Pilot and escort vehicles · Built for booking agents and pilot companies
Pilot vehicle software that stops the phone tag
Take the booking, and OpsChase reads the permit, works out how many pilots the move needs and offers the job to the right pilots by SMS. Each pilot gets their permit copy, logs the move and is paid from the same job.
- Reads National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and state permit PDFs and suggests pilot and police escort requirements
- Job offers to your own and subcontracted pilots by SMS or app
- Trip sheet, move log, invoice and pilot pay from the same job
Piloting the load is the easy part. Organising it isn’t.
A move might take a day on the road. Around it sits the admin:
- A haulier rings at 4 pm needing two pilots for a 5 am start, and you ring and text down the list until two say yes.
- Reading a permit to work out widths, travel times, curfews and how many pilots each section needs, then explaining it again to every pilot.
- Emailing or printing the permit for each pilot, because every pilot needs to know its conditions before the move.
- Keeping track of who holds a Queensland Level 2, a Victorian certified pilot licence or a Western Australian pilot licence, with the details spread across texts and folders.
- Collecting trip sheets, kilometres and signatures so you can invoice, then waiting weeks to get paid and pay your pilots.
From booking to paid, in one job
Step 1
Booking in
A haulier books through your client portal, or you forward their email with the permit attached. OpsChase turns it into a draft job with the pickup, destination, date and load size.
Step 2
AI reads the permit
OpsChase reads the permit PDF and pulls out the route, travel times, curfews, dimensions and pilot or escort conditions. It suggests how many pilots the move needs, what level, and whether police or a traffic escort is needed. You check it and confirm.
Step 3
Offer to pilots
Pick the pilots, or let OpsChase shortlist those who are available, nearby and hold the right accreditation for every state on the route. They get a job offer by SMS or app and say yes with one tap. First to confirm gets it, or you choose.
Step 4
Permit copy sent
Each confirmed pilot gets the job pack on their phone: the full permit, route, meeting point, start time, truck driver’s contact and any special conditions.
Step 5
On the road
Pilots check in, record start and finish times, kilometres, fuel and incidents, and capture the truck driver’s sign-off. Each move goes into the pilot’s logbook automatically.
Step 6
Invoice and pay
The trip sheet becomes the client invoice and the pilot’s pay record in one step. Clients can pay online, and you can pay pilots as soon as the job is closed.
Built for how pilot businesses actually work
Permit reader
Upload or forward any NHVR or state permit PDF. OpsChase pulls out the route, times, curfews and pilot conditions and suggests the pilot and escort setup. You confirm before anything goes out.
SMS and app job offers
Send a job to one pilot or a shortlist at once. Pilots say yes or no with one tap, and you see who’s locked in without ringing around.
Dispatch board
See every pilot and vehicle by day or week, your own drivers and subcontractors together. Drag to assign, and when a move shifts the pilots’ phones update straight away.
Licence and accreditation tracking
Store each pilot’s Queensland Level 1 or Level 2, Victorian or Tasmanian certified pilot (Level 2), Northern Territory Level 2 and Western Australian Heavy Vehicle Pilot Licence details, plus driver’s licence, medical, insurance and vehicle rego. The details are on file for each pilot so the team can check them before booking.
Pilot move logbook
Every completed move is logged with the date, route, load width and role. Pilots can export the log as a record of the moves they need for Level 2 accreditation or renewal.
Digital trip sheets
Start and finish times, kilometres, fuel, waiting time, photos and the truck driver’s signature captured on the phone, the same on every job.
Invoicing and faster pilot pay
Bill per kilometre, per hour or a day rate, with fuel levies, waiting time and cancellation fees. Invoices come from the trip sheet, and pilot pay is calculated from the same job, so subbies get paid sooner.
Client portal for hauliers
Heavy haulage and crane companies book pilots, upload permits, see who’s assigned and download trip sheets and invoices in one place, so you get fewer “who’s coming tomorrow?” calls.
Police and escort reminders
When a permit calls for police or a traffic escort, OpsChase flags it on the job and reminds you of the notice period to book it, so it isn’t left until the last minute.
For pilot businesses of any size
- Pilot booking agents and coordinators who place subcontracted pilots across states
- Pilot vehicle companies running their own utes and drivers
- Owner-operator pilots who want a logbook, trip sheets and invoices on their phone
- Heavy haulage, crane hire and transport companies that book pilots every week
Set up for each state’s pilot rules
- Store accreditation for Queensland (Level 1 and Level 2), Victoria, the Northern Territory and Tasmania (Level 2) and Western Australia (heavy vehicle pilot licence). In New South Wales, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory no pilot accreditation is required, so store what your clients ask for.
- Permit conditions differ by state and route. OpsChase reads what’s written on your permit rather than guessing.
- Flags moves that need police or a traffic escort, so you can book them in time.
Pilots get an app, not another phone call
- Job offers with the pay, start time and meeting point shown up front
- The permit and route on their phone before they leave home
- A move logbook that builds up automatically
- Trip sheets signed on the phone, so their pay isn’t held up by paperwork
Part of OpsChase
Your pilot business is the client. Run bookings, pilots, permits, licences and pay in your own OpsChase account, for one depot or several. Switch on only the parts you need.
Questions from pilot businesses
Who is this for?
Pilot and escort vehicle businesses in Australia: booking agents who place subcontracted pilots, pilot companies with their own vehicles and owner-operator pilots. Heavy haulage and crane companies can use it to book and track their pilots.
How does it read permits?
Upload or forward the permit PDF. OpsChase reads the route, travel times, curfews, dimensions and pilot or escort conditions, and suggests how many pilots the move needs and at what level. You check and confirm it before pilots are offered the job.
Is OpsChase connected to the NHVR?
No. OpsChase is independent and isn’t affiliated with the NHVR, any state road authority or any police service. It reads the permits you already receive. Permits are still applied for and issued through the usual channels.
Does it make sure my move is compliant?
No software can do that for you. OpsChase shows you the permit conditions and suggests a pilot setup, sends every pilot their permit copy and tracks accreditations. Operators and pilots remain responsible for meeting every permit condition.
How do pilots get job offers?
By SMS or in the OpsChase app. They see the date, start time, meeting point, route and pay, and say yes or no with one tap. You can offer a job to one pilot or a shortlist.
Can I use subcontracted pilots?
Yes. Add your own drivers and subcontractors to the same board. Each subcontractor’s licence, insurance and vehicle details are kept on file and checked before they’re offered a job.
Does the logbook count towards Level 2 accreditation?
The logbook records each move with its date, route, load width and role, and pilots can export it as a record of their moves. Check with your state road authority what evidence they need.
How does invoicing and pilot pay work?
The signed trip sheet becomes the client invoice, billed per kilometre, per hour or as a day rate, with fuel, waiting time and cancellation fees. Pilot pay is calculated from the same job, so you can pay pilots as soon as it’s closed.
Can we bring our existing pilots and clients?
Yes. Send us your pilot list, client list and recent jobs as spreadsheets and we’ll import them.
Guides for pilot businesses
Pilot vehicle rates in Australia: how to price a move
How pilot vehicle rates are built in Australia: per kilometre, hourly and day rates, minimums, travel and waiting time, and a calculator method to use.
Pilot vehicle requirements by state: QLD, NSW, VIC and WA
When an oversize load needs pilots or an escort in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and other states, and who can do the work.
Pilot vehicle licence and accreditation in every state
How to get a pilot vehicle licence or accreditation: Queensland Level 1 and 2, the Victorian certified pilot, the Western Australian licence and more.
OSOM permits: what pilots and booking agents should check
What an oversize overmass (OSOM) permit is, where it comes from in each state, and what pilots and booking agents should check on it before a move starts.
Pilot vehicle jobs and starting a pilot vehicle business
Finding pilot vehicle jobs in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, and what it takes to start a pilot vehicle business, from ute to invoices.
Pilot and escort terms explained
More for specialist operators
OpsChase is independent software. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), any state or territory road authority, or any police service. Permits are still applied for and issued through the usual channels, and operators remain responsible for meeting every permit condition.