The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) says loading and mass-related offences accounted for 90 per cent of breaches detected across its past three compliance operations at Melbourne Market, as it prepares to return to the precinct.
In a statement dated 19 October 2026, the regulator said the most recent operation, conducted in April 2025, involved 61 vehicle intercepts, 25 infringement notices, 23 defect notices and 25 education outcomes. The NHVR reported a 59 per cent overall non-compliance rate for that April 2025 operation, not for all three operations combined.
NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati said repeated operations had identified similar safety problems, particularly around mass limits and loading. The regulator says overloading can affect vehicle control and stopping performance, while inadequate load restraint can allow freight to move or fall.
Information session for drivers and operators
Before its next operation, the NHVR will host an information hub at BP Northpoint, opposite Melbourne Market, on Wednesday 28 October, from 6am to 10am AEDT. Safety and Compliance Officers and stakeholder representatives will discuss mass limits, load restraint, vehicle standards and operators’ responsibilities.
The regulator has not specified the date of its next enforcement operation in the release. Drivers, loading staff, transport businesses and other parties involved in moving fresh produce should check applicable mass limits, restraint arrangements and vehicle condition before travel.
Primary source: NHVR, 19 October 2026.