Regulators 'sort out' some of the confusion over driving hours, but other issues still under consideration
Regulators have “sorted out” some of the confusion over driving hours, vowing to continue looking at cross-border fatigue management issues facing trucking operators.
But some fatigue compliance issues will take longer to improve, industry representatives say after meeting with regulators in Queensland.
Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) Chief Executive Peter Garske says he expects a number of cross-border issues which have come to light since the implementation of the controversial heavy vehicle driver fatigue regulations to be resolved immediately.
A meeting late last month with regulators and road agencies, chaired by Queensland Transport, confirmed enforcement officers are not able to begin counting a 24-hour period in the middle of a driver’s rest break, but must find the last consecutive rest break and count forward from there.
It was made clear to the trucking industry that counting of work hours does not “reset” after a seven-hour consecutive break and drivers must still work under the “any 24 hour” rule.
“The meeting … proved successful,” Garske tells ATN.
“The industry and agency representatives who were present put their shoulders to the wheel and said there were issues which needed to be sorted out.
“Some issues were sorted out on the day and others will take a bit longer.”
Garske says authorities agreed to continue discussing cross-border compliance issues in the future.
The QTA has published a full update on fatigue management compliance on its website.