A haulier rings on Thursday afternoon. They need two pilot vehicles for a Monday move, five hours of road and a curfew stop on the way, and they want a price before they hang up. Most pilot businesses answer with a per-kilometre figure from memory, and find out later whether the waiting time, the drive home and the second car were covered.
This article explains how pilot vehicle rates are put together in Australia, what public sources have said about them, and a calculator method you can set up in a spreadsheet. It is not a rate card, and it is not financial or legal advice.
Is there an official pilot vehicle rate in Queensland, Western Australia or New South Wales?
People search for pilot vehicle rates by state, hoping for a government schedule. Road authorities decide who may pilot an oversize load and when a pilot is needed; the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) says state and territory road authorities administer pilot and escort requirements. We could not find a published government rate for private pilot vehicles in any state. The price is agreed between the pilot business and its client.
There is one official price nearby. In Victoria, the NHVR’s own Safety and Compliance Officers provide escorts for oversize overmass moves. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator charges that service by the hour per escort vehicle, with a minimum charge of 2 hours on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends and public holidays; check the current fee on the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator site. Bookings need at least 10 days’ notice and a permit, and a cancellation fee applies with less than 24 hours’ notice. That is an escort with traffic powers, not a private pilot, but it shows how a public body structures the same kind of work: an hourly rate, a minimum and a cancellation rule.
What industry sources have said about rates
In August 2022, Big Rigs reported on pilot pay. The president of the Australian Pilot Vehicle Drivers Association said even agents “doing the right thing” were paying less per kilometre than pilots needed. In the same article, the owner of a Brisbane pilot business said bigger companies were charging pilots out at well above what the pilots were paid, and the association president said agents often did not pay for 60 to 90 days.
Treat those as a 2022 snapshot from individuals, not a market rate. Fuel, insurance and vehicle costs have moved since, and every business has different costs.
The four ways pilot work is priced
- Per kilometre. The most common basis. The question that matters is which kilometres: only the loaded leg, or also the run to the pick-up and the drive home.
- Per hour. Suits short metro moves, slow sections and jobs with long holds at curfew points.
- Day or half-day rate. Suits moves where the distance is short but the day is long, such as a crane or plant move across town with a set start time.
- Fixed price per move. Simple for the client, risky for you if the move runs late.
Many businesses mix them: a per-kilometre rate with a minimum charge, plus an hourly rate for waiting beyond an agreed allowance.
What goes into the number
Start with your costs, not the rate someone quoted on the phone:
- The vehicle. Finance or depreciation, registration, tyres, servicing and repairs, spread across the kilometres you actually bill.
- Fuel. Per kilometre, at today’s prices, with a fuel levy clause in your terms if prices move.
- Pilot equipment. Signs, warning lights and radios. Requirements for pilot vehicles are set under national heavy vehicle rules and state guidelines, so budget for keeping them compliant.
- Licences and training. Western Australia’s Heavy Vehicle Pilot Licence runs for three years, and Victoria charges a fee for a certified pilot application or renewal. Check the current fees on Main Roads Western Australia, Transport Victoria or your state road agency site. Refresher courses come on top.
- Insurance. Ask a broker what cover suits piloting, and price it in.
- Time you cannot bill. Quoting, invoicing, empty days and the run home.
- Your own pay, tax and super. The rate has to pay you, not just the car.
A pilot vehicle rate calculator you can build
A calculator is just these steps in a spreadsheet. No numbers are given here on purpose; use your own.
1. Cost per kilometre. Add up a year of vehicle, fuel, equipment, insurance and licence costs, and divide by the kilometres you expect to bill in that year. 2. Labour per hour. Decide what you need to earn for the year, and divide by the hours you expect to bill. 3. Add margin. Enough to cover the slow months and replace the vehicle. 4. Price the job. Billed kilometres (loaded plus any return or positioning you charge for) times your kilometre rate, or hours times your hourly rate. If the result is below your minimum, charge the minimum. 5. Add the extras. Waiting time beyond the allowance, after-hours or weekend loading if your terms have one, a fuel levy if agreed, and tolls, meals and accommodation on multi-day moves. 6. Multiply by vehicles. Each pilot vehicle on the move is its own line, because each one has its own driver, fuel and kilometres. 7. Set the cancellation rule. Decide what a late cancellation costs and write it on the quote.
The association president told Big Rigs that the association offers new members a spreadsheet for working out what a vehicle costs to run. Whichever template you use, the point is the same: a written schedule of rates that you send with every quote.
How many pilots a move needs changes the price
The permit or notice sets how many pilots, and at what level. In New South Wales, Transport for NSW standardised the daytime numbers in 2025: one pilot above 3.5 metres wide or 26 metres long, two above 4.6 metres or 30 metres, three above 5.5 metres or 35 metres, and an escort vehicle at 6 metres wide or 45 metres long and above. Night limits are lower. See pilot vehicle requirements by state for the rest of the country.
Getting paid for what you priced
The rate only matters if the invoice matches it. A trip sheet with start and finish times, kilometres, waiting time and the truck driver’s signature is what backs up the bill. Agree payment terms before the move, not after.
How OpsChase turns the rate into an invoice
In OpsChase pilot vehicle software, each client has its own rates: per kilometre, per hour or a day rate, with fuel levies, waiting time and cancellation fees. Pilots record times, kilometres and the truck driver’s sign-off on their phone, the signed trip sheet becomes the client invoice, and pilot pay is worked out from the same job. Licence, insurance and vehicle details are kept on file for your business and checked before booking.
OpsChase is independent software. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NHVR or any road authority, and rates are always yours to set.
Read how to start a pilot vehicle business, see pricing, or book a demo.