker.: Total the work hours and rest hours from the grid. Identify the longest continuous block of work and the longest continuous block of rest. Calculate hours since the last long rest (7 hours or more continuous) and the hours remaining until the next mandatory rest based on the chosen hours-of-work option. The continuous-work tracker is critical under Standard Hours, where work cannot exceed 5.25 hours before a short rest is required.
Update the 7-day and 14-day cumulative tally and verify compliance with the chosen option.: Add today's work hours and rest hours to the rolling 7-day totals on the right-hand panel. For BFM operators, also update the 14-day work hours total. Count the number of 24-hour breaks and night rest periods recorded across the 7 days. Compare the totals to the limits for Standard Hours (72 hr / 7 days), BFM (100 hr / 14 days with required night rest) or AFM (operator-specific schedule).
Counter-sign the entry and submit to the operator or scheduler for review.: The driver signs and dates the entry to certify the work and rest record is accurate. The scheduler or operator counter-signs to confirm review. The completed template should be retained alongside the NHVR Driver Work Diary copy as part of the operator's fatigue management evidence base. Operators with BFM or AFM accreditation must keep records to demonstrate compliance during NHVR audits.

In MapTrack, you can track your fleet with gps and digital pre-starts. Each submission is stored as a timestamped PDF against the asset record.

Get the free template

Enter your email above to download the full drivers work diary template (nhvr-aligned) as a PDF.

Back to download form

How often should you complete this log / register?

Drivers of fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles must record their work and rest periods continuously while subject to the HVNL Fatigue Management Regulation. The official NHVR-issued National Driver Work Diary must be filled in for each 24-hour period and carried in the vehicle while driving. This template should be used as a training aid before a driver starts using the official diary, as a supplementary internal record kept at the depot, or as a complete fatigue record for vehicles below the 12-tonne fatigue-regulated threshold where the official diary is not legally required. Schedulers should review the 7-day cumulative tally before issuing each new shift to confirm the planned roster stays within the chosen Standard Hours, BFM or AFM limits.

Frequently asked questions

Applicable regulatory standards

This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:

Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) - Chapter 6 fatigue management
Heavy Vehicle (Fatigue Management) National Regulation
NHVR National Driver Work Diary requirements
WHS Act 2011, Section 19 - Primary duty of care
NHVR accreditation guidelines for BFM and AFM

Need to track your fleet with gps and digital pre-starts?

Register every heavy vehicle in MapTrack, attach digital forms, and get a complete history of every inspection, service and compliance record.

Start free trial Book a demo

GPS and fleet tracking · All templates · Pricing · Book a demo