We thought this day would never arrive, but it has! The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator takes the reins of regulation for the trucking industry as of this morning. This is the point at which the NHVR has to step up. It has been responsible for the NHVAS and PBS for the past year but now they are in control of many of the regulatory functions which deal with the trucks on the highway.
“This is a significant step in our evolution as a one-stop-shop for heavy vehicle road transport business with government,” said Richard Hancock, NHVR CEO in a statement over the weekend. “With one rule book under one regulator, we can now offer a much broader range of services previously delivered by state road authorities and the ACT Government.
“From today, operators will see streamlined and practical operations and regulation for heavy vehicle access, fatigue management and vehicle inspection standards, as well as more consistent on-road compliance and enforcement outcomes; all matters that impact on the day-to-day business of heavy vehicle operators, large and small.”
One of the major changes, and the cause of some of the delays in implementation, is the transferring of the responsibility for the issuing of permits to the NHVR. Transport operators wishing to apply for permits anywhere on the East Coast can now apply through the NHVR website for a permit from the start of their journey to the end without having to worry about whether the route crosses state borders.
Requirements for documentation carried in truck cabs will change for some with the introduction of the NHVR. As of February 10 any vehicle accredited under the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) must now carry a copy of all the relevant accreditation certificates as well as a document stating the driver has been inducted under the scheme.
These new requirements are to be phased in over a few months. Only warnings will be issued for non-compliance with the new rules in the first month, and in the period until August 9, warnings will be issued for the first offence, but enforcement could follow a second offence in this period.
By the time the NHVR has had the guernsey for six months the trucking industry will be able to assess just how well the process of change has gone. There are bound to be disappointments but the situation where the NHVR is running the show is almost certainly going to be an improvement for most of the industry on what has gone before.
The proof of the pudding is when the interface between truckies on the road and the enforcement agencies isn’t characterised by tickets being written for offences in one state for behaviour which would be perfectly legal just across the border. We can only dream!