Productivity tools

The NHVR’s free productivity tools are designed to empower road managers and industry with smarter, informed, and data-driven insights that support safe, sustainable, and efficient decisions regarding heavy vehicle access. These tools aim to reduce administrative burden, streamline permit processes, improve infrastructure outcomes, and unlock productivity gains across the freight network, while upholding safety and sustainability outcomes.

In response to valuable feedback from consultation, the NHVR is carefully developing a user-friendly web app that combines the Freight PASS and Pavement Impact Comparison Calculator. It will feature enhanced capabilities for an improved user experience. Stay tuned for upcoming updates.

Please note: These tools are free, but some are restricted to road manager use only and require you to log into your NHVR Go login account for authentication. For more information, please refer to the section under each tool heading.

On this page

Freight PASS

The Freight PASS supports faster, more informed and more consistent heavy vehicle access and policy decision-making. For a defined freight task, users compare the performance of more than 200 vehicle combinations across 14 important productivity, safety, and sustainability metrics. The tool relies on trusted data sources like Austroads and the Australian Transport Assessment and Planning (ATAP) guidelines, presenting results through clear scorecards and visualisations with full data transparency. Used alongside other NHVR tools such as the Pavement Impact Comparison Calculator, the Freight PASS can help users ensure Australia’s growing freight demand is supported and balanced against Vision Zero and Net Zero targets.

Pavement Impact Comparison Calculator

Maintaining roads while supporting community growth presents ongoing challenges for governments. To better understand the impact of heavy freight vehicles on road infrastructure, the NHVR developed the Pavement Impact Comparison Calculator. This tool estimates pavement wear by considering factors such as pavement type, vehicle and axle configurations, tyre size, and suspension. Designed for accessibility, the tool enables users, without specialist engineering expertise, to assess long-term pavement impacts using trusted sources like Austroads and jurisdictional engineering research.

Historic Access Reporting Tool (HART) and the Access Permit Rapid Cost Benefit Analysis Tool (Rapid CBA)

The Historic Access Reporting Tool (HART) enables users to filter and analyse historic access permit application data, to help improve understanding of route demand, response times, and historical decisions. The HART can be used independently or to generate outputs for the NHVR’s Access Permit Rapid Cost Benefit Assessment tool (Rapid CBA). The Rapid CBA estimates the time and administrative costs of processing repeat permits, helping users to evaluate the benefits of shifting from individual permits to gazetted or pre-approved access. Together, these tools enable users to assess opportunity costs and identify efficiencies related to notices, gazetted networks, and pre-approvals.

Please note: Use is restricted to road managers only.

Boosting productivity backed by data

Together, these tools can help to:

  • Reduce repeat permit processing
  • Unlock access for safe, productive vehicle types
  • Preserve local infrastructure
  • Make consistent, transparent access decisions.

These innovations align with the NHVR Heavy Vehicle Productivity Plan 2025–2030, driving smarter access outcomes for both industry and government.

Finding these tools on NHVR Go

To access the productivity tools on NHVR Go login, road managers can log in to their user accounts.

The tools can be found by navigating to the main menu under ‘Access permits’, the ‘Reports’ submenu, and selecting ‘Analytics reports’ (pictured below).

User guides and instructions can be found under the ‘Introduction’ tab once in the tool.

Image shows main the NHVR Go menu under ‘Access permits’, the ‘Reports’ submenu, and the selection ‘Analytics reports’ where the reports sit in the menu.
Image shows the main landing page for the HART tool in NHVR Go.
Image shows the tab in the HART tool where the introduction and learning materials can be found to help use the tool.

New users

For road managers, road access approval can be managed through NHVR Go login using an account login.

All councils have an existing account in NHVR Go login, and new road managers can be added to a council’s account as a ‘new user’. Any existing user with access to a council’s account can add a new user to the account.

If there are no existing users or assistance is required, visit the road manager information hub or call the NHVR Contact Centre.