Safety Management Systems (SMS)

The content on this page includes amendments due to changes to the Heavy Vehicle National Law and Regulations that commence on 1 August 2026 and only relates to the new act. For more information, please see HVNL reform implementation.

Regardless of the size of your business, having an effective Safety Management System (SMS) can be one of the best ways of ensuring you have a safety-focused business and are complying with your safety duty obligations under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

Under the HVNL, operators wishing to participate in the Heavy Vehicle Accreditation (HVA) Scheme are required to have an effective SMS that complies with the Safety Management System Standard. This SMS forms the basis of General Safety Accreditation (GSA) and Alternate Compliance Accreditation.

Industry information sessions

With the amended HVNL coming into effect on 1 August, the NHVR is hosting a series of free online information sessions focused on Safety Management Systems (SMS). These sessions are designed specifically for small operators and owner operators.

The eight-part series will provide practical guidance on the new HVA scheme and explain the safety management requirements that underpin accreditation under the amended HVNL.

Whether you are preparing to transition into the new accreditation scheme or looking to strengthen your understanding of safety management, these sessions are designed to provide practical, business-focused information tailored to smaller operators.

Each session will run for approximately 30 minutes, followed by up to 15 minutes for questions and answers. All sessions will be recorded and made available for those unable to attend.

SMS Framework

This section of our website provides practical tools and guidance to help you design, implement and improve an SMS that suits your business, whether you are seeking HVA or not, and supports you to meet the five requirements of the HVNL SMS Standard.

Please note that by using this guidance you agree to the following terms of use.

SMS Framework - Disclaimer and Terms of Use

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SMS Framework - Disclaimer and Terms of Use

The NHVR has created this information to provide you with guidance on how to design, develop and improve your Safety Management System for Chain of Responsibility (CoR) obligations under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

The information and recommendations provided are general only and are not specific to your business and operations. The information is not legal advice and does not provide an assessment of your business practices or your compliance with the Law. You must independently assess your own circumstances to determine the actions necessary to comply with the HVNL.

The NHVR accepts no responsibility for damage or loss that results from your reliance on this information. By accepting these Terms of Use, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold NHVR harmless from any and all claims, liability, injuries, expenses, losses, damages or costs you that arising out of or in connection with your use of the published material, your reliance upon the information and recommendations, or as a result of inaccurate or incomplete information and recommendations contained in the information.

The NHVR may update or amend this Disclaimer and Terms of Use at any time.

This Disclaimer and Terms of Use are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws in force in Queensland, Australia, and you unconditionally submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland, Australia.

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Our SMS Fact Sheet (PDF, 710KB) provides a short overview of an SMS and its benefits to a business. More detailed information is available in the Introduction to Safety Management Systems in the Heavy Vehicle Industry (PDF, 964KB). You may also want to refer to the FAQs (frequently asked questions) for answers to common SMS related questions. All SMS guidance materials can be found on our Resources page.

The NHVR looks to continually improve our industry SMS guidance materials over time, so make sure you Subscribe to On the Road to keep up to date when new resources become available.