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Carriage and presentation of documents
Carriage and presentation of documents
National
Heavy
Vehicle
Regulator
The national law requires heavy vehicle drivers to keep in their possession certain documentation whilst operating a heavy vehicle. This may include notices, permits, accreditation certificates or induction letters. The table below provides a summary of documents, but it is not an exhaustive list.
Summary of document carriage requirements
| Title | To be carried? |
|---|---|
| Mass or Dimension | |
| Exemption by Notice | No – unless it is a specific condition of the notice that it be carried |
| Exemption by Permit | Yes |
| Fatigue/Work Diary | |
| Work Diary (written or electronic) | Yes – if operating a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle more than 100km from the driver’s base on standard hours, or operating under Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) or Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM), or have done so in the past 28 days. |
| Exemption by Notice | No – unless it is a specific condition of the notice that it be carried |
| Exemption by Permit | Yes |
| NHVAS Documents (BFM or AFM) | |
| Accreditation Certificate | Yes |
| Induction Letter | Yes |
| Interception Book (hard copy) | No |
| NHVAS documents (Mass or Maintenance) | |
| Accreditation Certificate | No |
| Induction Letter | No |
| Interception Book (hard copy) | Yes |
| Vehicle Standards | |
| Exemption by Notice | No – unless it is a specific condition of the notice that it be carried |
| Exemption by Permit | Yes |
| PBS Vehicles | |
| PBS Vehicle Approval | Yes |
| PBS Vehicle Design Approval | No |
| Other | |
| Container Weight Declaration | Yes – a complying CWD is required when transporting a consigned freight container on a road using a heavy vehicle. The required information may be provided in more than one document. |
What notices do I need to carry?
If you are operating under a notice, it will specify if it must be carried.
Do I have to carry hard copy documents?
No. A driver can present most documents to an authorised officer in either hard copy or electronic form. However, documents that must always be available in hard copy include:
- those where there is a specific requirement that a hard copy must be carried, such as a condition of a notice or permit
- information recorded in a written work diary (or supplementary records) that cannot be presented electronically at the roadside
- NHVAS Interception Report Books that must be presented in hard copy to allow an authorised officer to complete the report, if required.
The driver must present a legible and complete copy of the documentation when asked to do so by an authorised officer.
How should electronic documents be presented?
Electronic documents must be presented on a device with a visual display that enables an authorised officer to read and understand all elements of the document, without the authorised officer having to enter the vehicle.
The document must be presented upon request of an authorised officer. This means the document must be carried on a device kept by the driver. It is not acceptable that the document has to be downloaded from another location (for example, the internet) at the time of the intercept.
Presenting a USB on its own is not acceptable. It is acceptable, however, if the document can be quickly accessed and displayed by opening a file from the USB and it can be read and understood.
Driver responsibilities
If the operation of a heavy vehicle requires certain documentation to be carried, drivers must ensure that they have a hard or electronic copy of the documentation in their possession before starting (and during) the journey.
Drivers must ensure that the documentation:
- is valid and current
- is accessible and readily available to be read and understood by an authorised officer
- contains vehicle identification or configuration details, if the documentation is vehicle specific.
Drivers must also ensure the heavy vehicle is operated in accordance with any conditions or requirements of the documentation; for example, mass or dimensions, warning devices, routes or restricted hours of operation.
Operator responsibilities
Vehicle operators should ensure that:
- drivers are provided with valid and appropriate documents required to operate the heavy vehicle in compliance with the national law, any accreditation or other legal instrument (for example, a notice or permit)
- drivers understand their responsibilities regarding the operation of the vehicle in accordance with the documentation and other relevant requirements
- drivers are provided with an appropriate electronic device (if required) that will allow an authorised officer to read and understand all elements of any document presented without the authorised officer having to enter the vehicle.
Drivers and operators are reminded that if drivers cannot present documents that must be carried whilst operating a heavy vehicle, enforcement action may result and the vehicle may not be allowed to continue the journey.
