Payroll Services for Transport

How transport payroll usually works

Good payroll services for transport start with a short review: awards/EA coverage, rosters, kilometre or trip rates, allowances in use, software stack, and any urgent compliance deadlines.

The work then splits into three layers:

• Immediate triage — fix late super, STP errors, misclassified pay items or missing registrations.
• Process design — standardise onboarding, timesheet capture, approvals and pay calendars; map allowances to STP2.
• Ongoing review — spot‑check awards against rosters, confirm super and payroll tax settings, and adjust for seasonal peaks.

Australian rules to keep in view

• Industrial coverage — Common awards include:
  • Road Transport and Distribution Award [MA000038]
  • Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award [MA000039]
  • Clerks—Private Sector Award [MA000002] (office staff)
  Always confirm with Fair Work if an enterprise agreement applies.
• STP Phase 2 — Disaggregate gross, code allowances correctly (e.g. meals, travel), and report employment/earnings types accurately.
• Superannuation — Super Guarantee is 12% from 1 July 2025. Confirm which allowances are OTE and apply stapling on onboarding.
• PAYG withholding — Register before withholding from employees and some labour‑only contractors.
• Workers compensation and payroll tax — Check state/territory registration thresholds and grouping rules.
• Record‑keeping — Maintain timesheets, kilometre evidence, approvals, licences and right‑to‑work documents.

Owner‑drivers, contractors and casuals

Transport businesses often mix employees, casuals and contractors. Correct status drives payroll, super and tax treatment.

• Owner‑drivers with their own vehicle and business infrastructure may be genuine contractors; assess control, integration and risk.
• If payment is mainly for a person’s labour, super may still be required even for contractors.
• Casuals attract specific loadings and penalty rates; track conversions to permanent when criteria are met.
• Use compliant agreements and clear rate cards to reduce disputes and rework.

Software and data flow for transport payroll

Select tools that handle awards, kilometre tracking and STP2 cleanly. Many transport operators use:

• Core payroll/accounting — Xero, MYOB, Employment Hero, KeyPay (Workzone), QuickBooks Online.
• Time/roster — Deputy, Tanda, ShiftCare (for some logistics use‑cases), or built‑in modules.
• Telematics/EWD — Integrations or CSV imports from fleet systems to validate hours and kilometres.
• Document control — Digital onboarding, licence/induction tracking and right‑to‑work records.

Whatever stack you choose, the critical step is mapping awards and allowances to the right pay items and STP categories, then testing end‑to‑end.

What to compare before you commit

Transport payroll checklist

• Confirm the applicable award/EA and classification for each role.
• Set pay items for kilometre rates, travel, meal and other allowances with correct STP2 codes and super treatment.
• Establish timesheets/telematics and manager approvals with clear cut‑off times.
• Register for PAYG, payroll tax (if required) and workers compensation in your state/territory.
• Set super funds and stapling process; monitor contributions and clear any unpaid super promptly.
• Test one full mock pay cycle, including leave, penalties and allowances, and review the STP file.
• Document processes for onboarding, rate changes, vehicle reimbursements and off‑cycle pays.

Best next steps

Decide whether you need a full payroll handover, an implementation and training package, or a compliance review with periodic checks.

Then shortlist providers who can show transport award experience, clean STP Phase 2 mapping and a practical approach to timesheets and telematics data.

Use the related pages below to move into bookkeeping, tax or broader accounting support if your needs span beyond payroll.