On the Road

The Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP) is working with local governments and industry to identify bridges and culverts that need engineering assessments to improve access for OSOM vehicles.

The Phase 1 Pilot is well underway with 100 bridges and culverts across 12 councils now being assessed by engineers. Visit the SLGAAP project site to view the full list of councils and the assets involved in the pilot.

The NHVR has welcomed the release of a consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) of the review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said that considerable work has gone into the development of the consultation RIS during an extensive consultation period.

“Since its introduction in 2014, the HVNL has raised numerous issues for the industry and the regulator and time is right for a new approach,” Sal said.

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) on-road officers in South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT

A temporary amendment is in place to allow NHVAS fatigue management training modules by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to be delivered via video conferencing, due to the requirement of social distancing and restriction related to coronavirus.

All NHVAS applications and transaction will be required to be lodged via the NHVR Portal from Wednesday, July 1.

A feasibility report into the trial of innovative infrastructure has demonstrated there is a demand for safer options for loading and unloading livestock.

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said that the trial of a Parallel Access Landing (PAL) frame included a user-pays option for drivers arriving at Kilcoy Global Foods.

Thank you to the retailers and heavy vehicle operators that have provided information to update the NHVR Service Centre map.

The map was launched earlier this month to show which service centres, truck stops and roadhouses remain open for heavy vehicle drivers.

Stakeholder Engagement and Customer Experience Manager John Gilbert thanked service centres for their efforts in remaining open to support drivers.

The NHVR has granted a temporary relaxation of calibration requirements for roller-brake testing (RBT) equipment.

NHVR Vehicle Safety and Performance Manager Peter Austin said the NHVR’s National Roller Brake Test Procedure required that machines used to conduct tests are calibrated in accordance with the manufacturers’ standards every 12 or 24 months.

“We have had manufacturers come to us reporting difficulty in achieving some of the calibration requirements because of the current travel restrictions,” Mr Austin said.

Farmers are now able to operate half tracked rubber tracked tractors on public roads without a permit following recent amendments to the National Class 1 Agricultural Vehicle and Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2019.

The NHVR undertook engineering assessments and consultation on the infrastructure impacts of these vehicles, which showed they imposed no greater risk than the vehicles already allowed by the Notice.

State and territory road transport authorities agreed to their inclusion in the Notice.

Amendments to the PBS Frontal Swing standard will begin from today (April 1 2020).

NHVR’s Chief Engineer, Les Bruzsa said the increase will allow for greater flexibility for PBS vehicle designs.

“The rigid truck and prime mover performance measure of 0.7m has been found to be restrictive for twin-steer and longer wheelbase PBS vehicles, especially when fitted with bull bars,” Les said.

Users of the Route Planner in the NHVR Portal can now translate a visual map into a text-based distance and time description of their route to help them plan and cost their trip.

The new tool will help operators determine the distance travelled against a single route and can be used to calculate fuel consumption costs. This will give operators a stronger understanding of the true costs associated with a given route.

The distance and time information can be found in the new dedicated 'DISTANCE' tab.

If you have any questions you can contact us by phone on 1300 MYNHVR, by email at info@nhvr.gov.au or by sending us a message on Facebook. 

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions: 

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has announced temporary changes to National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) medical requirements and face-to-face audit requirements, in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the regulator has listened to the industry and the common-sense changes would be implemented from Wednesday 25 March.

“We are making some practical changes that will help to take pressure off the health system and support operators and drivers in a time of unprecedented demand,” Sal said. 

Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania have border restrictions in place. There are currently no restrictions in place for travel between Victoria, NSW and the ACT.

Despite these restrictions, all freight movements are continuing. It’s business as usual.

However we ask that you keep abreast of information provided by State, Territory and Federal Government agencies.

Additional information is available at:

Several state governments have placed restrictions on cross-border movements this week as a control measure against the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

All governments are committed to ensuring the freight continues, with individual states issuing the below definitions of who is exempt from restrictions at their border:

Queensland

The NHVR is calling for feedback on future safety reforms across the livestock supply chain. 

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto told last week’s Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association’s 2020 Conference in Tamworth that the review would target several key areas where Chain of Responsibility laws applied to the movement of sheep and cattle.

“We’ve identified a range of issues including loading practices, understanding of mass management and general understanding of regulatory responsibilities,” Sal said.

The NHVR is warning drivers to be aware of spilled grapes on South Australian roads.

NHVR Manager Stakeholder Engagement John Gilbert said that it was critical that operators, vineyards, wineries and others involved in transporting grapes put in place robust safety systems to ensure a safe journey for everyone.

“We want to see these grapes made into great South Australian wine, not left to rot on our highways,” John said.

Flexibility for drivers using work and rest hours is within reach for many heavy vehicle operators.

NHVR Fatigue Specialist Andreas Blahous said a new Fatigue Choice customer program would assist operators to ensure their business is making the most of existing fatigue laws.

“Applying for AFM does not have to be a difficult process, but does require a commitment by the business and staff to some additional safety measures,” Andreas said.

The NHVR is conducting its latest survey into how the heavy vehicle industry and supply chain is tackling their safety responsibilities.

NHVR Safety Assurance Director Greg Fill said the online safety survey would assist the NHVR to decide how best to develop future safety information.

“With the introduction of safety duties provisions in October 2018, we want to understand how these changes have impacted everyday safety practices.

“We want to hear from everyone across the industry and supply chain about what they do to manage safety. 

Technology is allowing the NHVR to modernise the way heavy vehicle safety and productivity services are delivered.

Using the mixture of data and digital platforms, the NHVR is continuing to explore new ways to make it easier to do business for one of the most important industries in Australia.

The most recent leap forward came when the NHVR started integrating heavy vehicle data and information into a secure national database known as the Safety and Compliance Regulatory Platform.

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.