Latest news

A new road train network for Victoria, improvements to cross-border travel and fewer requirements for access permits will begin under a new national road train notice.

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said the 2020 National Class 2 Road Train Notice will commence on Thursday in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, where road trains carry more than 15 billion tonnes-km of freight every year.

A temporary amendment is in place to allow NHVAS fatigue management training modules by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to be delivered via video conferencing, due to the requirement of social distancing and restriction related to coronavirus.

All NHVAS applications and transaction will be required to be lodged via the NHVR Portal from Wednesday, July 1.

A feasibility report into the trial of innovative infrastructure has demonstrated there is a demand for safer options for loading and unloading livestock.

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said that the trial of a Parallel Access Landing (PAL) frame included a user-pays option for drivers arriving at Kilcoy Global Foods.

A modern online safety assessment tool has been revamped to assist heavy vehicle operators to identify gaps in their safety systems.

Queensland Transport and Main Road Minister Mark Bailey said the NHVR’s Gap Assessment Tool had been simplified and upgraded to assist operators to examine their current systems against known risks and recognised best practice.

“Heavy vehicle operators tell us they want a quick and easy tool to assess their business’s safety compliance with their Chain of Responsibility obligations,” Mr Bailey said.

Almost one-third of New South Wales oversize overmass (OSOM) permits will be removed under updated Class 1 notices released today.

NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Paul Toole said the updated Multi-State Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicles Dimension and Mass Exemption Notices would cut red tape and allow increased mass and dimensions in both NSW and South Australia.

“In New South Wales, the mass has been increased up to 115 tonnes and the width has been increased up to 5.0 metres,” Mr Toole said.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) service centre map is proving popular, having been utilised by more than 600 people a day since it was launched on April 9.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the map displayed service centres that were still open and providing facilities to truck drivers as they continue to deliver essential supplies across the country.

“There have now been over 6500 individual views of the map since we launched earlier this month,” Mr Petroccitto said.

Thank you to the retailers and heavy vehicle operators that have provided information to update the NHVR Service Centre map.

The map was launched earlier this month to show which service centres, truck stops and roadhouses remain open for heavy vehicle drivers.

Stakeholder Engagement and Customer Experience Manager John Gilbert thanked service centres for their efforts in remaining open to support drivers.

The NHVR has granted a temporary relaxation of calibration requirements for roller-brake testing (RBT) equipment.

NHVR Vehicle Safety and Performance Manager Peter Austin said the NHVR’s National Roller Brake Test Procedure required that machines used to conduct tests are calibrated in accordance with the manufacturers’ standards every 12 or 24 months.

“We have had manufacturers come to us reporting difficulty in achieving some of the calibration requirements because of the current travel restrictions,” Mr Austin said.

The NHVR has accepted an enforceable undertaking (EU) from Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction Pty Ltd (LORAC) that will see $249,500 contributed to chain of responsibility education. 

The EU stems from an allegation by Roads and Maritime Services that on 16 October 2018 and 24 May 2019 LORAC failed to comply with the mass requirements as required by s 96(1)(c) of the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said that the EU was a first for the NHVR and was an appropriate alternative to prosecution in the circumstances. 

The NHVR has today launched a new online tool that maps service centres, truck stops and roadhouses that remain open for heavy vehicle drivers.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said that the tool provided information about services and trading hours for service centres right across the country.

“Having access to food, showers, toilets and appropriate rest is critical for drivers to properly manage their fatigue,” Mr Petroccitto said.