Key takeaways
- A traffic controller kit list has a core you carry every shift: cards, boots, the PPE your employer specifies, sun protection, water, food, phone and a notebook.
- Add weather gear for rain, cold and heat, and a separate night-works kit with night-rated hi-vis, clear eyewear and a head torch.
- Ask your employer what they supply and what standard they require before buying PPE yourself.
- Leave earbuds, dark outer layers, valuables and anything that distracts you at home or in the vehicle.
- Pack the night before using a checklist; early starts are when things get forgotten.
A traffic controller kit list starts with the essentials you carry every shift: your traffic control card and licence, steel-capped boots, the hi-vis and PPE your employer specifies, a hat, sunscreen, safety glasses, plenty of water, food, a charged phone and a notebook. Then add rain, cold and heat gear to suit the forecast, and a night-works kit for night shifts.
Traffic controllers often cannot leave their position to go and buy something they forgot. A long shift on a rural highway with no shade, no shop and no spare jacket teaches you very quickly what belongs in the bag. This is the list experienced crews actually carry, organised so you can pack it the night before.
Documents and essentials: every shift
These go with you every time, whether the shift is two hours or twelve.
- Traffic control card or accreditation for the state you are working in. In NSW, that is your SafeWork NSW Traffic Control Work Training card; an employer must not direct you to do traffic control work without the right card.
- White card for construction sites.
- Driver licence, especially if you might drive the ute.
- Phone, fully charged, with the company app working, plus a power bank and cable. Your roster, SWMS, TGS and docket may all be on it.
- Notebook and pen. For registration numbers of drivers who do not stop, incident details, times and notes when your phone is not practical.
- Wallet with a card for fuel or food if you are travelling.
Personal protective equipment
PPE is your employer's responsibility to provide where it is needed to control a risk, but you are responsible for wearing it properly and looking after it. Common items:
- Hi-vis shirt, pants and jacket as issued. The Australian and New Zealand standard for high-visibility garments, AS/NZS 4602.1, uses day, night and day/night classes. Check which your employer requires; Standards Australia publishes the current edition.
- Steel-capped or safety boots that are broken in. Brand new boots on a 10-hour shift are a blister guarantee.
- Hard hat with a sun brim, or a broad-brimmed hat, depending on the site rules.
- Safety glasses: tinted for day, clear for night, to the standard your employer specifies.
- Gloves for handling signs, sandbags and cones.
- Hearing protection if you are working near loud plant, used in a way that still lets you hear your radio and traffic.
For more on what is required, read our guide to hi-vis and PPE requirements for traffic controllers.
Who supplies what
Under WHS laws, the business that directs your work generally has to provide the PPE needed to control the risks of that work, and you have to use it as instructed and report when it is damaged. In practice, the split usually looks like this, but every company is different:
- Usually company-issued: hi-vis clothing for day and night, hard hat, safety glasses, gloves, wet weather gear, radios, stop/slow bats and first aid kits.
- Often your own: boots (sometimes with an allowance or reimbursement), thermal layers, sunscreen top-ups, personal medication and comfort items.
- Check before buying: anything carrying a company logo or a specified colour, and anything the client's site rules require, such as long sleeves at all times.
Keep issued items clean and in good condition, and hand back what belongs to the company when you leave.
Sun, heat, rain and cold
Australian weather can change a lot over one shift, especially when you start before dawn.
Sun and heat
- Sunscreen SPF 50+ and lip balm with sun protection, reapplied through the day.
- Long-sleeved, lightweight hi-vis. Covered skin is protected skin.
- A neck flap or legionnaire-style brim attachment for your hard hat.
- A cooling towel or wet cloth.
- Electrolyte sachets for very hot days.
Heat illness is a real risk for controllers who stand on bitumen all day. Our guide to heat stress and traffic controllers covers the warning signs and what to do.
Rain
- Hi-vis wet weather jacket and pants that keep you visible.
- Waterproof bag or zip-lock pouch for your phone, cards and notebook.
- Spare socks. Wet feet for eight hours is miserable and causes skin problems.
Cold
- Thermal base layers under your hi-vis, not over it.
- A beanie that fits under your hard hat if your site allows it.
- Insulated gloves that still let you hold a stop/slow bat and press a radio button.
- A hi-vis jumper or vest to go over warm clothes.
Food, water and personal care
- Water: enough for the whole shift plus a margin, ideally in an insulated bottle. You may not get a chance to refill.
- Food that does not need heating or refrigeration. Sandwiches, wraps, fruit, nuts and muesli bars travel well. A small cooler bag helps in summer.
- Hand sanitiser and wet wipes. Toilets on roadworks can be a portable unit, a nearby business or a drive away.
- Personal medication for the whole shift and a little more, in case the job runs over.
- Insect repellent for rural, bush and wetland sites.
- Blister care and a small personal first aid supply, in addition to the company first aid kit.
Ask at the pre-start where toilets are and how breaks and relief will work. Do not leave your position without being relieved.
Regional and long-distance shifts
When the job is hours from home, add a change of clothes, a towel, toiletries, phone charger for the accommodation, extra food for the drive and enough medication for an extended stay. Mobile coverage can be patchy in rural areas, so download the TGS and site details before you leave town and confirm the meeting point with your supervisor.
Night-works kit
Night shifts need their own additions. Visibility and staying alert are the priorities.
- Night-rated hi-vis with retroreflective tape. Daytime-only garments should not be relied on at night.
- Clear safety glasses. Tinted lenses at night cut the vision you need.
- Head torch with spare batteries or a charged spare, for reading the TGS, checking signs and pack-down.
- Lit bat or wand batteries, if your company asks crews to carry spares.
- Warm layers, because temperatures drop through the night and you are standing still.
- A proper meal and a thermos of something warm. Night-works food runs are rarely possible.
Sleep is part of your kit too. A night shift after a full day awake is a fatigue risk, so plan rest before the shift; our guide to fatigue management for traffic controllers explains why. If you are not fit for work, say so before you take your position.
What to leave at home
- Earbuds and headphones. You need to hear traffic, horns, reversing alarms, your radio and your crew.
- Dark outer layers that cover your hi-vis.
- Valuables you do not need. Vehicles get broken into on long-term sites.
- Anything that distracts you while controlling, including using your phone for anything other than work.
- Alcohol, and any medication that affects alertness without first talking to your doctor and supervisor.
Printable traffic controller kit list
| Category | Items | Every shift | Night | Wet | Hot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Documents | TC card, white card, driver licence | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Communication | Charged phone, power bank, cable, notebook, pen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Core PPE | Hi-vis as issued, boots, hat or brim, gloves, safety glasses | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Night | Night-rated hi-vis, clear glasses, head torch, spare batteries | Yes | |||
| Rain | Hi-vis wet weather gear, spare socks, waterproof pouch | Yes | |||
| Cold | Thermal layers, beanie, insulated gloves | Winter | Yes | ||
| Sun and heat | SPF 50+, lip balm, neck flap, cooling towel, electrolytes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Food and water | Water for the full shift, food, cooler bag | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Personal care | Medication, sanitiser, wipes, insect repellent, blister care | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
TrafWise also has free printable checklists for pre-starts and site checks that pair well with this list.
Packing habits that save your shift
- Pack the night before. At 3:30 am you will forget something. A bag that lives by the door, restocked after every shift, solves most problems.
- Check the forecast and the site. A rural job means more water and food; a city job may mean nowhere to park near the site.
- Keep a spares bag in your car. Socks, a spare shirt, a warm layer, sunscreen and a spare phone cable.
- Replace worn PPE early. Faded or dirty hi-vis is less visible, and worn boots hurt more than they protect. Tell your employer when issued PPE needs replacing.
- Know your award. Some awards include allowances where workers supply items the employer would otherwise provide. The Fair Work Ombudsman Pay Calculator and award summaries explain what applies.
If you are new to the job, a day in the life of a traffic controller shows how this kit gets used across a real shift.
Next steps
Save or print the table, pack your bag tonight and add a spares bag to your car. Before your next shift, check the roster and site details in your company's app; with TrafWise, the SWMS, TGS and docket for the shift are on your phone, so make sure it is charged.
Frequently asked questions
What should a traffic controller bring to a shift?
Your traffic control card or accreditation and driver licence, steel-capped boots, the hi-vis and PPE your employer specifies, a hat or helmet brim, sunscreen, safety glasses, plenty of water, food that does not need heating, wet weather gear, warm layers, a charged phone and a notebook and pen. Add night-works items for night shifts.
Does the employer supply PPE for traffic controllers?
Employers must provide the PPE needed to control risks at work, and most traffic control companies issue hi-vis clothing and other site PPE. Many workers buy their own boots and comfort items. Ask your employer exactly what is supplied, what standard is required and whether there is a tool or equipment allowance under your award.
What hi-vis do traffic controllers need at night?
Night work needs clothing with retroreflective tape so you are seen in headlights. The Australian and New Zealand hi-vis standard uses day, night and day/night classes, and employers and projects specify which they require. Daytime-only hi-vis should not be relied on at night. Check your employer's requirement before the shift.
Can traffic controllers wear headphones or earbuds?
You should not wear earbuds or headphones while controlling traffic. You need to hear approaching vehicles, horns, plant reversing alarms, your radio and other workers. Most companies ban them on site. If you need hearing protection near loud plant, use protection your employer approves and agree how you will hear the radio.
How much water should a traffic controller bring?
Enough for the whole shift plus a margin, because you may not be able to leave your position to refill. Needs vary with heat, humidity, workload and the person. Drink regularly before you feel thirsty, ask where water is available on site, and tell your supervisor early if you feel unwell in hot weather.