Which Way To Go

Transport law, news & explainers

Independent Australian transport journalism and plain-English reference guides built from primary sources.

Law & Duties

  • What is a heavy-vehicle defect notice?

    A heavy-vehicle defect notice is an enforcement notice identifying a vehicle defect and the restrictions, repair and clearance steps required before unrestricted use can resume.

  • What are the HVNL speed compliance duties?

    Drivers must obey applicable speed limits, and businesses must ensure their transport activities, requests and contracts do not cause or encourage a heavy-vehicle driver to speed.

  • What are heavy-vehicle roadworthiness and maintenance duties?

    A heavy vehicle used on a road must comply with applicable vehicle standards and must not be unsafe, while each Chain of Responsibility party must control the maintenance and roadworthiness risks within its influence.

  • How do the HVNL Primary Duty and WHS laws interact?

    The HVNL Primary Duty and work health and safety laws operate alongside each other: one focuses on public risk from heavy-vehicle transport activities and the other on health and safety at work.

  • What is a heavy-vehicle Safety Management System?

    A heavy-vehicle Safety Management System is the documented and operating system a business uses to identify, control, monitor and improve the safety risks created by its transport activities.

  • Does the Heavy Vehicle National Law apply in Western Australia?

    No. The HVNL does not govern a journey while it is wholly within Western Australia, but WA has its own CoR, fatigue and heavy-vehicle laws, and a WA or NT business can…

  • Who regulates trucking in Australia?

    Australian trucking is regulated by a network of national, state and territory bodies covering heavy-vehicle law, roads and access, licensing and registration, policing, workplace safety, environment and local-road management.

  • What does the NHVR do?

    The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator administers and enforces the HVNL in participating states and territories and provides national access, accreditation, compliance and safety services.

  • What does the NTC do?

    The National Transport Commission is Australia’s transport-reform adviser, developing and maintaining model national land-transport laws and policy reforms for governments to consider and implement.

  • What are HVNL codes of practice?

    An HVNL code of practice is guidance issued by the NHVR that a court may use as evidence of what was known about a hazard, risk, assessment method or control at the…