Your Logmate logbook records your daily work-time. This article explains how the logbook works and links to detailed guides for each step.
What Is A Work Shift?
A Work Shift is a record of your work day. It starts when you tap Start Shift and ends when you tap End Shift.
You are legally required to have at least 10 hours of rest before starting a new shift.
Your work day can span a maximum of 14 hours from start to end (on-duty time), during which you can record a maximum of 13 hours of actual work-time.
A single shift record cannot exceed 24 hours.
Once you are finished, you review and lock your shift. Locked shifts are permanent records and are sent to all your approved TSL Holders.
Note: Logmate will not stop you from starting a shift with less than 10 hours rest, and it will not stop you from exceeding your maximum continuous work-time. It is your responsibility to manage your work and rest times. Logmate shows you your balances and warns you — but the decision is yours.
What Is A Work Period?
A Work Period is a series of Work Shifts separated by less than 24 hours of rest. Your total work-time across the entire period must not exceed 70 hours.
To start a new Work Period, you must rest for at least 24 hours.
See Understanding The NZ Work-Time Rules for full details.
How A Work Shift Flows
Start your shift — tap NEW SHIFT to begin your work day
Record entries — tap DRIVE, OTHER DUTY, or BREAK as your day progresses
End your shift — when you are done for the day
Review and lock — check your entries and lock the shift
You can edit entries (long-press or double-tap an entry) and add comments at any time before locking.
Logbook Entry Types
Each entry in your logbook records a different type of activity.
Type | What it records |
Drive | You are driving a vehicle for work. Records the vehicle being driven and the odometer (start kms). |
Other Duty | Non-driving work-time — loading, paperwork, refuelling, vehicle maintenance, or any other paid work. |
Take Break | A rest break of at least 30 minutes. Breaks shorter than 30 minutes count as work-time. |
End Shift | Ends your work day and starts your rest period. |
Lock Shift | Locks your shift as a permanent record. No more changes can be made. |
Odometer (end kms): Any entry that follows a Drive entry will record the end kms for that drive. This means your logbook captures the distance driven for each trip. This data is useful for claiming business vehicle use at the end of the financial year. From April 2026, you will be able to export your vehicle usage records directly from your Logmate Admins.
Example: Small Passenger Service (SPS) Driver
SPS drivers (taxi, rideshare) can work continuously for up to 7 hours before they must have taken a 30-minute break. This only applies if your shift contains no Other Duty entries. Additional NZTA conditions apply — it is your responsibility to check the SPS Driver Guide. You must take your break before reaching 7 hours — not after.
Time | Entry | Notes |
6:00am | New Shift → Drive | Select vehicle, enter odometer |
12:00pm | Take Break | 30 minutes — taken before the 7-hour limit |
12:30pm | Drive | Continue driving |
4:00pm | End Shift | Finish for the day |
4:00pm | Lock Shift | Review and lock |
Example: All Other Drivers
Most drivers can work continuously for up to 5.5 hours. You must take a 30-minute break before reaching this limit to stay compliant.
Time | Entry | Notes |
5:00am | New Shift → Drive | Select vehicle, enter odometer |
7:30am | Other Duty | Loading at depot |
8:00am | Drive | Back on the road |
10:00am | Take Break | 30 minutes — taken before the 5.5-hour limit |
10:30am | Drive | Continue driving |
4:00pm | End Shift | Finish for the day |
4:00pm | Lock Shift | Review and lock |
Example: Split Shift
A split shift is when you work, take a long break, then work again — all in the same Work Shift. Do not end your shift during the break. See How Do I Record Split Shifts?
Time | Entry | Notes |
5:00am | New Shift → Drive | Morning run |
10:00am | Take Break | Long break (e.g. 4 hours) — do NOT tap End Shift |
2:00pm | Drive | Afternoon run |
5:00pm | End Shift | Finish for the day |
5:00pm | Lock Shift | Review and lock |
Your entire shift (5:00am to 5:00pm = 12 hours) counts within your 14-hour on-duty window. Only actual work-time (6 hours in this example) counts towards your 13-hour work limit.