Mobile Crane Hiring Award

If you run a mobile crane hiring business in Australia - hiring out cranes, typically with an operator on a wet-hire basis - and you employ crane operators, riggers, doggers, offsiders or depot staff who are not award-free, the Mobile Crane Hiring Award 2020 (MA000032) generally applies. Where cranes are operated as part of general construction work, the Building and Construction award may instead cover that work. Confirm coverage for your specific operation against the Fair Work source before setting pay.

Match the employee to the level that reflects the work they actually perform and the licences they hold, using the award's classification definitions. Crane operator levels generally scale with the capacity of crane the operator is licensed and required to work, while riggers, doggers and offsiders sit at their own levels. Title alone is not enough; assess the real duties and licences, then read the current minimum rate for that level from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Because crane crews travel from a depot to job sites that change regularly, the award provides for fares, travelling time or travel-pattern allowances in defined circumstances, and travel can count as paid time depending on the arrangement. This is one of the most important and most often mishandled parts of crane pay. Rather than assuming travel is unpaid, check the travel provisions and confirm the current allowances and any paid travel time for this award on the Fair Work source.

Casual employees in mobile crane hiring are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, which is commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of the paid leave and other entitlements casuals do not receive. The loading can interact with weekend, overtime and public holiday penalties, so it is not always a simple add-on. Treat 25% as a guide and confirm the exact loading and how it combines with penalties for this award on the Fair Work source before running pay.

Ordinary hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays attract penalty rates under the award, which is common in crane hire because lifts are often scheduled outside normal hours to suit site access. As a guide, Saturday loadings are commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50%, but MA000032 sets its own figures, including separate treatment for casuals. Always confirm the current Saturday and Sunday rates for your employee type on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Work on a public holiday is paid at a significant premium, which across awards can reach up to 150% of the minimum rate, and a minimum engagement may apply. Employees who would normally work that day but do not because it is a public holiday are generally entitled to their ordinary pay under the National Employment Standards. Check the current public holiday entitlement for MA000032 against the Fair Work source before running a pay period that includes one.

Overtime applies when an employee works beyond the ordinary hours set by the award, such as exceeding daily or weekly limits or working outside the spread of ordinary hours - which happens often given the early starts and long days of crane work. Overtime is paid at penalty rates that step up after the first couple of hours, with higher rates on Sundays and public holidays. Track actual hours for each crew member and confirm the applicable overtime rate on the Fair Work source.

Yes. Part-time employees work fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern, and the award requires a written agreement setting out the agreed hours, days and times, with any changes also agreed in writing. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same minimum rates as full-timers for their classification. Part-time arrangements are less common for site crews but apply where used; check the part-time provisions in the award for the full requirements.

MA000032 uses a licence and skills based structure across its levels, so dedicated junior pay scales are not really a feature of this award, and most crane roles depend on holding the relevant licence. Trainees generally come through group-training arrangements rather than a junior scale. Place each person at the level matching their licences and work, and because the underlying rates change each year, confirm the current figure on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on memory.

The award provides allowances connected to mobile crane work, which can include the all-purpose industry allowance, a multi-crane lift allowance and a pile-driving allowance, plus expense allowances such as fares and travel, a car allowance, accommodation or overnight and meal allowances. Which apply depends on the role and how the crew travels, and they are paid on top of the base rate. Identify the relevant allowances for each employee and confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than using remembered figures.

Annual leave loading is an extra payment on top of base pay when an employee takes annual leave. Under this award it is 17.5% of the minimum rate of pay, and it applies to full-time and part-time employees taking paid annual leave; casuals do not accrue annual leave. Where a crew member normally earns penalties, the loading helps ensure they are not worse off taking leave. Apply it when processing leave payments for permanent staff and confirm the calculation against the Fair Work source.

Minimum rates and many allowances are reviewed each year in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review increased modern award minimums by 4.75%. Apply the new rates from that pay period, not the calendar date, and because overtime, travel allowances and penalties build on the base rate, refresh every figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator each year.

The risks with MA000032 sit in the detail: the right classification by licence and crane capacity, travel time and fares between sites, overtime on long and early-starting days, weekend and public holiday penalties, the full set of allowances, and figures refreshed every July. Anchor every figure to the Fair Work Pay Calculator, track actual hours and travel, and review pay each 1 July. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for mobile crane hire employers, mapping classifications, travel, overtime and penalties so the right amount is paid every cycle.