South Africa’s road freight industry is set to introduce a new wage category specifically for drivers operating some of the country’s heaviest truck combinations.
Under the new collective agreement covering the road freight and logistics industry, a Super Heavy Motor Vehicle Driver category will be introduced from 1 March 2027.
The new category covers drivers operating vehicles with a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) between 56 tonnes and 150 tonnes.
According to the agreement, the new classification will be positioned between the existing Ultra Heavy Motor Vehicle Driver and Abnormal Load Driver categories, with a minimum wage of R4,350 per week.
New category starts in 2027
The introduction of the category forms part of a three-year collective agreement covering the period from 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2030.
The agreement also makes provision for special allowances, premium payments, incentives or other remuneration specifically linked to operating vehicles falling within the new Super Heavy Motor Vehicle Driver category.
This could make the actual earnings of drivers in the category higher than the stated minimum, depending on the conditions attached to the work.
What does R4,350 a week mean?
The stated minimum of R4,350 per week works out to approximately R18,850 per month when calculated over an average 52-week year.
However, this should not be confused with a driver’s total earnings package. The agreement separately provides for allowances and other payments, meaning the actual amount earned by a qualifying driver could be higher.
The agreement also provides for across-the-board increases of 6% in 2027, 5.5% in 2028 and 5% in 2029, with minimum salaries and allowances increasing accordingly.
A significant change for heavy-haul drivers
For drivers hauling exceptionally heavy combinations, the creation of a dedicated category gives formal recognition to the additional demands associated with operating vehicles in the 56t to 150t GCM range.
The agreement does not, however, provide detailed examples of which truck configurations or operations will fall into the new category.
That means transport operators and drivers will likely be watching for the implementation details and how the new classification will be applied in practice.
For now, the key change is clear: from 1 March 2027, a new Super Heavy Motor Vehicle Driver classification with a R4,350-a-week minimum wage is set to become part of South Africa’s road freight wage structure.
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