On the Road

Three of the 60,000 access permits processed through the NHVR this year were for giraffes.

The latest was Kamili who last week completed the trip from Perth to Melbourne, transported by Melbourne-based operator L Arthur Transport Services.

The NHVR coordinated the oversize, overmass access arrangements in place to ensure Kamili’s safety on the 3400 km journey.

A new permit scheme for crane operations began across Queensland in late November as part of the on-going transition of Class 1 permits.

NHVR Program Director Annette Finch said the new Queensland Class 1 Crane Permit Scheme was the result of work undertaken by the NHVR, Local Government Association Queensland and the Crane Industry Council Australia.

“This scheme will increase productivity and reduce the burden for the crane industry operating across Queensland,” Annette said.

National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme services will be available in the NHVR Portal from 2 December 2019.

Operators will be able to manage their NHVAS tasks including:

An NHVR survey of close to 40 heavy vehicle operators using Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) has found that those taking advantage of the flexibility offered by AFM had fewer fatigue-related incidents, an improved safety culture and higher productivity than other operators. 

NHVR Principal Safety Assurance Advisor Andreas Blahous said that the study followed calls for the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) to allow for increased flexibility when effective fatigue management systems are in place.

Operators ar

Grapegrowers and wine producers, together with carriers, harvest operators and drivers, must ensure they take all reasonable steps to comply with the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) laws. 

NHVR Manager Stakeholder Relations and Customer Experience John Gilbert said a recent Wine Industry Day in South Australia was an important opportunity for grape growers to understand their obligations under Chain of Responsibility legislation.

“Grapes spilling off the back of heavy vehicles can make our roads slippery and dangerous for other motorists,” John said.

The NHVR will provide heavy vehicle on-road compliance and enforcement services in Victoria from 8 December 2019, with 54 staff currently employed by VicRoads in on and off road heavy vehicle compliance roles joining the NHVR.

A reminder that feedback on the Grain Harvest Management Schemes Review Issues Paper closes this week.

NHVR Executive Director Freight and Supply Chain Productivity Peter Caprioli said the paper addressed the different heavy vehicle loading schemes used during grain harvest across Australia. 

The NHVR has announced that the Vehicle Standards service will be available in the NHVR Portal from 4pm Wednesday 16 October.

This is another step towards giving industry a single source of business information, streamlining interactions and linking NHVR’s services.

Vehicle Standards applications for In-Principle Support, Exemption Permits and Modifications will be able to be lodged through the NHVR Portal.

You will also be able to attach:

The NHVR has released a top tips guide to the Portal to help operators reduce their application processing times.

NHVR Access Manager Roger Garcia said the short guide was aimed at addressing common errors and questions when applying for access permits.

“Following these simple tips makes it faster and easier for us to process your permit applications,” Roger said.

The NHVR is currently assessing a number of applications for approval as Electronic Work Diaries.

NHVR Executive Director Safety Standards and Assurance Geoff Casey said the current round of applications were of a varying quality after a number of earlier applications had fallen short of requirements. 

The NHVR has welcomed the rollout of a user-pay trial by the Australian Livestock Rural Transporters’ Association (ALRTA) to support safety in the unloading of livestock.

The trial, being conducted at Kilcoy Global Foods in South-East Queensland, allows heavy vehicle drivers to use the innovative Parallel Access Landing (PAL).

From 1 December, 2019 in Tasmania, all motorists must safely slow to 40km/h as they pass any stationary or slow moving emergency vehicle with red, blue or magenta lights flashing. 

The rule includes NHVR vehicles displaying magenta lights.

It applies to traffic travelling in either direction, unless there’s a dividing barrier between the motorist and the emergency vehicle. 

A revamped PBS scheme that focuses on flexibility and continued innovation should be a central part of reforms to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), according to the NHVR. 

NHVR Manager Vehicle Safety and Performance Peter Austin said that a vision for a reformed PBS Scheme, PBS 2.0, was a central part of the Regulator’s response to the National Transport Commission’s (NTC) HVNL Review issues paper Vehicle Standards and Safety.

The NHVR regularly reviews the security of its online systems, including the NHVR Portal, to ensure the safety of all users. As a result, a new password format will be required for all future passwords. 

This upgrade will be applied from Wednesday 18 September 2019.

What is changing?

Join the NHVR for a session designed to assist customers in using the functionality of the NHVR Portal, including processing of permit applications.

The NHVR has made a number of recommendations to support driver safety in response to the National Transport Commission’s issues paper Safe People and Practices, the fourth paper released as part of the review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). 

A quarter of caravan and Recreational Vehicle users have stayed overnight in truck rest areas according to research released by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia.

The research is part of a new information campaign, funded under the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative.

The NHVR is seeking Expressions of Interest from owner operators and drivers to participate in a workshop to discuss the specific issues this group faces in relation to gaining flexibility through Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) accreditation. 

The NHVR is trialling a new process for PBS Design Approval applications submitted in the lead up to the next PBS Review Panel meeting on 29 and 30 October.

The new process is in response to industry feedback will include the following steps:

The NHVR is calling for feedback on the different heavy vehicle loading schemes used during grain harvest across Australia. 

NHVR Executive Director Freight and Supply Chain Productivity Peter Caprioli said the Grain Harvest Management Schemes Review Issues Paper called for feedback on the creation of national standards. 

The recent Queensland Road Safety Week featured Australian Supercars star Garth Tander sending an important message to drivers that trucks need space to keep you safe. 

Garth joined Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey, and staff to launch the We Need Space campaign in Queensland.

Assessing permits using consent parameters, rather than each individual vehicle, is the cornerstone to improving heavy vehicle access on Australian roads, according to an NHVR submission to the HVNL.

Changes for Special Purpose Vehicles in New South Wales and Tasmania will see access simplified and expanded.