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Heavy vehicle operators are being urged to ensure their operations remain safe as unprecedented demand puts pressure on freight supply chains.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto reminded operators of their Chain of Responsibility obligations and to avoid putting drivers under undue pressure.

“We’re concerned by reports that drivers are under increased pressure to meet deadlines,” Mr Petroccitto said.

“We need to avoid situations where drivers are being forced to exceed their work and rest hours or ignore poor load restraint practices.”

The NHVR is reminding groups to submit their funding applications for Round 5 of the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) before the Friday 21 February deadline.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the Federal Government had provided $5.48 million in 2020-21 for projects that improve heavy vehicle safety, under round five of the program.

“This is the last week to get in your applications for the HVSI – our program which targets projects that can deliver real safety benefits for the heavy vehicle industry and all road users,” Sal said.

Minor amendments to the Heavy Vehicle National Law are coming on February 28.

The changes remove inconsistencies between self-clearing defect notices, minor and major defect notices.

These changes will:

Truck and bus companies have supported the use of Fatigue and Distraction Detection Technology to improve safety outcomes by helping prevent accidents before they occur, rather than looking in the rear vision mirror after the fact.

This finding comes from an NHVR-commissioned study (as part of a five stage safety initiative) and was undertaken by independent consultants from HGH Consulting and CQ University, including internationally acclaimed sleep scientist, Professor Drew Dawson.

Heavy vehicle safety services have a new home in Victoria with the official opening of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Victorian headquarters in Port Melbourne.

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Jaala Pulford opened the new office today as part of the transition of state-delivered heavy vehicle services to the national regulator.

NHVR staff across Victoria and South Australia have been doing their part for the bushfire relief effort with officers assisting to get hay to isolated, bushfire-effected areas.

Director Southern Region (Operations) Paul Simionato said that staff in Victoria and South Australia had stepped up to help out wherever they could.

“The NHVR was approached by the Victoria Police to assist with road traffic management, escort activities and traffic control,” Mr Simionato said. 

The NHVR is calling for two major reviews to be considered together, avoiding duplication and delivering better safety and productivity outcomes for the industry. 

The call was made as part of the NHVR’s response to the Productivity Commission’s draft paper on National Transport Regulatory Reform.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto's response called for the Productivity Commission’s findings to be included as part of the ongoing National Transport Commission (NTC) Review into the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). 

Fed up with the number of preventable crashes on Australian roads, including 1,188 road fatalities in 2019, female truck drivers are speaking out in a new campaign which aims to reduce risky behaviour.

NHVR Director Southern Region Paul Simionato said that Women in Trucking Australia Ltd (WiTA) - established by female heavy vehicle drivers to encourage and support more women into driving careers – was one of 24 organisations that received funding through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), supported by the Federal Government.

Body worn cameras (BWCs) have been issued to all NHVR Safety and Compliance Officers (SCOs) following a recent trial in South Australia and Tasmania.

The BWC is a portable camera worn by NHVR officers to capture audio and video recordings of interactions between officers and those involved in heavy vehicle transport activities.

It also provides a number of important safety benefits by encouraging safe and mutually respectful interactions.

The NHVR is calling for a coordinated approach to addressing Australia’s growing road freight task.

NHVR Executive Director Freight and Supply Chain Productivity, Peter Caprioli today released a Draft Heavy Vehicle Productivity Plan 2020-2025 (HVPP) for feedback.

“This is a draft blueprint for the NHVR, government and industry to work together to improve access and productivity for Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet,” Mr Caprioli said.

A recent National Heavy Vehicle Regulator-led operation targeting fatigue showed 93.9 per cent of truck drivers are complying with fatigue regulations aimed at keeping everyone safe on our roads.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said Operation Wake Up intercepted 4096 drivers over an eight-day period in December at more than 80 locations and mobile patrols across Australia.

The first Port Declared Freight Precinct in Queensland has been declared at the Port of Brisbane, improving access for approved Performance-Based Standards (PBS) Level 2 combinations. 

The joint initiative by the NHVR, TMR, Brisbane City Council and the Port of Brisbane will deliver greater efficiencies relating to the importing and exporting of heavier and larger containers that are over current mass and dimension restrictions. 

The processing of Class 1 Oversize and Overmass permit applications for Queensland will transfer from Queensland’s Transport and Main Roads to the NHVR from 16 December 2019.

This is the last phase of the delegations to return to the NHVR and from this date, all permit applications in Queensland must be submitted to the NHVR via the NHVR Portal.

The NHVR is urging heavy vehicle drivers to take care in the lead up to Christmas while Authorised Officers conduct a multi-agency fatigue compliance operation.

NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati said the latest Operation Wake Up, coordinated by the NHVR, was underway across Australia with Authorised Officers checking drivers for compliance with fatigue regulations.

“Making sure that you’re managing your fatigue is one of the most important things you can do as a heavy vehicle operator to keep yourself and other road users safe,” Mr Salvati said. 

All VicRoads on-road services have transitioned to the NHVR, with Victoria joining South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said operators would see distinctive NHVR uniforms and vehicles on Victorian roads. 

“As a national regulator, the NHVR can provide nationally consistent training and enforcement methods and resources, and undertake more complex, cross-border Chain of Responsibility investigations,” Sal said.

Some minor regulation changes for three-axle bus mass limits and steer axle mass limits for road trains will begin today.

Three-axle bus limits will increase from 20 tonnes to 22 tonne, reflecting increasing average weight of passengers. Previously buses were able to operate in some states at 22 tonne under permit.

The steer axle limit for road trains will increase from 6.7 tonnes to 7.1 tonnes (for tyre widths of at least 375mm). This reflects the increases in modern road trains’ tare weight.

The NHVR will engage with several local governments during the first half of 2020 on the rollout of the Strategic Asset Assessment project.

NHVR Program Director Annette Finch said the NHVR would speak to council about a list of key assets on regional heavy vehicle freight routes.

“In addition to a list of key freight assets, the program will also provide a standardised heavy vehicle framework for bridge information and assessment on key routes,” Annette said. 

The NHVR has made a number of recommendations to the National Transport Commissions review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, including the issues paper Easy Access to Suitable Routes.

NHVR Strategist Fiona Brophy said the NHVR’s response was based on the current and past permit approval system.

“We’ve looked at a range of significant reforms to the process for heavy vehicle operators to obtain access, which incorporate the latest updates to the NHVR Portal, while also allowing for education and training for road managers on their role,” Fiona said