Latest news

The NHVR said today's NRMA's Dead Tired would provide key recommendations to continue to address driver fatigue.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the report highlighted education and technology as key fatigue management tactics to ensure safety across the heavy vehicle and freight industry.

"When someone drives a heavy vehicle while impaired by fatigue, they put all road users at risk," Mr Petroccitto said.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has congratulated Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey, who was today officially sworn in following the recent Queensland election.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said Mr Bailey’s contribution to the heavy vehicle industry over the past three years had helped to deliver significant reform across Queensland.

“Minister Bailey and his team have shown strong leadership in delivering national reform for Chain of Responsibility laws, which are due to begin in mid 2018,” Mr Petroccitto said.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has thanked outgoing National Transport Commission Chairman David Anderson for his contribution to the Australian transport and the heavy vehicle industry.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said David's guidance over the past four years had provided the foundations for the NHVR to deliver significant reform across heavy vehicle safety and productivity.

The NHVR has released the latest Electronic Work Diary (EWD) Fact Sheet, ahead of the next round of industry consultation.

NHVR A/Executive Director of Safety and Productivity Darrin Rasmussen said the Fact Sheet would prepare heavy vehicle operators and technology providers for the EWD Policy Framework and Standards release on December 18.

“The Standards will be publicly available for comment until early February 2018,” Mr Rasmussen said.

Heavy vehicle supply chain businesses can access information on safety practices from other transport and logistics operators in a new NHVR video.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the latest NHVR video provided first-hand accounts from four heavy vehicle operators and logistics companies about controls and systems they were implementing ahead of changes to Chain of Responsibility (CoR) laws, coming in mid-2018.

“Accessing this kind of information from a range of operators is important for everyone across the heavy vehicle supply chain,” Mr Petroccitto said.

The NHVR and the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) have both praised the commitment shown by several leading Australian distribution and retail companies to improving heavy vehicle safety ahead of new Chain of Responsibility laws coming into effect in mid-2018.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator's online permitting system has been recognised for its innovation and customer-focussed approach in the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Sector Management, announced in Canberra last night.

The NHVR Portal was one of 17 finalists in a strong field of contenders for the Award.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said it was an honour to be recognised as a finalist alongside the high calibre entries from the Australian Government, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmanian and South Australian Governments.

The latest heavy vehicle technology will be on display for local governments and mayors at the National Local Government Roads and Transport Congress in Toowoomba today.

NHVR Executive Director Peter Caprioli said the showcase of Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme vehicles would allow local road managers to better understand options to tackle their local freight task.

“The demonstration of heavy vehicles highlights the unprecedented productivity and safety benefits we are seeing in these modern heavy vehicles,” Mr Caprioli said.

The NHVR has congratulated Chief Engineer Les Bruzsa on winning the prestigious Castrol Vecton Industry Achievement Award at the ATA’s Technical and Maintenance Conference in Melbourne last night.

The NHVR has congratulated winners of the 27th Annual Queensland Trucking Association Industry Awards.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the awards recognised leaders who were continuing to demonstrate excellence in Australian trucking.

“I was particularly pleased to see Ross Fraser OAM, from Frasers Livestock Transport, recognised with the prestigious Industry Excellence Award and Belinda Polglase from All Purpose Transport as the Trucking Woman of the Year,” Mr Petroccitto said.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has welcomed the Queensland Coroner’s Report into the deaths of Christine and Samuel Leonardi.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said public safety was a primary concern for the regulator.

“We welcome the Coroner’s adoption of our recommendation for a new separate license class for frame steer vehicles and will write to the National Transport Commission on implementing this recommendation,” Mr Petroccitto said.

The NHVR has commissioned an independent review into heavy vehicle accreditation schemes to support improved road safety.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the independent review would inform future structural and operational improvements in the schemes.

“Heavy vehicle accreditation schemes have proven benefits for road safety across a number of heavy vehicle sectors, including trucks, cranes and buses,” Mr Petroccitto said.

NHVR has appointed two new Directors in Regulatory Compliance and Productivity and Safety divisions.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said Tony Martin had accepted the Director Regulatory Compliance & Assurance role while Greg Fill was appointed to the role of Director Safety Standards.

“These important roles further strengthen NHVR’s commitment to compliance, assurance and safety in the heavy vehicle industry,” Mr Petroccitto said.

NHVR’s Brisbane and Adelaide offices will be closed for business on Monday, October 2 due to public holidays in Queensland and South Australia.

Our operating hours will return to normal on Tuesday, October 3.

The team at NHVR would like to wish everyone an enjoyable and safe long weekend.

Contact: Rebecca Ho | 0429 310 677

Development of an industry master code of practice for heavy vehicle safety is progressing well with the project receiving $200,000 of Commonwealth Government funding assistance under the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative program.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the industry-wide master code will provide consistent and risk-based approaches to improving safety and compliance with the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

The NHVR would support further expansion to new laws that target 165,000 companies that make up the heavy vehicle supply chain.

NVHR CEO Sal Petroccitto said recent media articles about heavy vehicle safety highlighted the progress that had been made to reforming safety laws.

“I believe there is more work to do, but we are already making significant progress to improve heavy vehicle safety,” Mr Petroccitto said.

The NHVR has agreed to extend the current brake testing transition arrangements in NSW to January 31 2018 to allow further industry research.

NHVR Chief Engineer Les Bruzsa said the extension was the result of feedback given to the NHVR by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) and the NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) following heavy vehicle roller brake trials held at Marulan Heavy Vehicle Testing Station in NSW last month.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has thanked outgoing Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development Secretary Mike Mrdak for his contribution to the Australian heavy vehicle industry.

NHVR Chair Bruce Baird said Mike’s leadership, particularly during the formative years of the Regulator, had provided the foundations for significant progress for heavy vehicle reform and safety.

“Mike has been a champion of national harmonisation, consistent laws and heavy vehicle reform both in Canberra and right across Australia,” Mr Baird said.

The NHVR has started consultation on a user-friendly exemption for managing fatigue and driving a fatigue-related heavy vehicle for personal use.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto told today’s NatRoad Conference in North Queensland that the Personal Use Exemption would allow operators some personal use of a heavy vehicle outside their regulated driving hours.

“Under the proposal operators would be able to use a heavy vehicle for personal use for up to one hour at the end of the day or on a day off,” Mr Petroccitto said.

A new notice to reduce red tape for truck and dog operators will begin across South Australia on Monday.

Project Director Annette Finch said the NHVR and South Australia’s Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure would release the South Australia Class 3 Heavy Vehicle 23m Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2017 (No.1), covering three-, four- and five-axle trailer configurations for operators.

“The previous notice covered only three or five-axle trailers to operate on the dedicated truck and dog network,” Mrs Finch said.

Common truck and dog combinations can be pre-approved under changes to Australia’s world-leading Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said that a six-month trial to reduce the administrative burden on operators and manufacturers developing high-tech heavy vehicles had been successful.

“Since March we have been trialing a simplified design approval process for specifications pre-approved by the expert PBS panel for six- and seven-axle truck and dog combinations,” Mr Petroccitto said.