Across Australia, heavy vehicle safety expectations are evolving.
The 2026 update to the NHVR Industry Master Code reflects a broader shift in how heavy vehicle risks are assessed under the Heavy Vehicle National Law. While the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) framework has been in place for many years, regulators are now placing greater emphasis on whether organisations have taken practical steps to prevent foreseeable harm.
This has implications not only for drivers and transport operators, but also for organisations that own, procure, manage or contract heavy vehicles, including councils, waste operators, construction companies and logistics providers.
The Chain of Responsibility law ensures that everyone involved in heavy vehicle operations shares accountability for safety.
This includes:
Under the law, each party has a primary duty of care to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the safety of transport activities.
This means organisations must take reasonable steps to identify and manage risks associated with heavy vehicle operations.
When incidents occur, investigations typically examine whether organisations have met this obligation.
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) assesses compliance with CoR obligations based on several key factors.
These include:
This framework means organisations cannot simply claim they were unaware of available safety measures if those measures are widely known or reasonably accessible within the industry.
As technology continues to advance, the range of available safety controls has expanded significantly.
To comply with Chain of Responsibility obligations, organisations must take a structured approach to managing safety risks.
This typically involves:
Heavy vehicle operations present several well-recognised safety risks that organisations are expected to manage.
These may include:
Many of these incidents occur in situations where workers or members of the public are operating in close proximity to heavy vehicles.
The updated NHVR Industry Master Code reinforces the importance of actively managing heavy vehicle safety risks rather than relying solely on policies or procedures.
It reflects what regulators have learned from incident investigations, coronial findings and evolving industry practices.
The message is clear: These control measures may include operational processes, training, vehicle safety systems, and technologies designed to reduce known heavy vehicle risks.
For many fleets, this will involve reviewing:
Organisations that take a proactive approach to these areas will be better positioned to demonstrate compliance with their Chain of Responsibility obligations.
For many organisations, understanding Chain of Responsibility obligations is only the first step. The next challenge is determining how those obligations should be reflected in operational policies and procurement requirements.
As the NHVR Industry Master Code continues to emphasise the importance of managing foreseeable risks, organisations are increasingly reviewing how vehicle safety requirements are defined within fleet procurement, contractor agreements, and tender documentation.
Clear and well-defined safety specifications can help ensure that vehicles operating within a fleet - whether owned directly or supplied by contractors - are equipped with practical control measures designed to reduce known heavy vehicle risks.
To support organisations undertaking this review, we have prepared a Safety Requirements for Heavy Vehicles Information Pack which outlines example safety risks and potential vehicle safety technology requirements that may be considered when developing procurement specifications.
Heavy vehicle safety is increasingly viewed as a shared responsibility across the entire transport task.
By identifying risks, implementing appropriate controls and embedding safety requirements into procurement and operational practices, organisations can significantly reduce the likelihood of incidents.
As safety expectations continue to evolve, fleet operators and organisations that engage heavy vehicles will need to ensure that their risk management approaches keep pace with the realities of modern transport operations.
The updated Master Code provides a clear framework for doing exactly that.