Road managers
Accessibility tools
Operators under NHVAS mass management accreditation are now only required to keep trip records when the vehicle/combination is loaded above general mass limits (GML) under changes announced today by the NHVR.
NHVR Executive Director, Productivity and Safety, Geoff Casey said the change would benefit up to 4,500 transport operators using approximately 32,000 vehicles.
"After discussions with industry we have decided that only when a trip involves an axle or gross vehicle mass above GML will the operator be required to keep a mass record for the trip," said Mr Casey.
"This will reduce the burden of red tape for operators and allow them to get on with the job of transportation, potentially saving many operators from hours of unproductive administration.
"This change aligns with the GML requirements for operators outside of NHVAS and also makes it easier for auditors to find and review records for trips that use CML mass concessions."
In addition to the change in required record keeping, the details of the records required to be kept has also been clarified.
Both axle and gross mass records are to be kept where practical, however as a minimum the gross mass records must be kept for every trip the vehicle takes when loaded above GML.
Operators must still have the appropriate policies and procedures in place to ensure individual axle group masses and gross mass remain within the legal limits.
"These enhancements are a result of the NHVR working with industry to find best practice methods that provide productivity improvements while maintaining the integrity of the NHVAS and the associated standards," said Mr Casey.
"We will continue to work with industry to identify and implement improvements to the NHVAS wherever possible."
Further information on these new record keeping requirements can be found in the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) fact sheet (PDF, 250KB)