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Australia missed its first heavy-vehicle permit target. Now NAAS has to prove the bigger promise
The national project was meant to halve heavy-vehicle permit demand within three years. That milestone has been missed — but the system promising to automate most permit decisions is now moving into real-world rollout.
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Will a 20-metre truck make you more money?
The extra metre and the shift from concessional to general mass limits can remove a costly compromise. But the winner between prescriptive 20 metres, higher mass and PBS depends on what the freight task is paying for.
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The new ‘unfit to drive’ duty is now in force—what does it mean for operators?
Since 1 August 2026, the HVNL’s unfit-to-drive duty has applied to drivers of all heavy vehicles over 4.5 tonnes—not only fatigue-regulated vehicles—and Chain of Responsibility parties must not cause or encourage unsafe driving.
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The Master Code creates no new legal duties—but it could change how “reasonably practicable” is judged.
The revised Heavy Vehicle Industry Master Code creates no new legal duties, but its expanded, activity-based guidance could shape how courts assess whether transport businesses properly managed risk.
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Electric aircraft’s US$5 power bill carries a message for Australian freight
An aircraft weighing more than 11 tonnes has flown entirely on batteries. On the ground, Australian transport fleets are showing why electrification is also becoming a supply-chain security issue.