Media releases

Complaints about fatigue are the most common calls to the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the reporting line, which has been live since July last year, was answering around 115 calls a month, and responding to over 65 reports of non-compliance nationwide every month.

“The Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line enables drivers and parties in the heavy vehicle supply chain to pass on information about possible breaches of the Heavy Vehicle National Law,” Mr Petroccitto said.

The NHVR has urged operators travelling west to be aware of different accreditation requirements, following a three-day operation on the SA-WA border.

NHVR Operations Manager Paul Simionato said that the multi-agency Operation Long Run, led by WA Main Roads, found 91 per cent compliance with the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

“Overall the results showed that safety was a priority in the industry with only 43 offences out of 481 units across 177 heavy vehicles detected with safety-related issues,” Mr Simionato said.

The NHVR will address inconsistency for livestock and grain harvest management schemes as part of the next round of heavy vehicle industry harmonisation projects.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto told today’s Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers NSW Annual Conference that work on bringing national standards for both industries would begin later this year.

The NHVR has launched an investigation into a spate of recent truck fires.

NHVR’s Safety Standard and Assurance Executive Director Geoff Casey said concerns had been raised with the NHVR regarding several fires emanating in the engine bay of prime movers over the past year.

“There have been a number of high profile incidents recently, including a semi-trailer fire on the Princess Highway, near Wollongong in January,” Mr Casey said.

“Several other incidents have been reported through various sources as well as from Police and state transport agencies.

Melinda Pavey, NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight

Cutting red tape will enable more access to the road network for the crane industry following the decision to improve access for mobile cranes.

Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Melinda Pavey said the NSW Government has been working with industry to improve access for mobile cranes and deliver increased efficiency for the construction sector, while maintaining road safety and minimising travel time impacts to the broader community.

The NHVR has introduced a new modification code to fit non-standard rear wheel components on heavy vehicles as part of the latest updated to Vehicle Standards Bulletin 6 (VSB6).

The NHVR’s Manager Vehicle Safety and Performance Peter Austin said the update followed extensive consultation conducted during 2018.

A Flood Recovery Road Access Group (FRRAG) has been established by Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Police to manage emergency and disaster heavy vehicle access under the provision of the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

A dedicated hotline and email address is operating to provide help, information and emergency access to freight consignors and heavy vehicle transport operators travelling in the affected areas.

B-double operators can take advantage of a new national notice and network, starting today.

NHVR Freight and Supply Chain Productivity Executive Director Peter Caprioli said the National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle B-double Notice would align B-double requirements across states and territories, including general access for 50-tonne, 19-metre vehicles.

“The Notice is particularly important for the transport of fuel as it has reduced the number of conditions imposed by jurisdictions and creates a national B-double network,” he said.

Modernised heavy vehicle access  – backed by the Federal Liberal and Nationals Government, to slash agricultural industry red tape and boost business efficiencies – are a significant step closer to reality.

This positive advancement will simplify and enhance the farm sector’s business operations and comes after policy agreement was reached recently between the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and participating States and Territories.

The concrete agitator Alternative Rest Trial is complete. The results have been analysed and the work and rest hours exemption notice is set to continue from 1 January 2019.

An assessment by the NHVR and Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia found no increase in fatigue related incidents during the trial.

The exemption allows a driver of a concrete agitator to take a short work break which is counted towards their rest when the vehicle is stationary, the engine is running and the driver is doing no work other than sitting in the driver’s seat.

The movement of platform containers transporting freight to and from NSW ports will become easier following an agreement between the NHVR, NSW Roads and Maritime Services and the heavy vehicle industry.

NHVR Project Director Annette Finch said the New South Wales Class 3 Platform Container Exemption Notice 2018 would allow an exemption to carry platform containers such as flat rack and open top containers on a public network.

Latest truck crash statistics reveal 93% of multi-vehicle fatalities involving a heavy vehicle in Australia are caused by cars.

As record numbers of motorists hit the road this Christmas, the nation’s trucking industry leaders have united to urge all road users to put themselves in the driver’s seat.

National Transport Insurance (NTI) CEO, Tony Clark said the NTI data shows truck drivers are more often not at fault in high-profile accidents.

The Queensland Trucking Association (QTA Ltd) and Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd (PBPL) today commenced a 12-month pilot of the new ‘SmartCap’ technology as part of its two-year Heavy Vehicle Safety Around Ports project.

SmartCap is a wearable technology that measures fatigue. Specifically, it is a headband mounted into a cap that measures changes in a person’s electroencephalogram (EEG – measures electrical activity in the brain) and provides accurate measurements of alertness in real-time to operators and drivers.