Today, an Expert Panel for the road transport industry made changes to the Road Transport Contractual Chain Order – Fuel Cost Recovery – 2026. The order covers people in road transport contractual chains that involve the performance of work in the road transport industry. The cash in transit industry is not covered.
From 23 November 2026, primary and secondary parties in road transport contractual chains are required to adjust or set rates they pay to ensure recovery of the increased cost of fuel (compared to 6 March 2026). The rate adjustments are now required at least once each calendar month.
Primary parties that are not small business employers must also take reasonable steps to ensure secondary parties in the same contractual chain adjust or set the rates they pay each calendar month to ensure recovery of the increased costs of fuel.
The obligations will cease if the average national terminal gate price for diesel price falls below $2 a litre for 4 consecutive weeks, or if the order is revoked or varied.
The Expert Panel made other changes to the order, including that rate adjustments may be made by an agreed fuel levy or surcharge in certain circumstances.
Read
- the Expert Panel’s decision [2026] FWCFB 294 (pdf)
- the Determination (pdf), which lists all the changes
- the consolidated road transport contractual chain order (pdf)
- a fact sheet about the varied order (pdf)
- the major case webpage: TWU & ARTIO application for a road transport contractual chain order – fuel cost recovery (MS2026/1)
