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The NHVR has highlighted the importance of ongoing heavy vehicle safety education within the industry following its first successful Supervisory Intervention Order (SIO) in Victoria.

The matter related to the intercept of a heavy vehicle in March 2020 where the driver failed to comply with loading and dimension requirements under the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

Farmers are starting to reap the benefits of the removal of the requirement for Class 3 livestock mass exemption permits to include registration numbers, which took effect in December last year.

NHVR Network Access Policy Manager Jose Arredondo said, while transporters, operators or farmers could apply for a permit, farmers who have Class 3 permits often use a third-party operator to carry their livestock.

The NHVR has filed charges against a national transport company and its executive, following a nine-month investigation into the company’s business practices.

The NHVR initiated the investigation following multiple vehicle collisions and Safe-T-Cam footage that identified breaches relating to the transport company.

Records for 15 drivers were analysed by NHVR Investigators revealing 225 fatigue and work diary breaches by the company.

The NHVR’s Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme is a key pillar to delivering safe and efficient movement of freight across the country. We are committed to its ongoing success and ensuring it continues to deliver safety and productivity benefits for the heavy vehicle industry.

We are currently experiencing some operational challenges due to the significant increase in application volumes and departure of senior PBS team members. This has impacted our ability to assess and process applications within acceptable timeframes.

The NHVR’s Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP) will fund more than 200 engineering assessments under Round 1.

NHVR Freight and Supply Chain Productivity Executive Director Peter Caprioli said the 232 assessments covered assets owned by 69 local governments.

The NHVR has welcomed the appointment experienced transport operator and General Manager of All Purpose Transport Paul Kahlert as president of the Queensland Trucking Association (QTA).

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said Mr Kahlert's appointment would continue the strong leadership that the QTA board provided heavy vehicle operators.

"Paul has represented QTA as Vice President and will continue to lead a board that is a passionate advocate for heavy vehicle operators across Queensland," Mr Petroccitto said.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is urging heavy vehicle operators to use their Daily Safety Checklist, ahead of the second major health check of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet.

Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Minister Michael McCormack said heavy vehicle operators should take a few minutes before each trip to check basic safety items on their vehicle.

“A quick visual inspection can identify any issues and give you peace of mind that the vehicle is safe and ready for the journey,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

The owner of a South Australian transport company has been prosecuted by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) for possessing speed limiter tampering equipment.

South Australia Police (SAPOL) Heavy Vehicle Investigation Section conducted an investigation at the company’s Mid-North premises in August 2020 and located a laptop installed with tampering software, as well as connecting plugs.

A new report from Australia’s largest trucking insurer and the industry regulator has confirmed operators who effectively maintain their vehicles are less likely to be involved in an incident.

For the first time, the trucking industry regulator and leading insurer have shared de-identified critical road crash data, with the aim of improving road safety.

The NHVR has welcomed the appointment of well-known trucking safety advocate Rod Hannifey as president of the National Road Freighters Association (NRFA).

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said Mr Hannifey’s appointment would ensure smaller operators continue to have a strong voice when it comes to heavy vehicle safety reform.

“Rod has shown he’s willing to tackle just about any issue that leads to a safer outcome for heavy vehicle drivers and it’s often a practical solution that’s born out of decades of experience,” Mr Petroccitto said.

The NHVR is partnering with the Queensland peak body for public works engineers to help deliver the Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP).

The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland (IPWEAQ) is providing invaluable support to the project, including helping to develop the Asset Assessment Framework.

SLGAAP is a Commonwealth-funded initiative to help local councils undertake heavy vehicle assessments on their own on-road assets, such as bridges and culverts.

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A safety blunder detected by NHVR officers in Victoria has become a social media sensation.

More than two million people have viewed the NHVR’s Facebook post on the inadequate load restraint that was used to transport an excavator weighing more than 20 tonnes.

The excavator had been ‘secured’ by just four straps, when it should have been directly chained to the trailer.