2024 was a milestone year in the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) short history to date, with the body reaching 10 years since beginning its journey to become Australia’s national regulator. The past decade has seen the NHVR grow, guided by its ‘inform, educate and enforce’ approach.
In April this year, the NHVR brought up another achievement when it transitioned its heavy vehicle regulatory services in Queensland. With Queensland being the final participating jurisdiction to transition, it formed a crucial step forward for the industry as the NHVR seeks a more consistent application of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).
Now, as the regulator’s CEO in Sal Petroccitto is set to step down in January, the NHVR is casting its eye towards a busy 2025.
“The NHVR recognises there are several, continuing challenges the heavy vehicle industry will face over the next 12 months,” a NHVR spokesperson told OwnerDriver.
“These include balancing a growing freight task while ensuring fatigue is effectively managed, working to reduce the number of deaths on Australia’s roads, addressing environmental and health impacts, shifting from asset preservation to optimisation, navigating unplanned disruptions to the supply chain and driver shortages.”
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The regulator is already looking to address this challenges, starting with its upcoming Heavy Vehicle Productivity Plan. The plan aims to navigate these issues in the industry by easing the burden of permits and supporting road managers to grow their networks and offer the technology, tools, data and information that customers need to make faster and better-informed decisions.
The regulator will also look to partner with stakeholders to ensure safe and environmentally friendly outcomes while encouraging newer, cleaner and safer vehicles on the road. While all of this occurs, the driver shortage continues to loom for the NHVR.
“Australia’s heavy vehicle driver shortage is an issue that must be addressed through a collaborative, layered approach, to ensure the backbone of the nation’s economy can continue to provide essential services in transport, logistics, and supply chains,” the spokesperson says.
“The NHVR will work with governments and industry to support efforts to diversify workforces and enhance access to training and incentives.”
On the advocacy site, the NHVR says it will continue pushing for national standardisation in 2025 to support consistency and productivity in the industry. When it comes to technology, the NHVR will improve its digital offerings by enhancing its NHVR portal and national network map.
“The map will be refined to include more accurate road and map data, as well as an improved route planner to assist industry in planning efficient and safe journeys across Australia’s road network,” the spokesperson says.
“The portal will also evolve to contain more information and tools for operators (such as compliance data) to expand how industry and operators manage their fleet.
“The NHVR will also focus on delivering its safety campaigns to influence road users’ behaviour. This includes continuing its campaigns, Don’t #uck With A Truck and We All Need Space. The next phase of the We All Need Space campaign will focus on safety messaging targeted to heavy vehicle drivers and safer driving around oversize and overmass movements in Victoria.”
While there are many issues challenging the nation’s trucking industry, the NHVR always focuses on safety. Through the Chain of Responsibility (CoR), the regulator wants to minimise as much risk as it can from transport routes each and every day. To do so, it’ll work with industry to ensure parties in the chain aren’t placing undue pressure or demands on drivers that may encourage breaching speed or fatigue regulations.
Looking at the regulation side, the NHVR is prioritising progress on the HVNL review, with the regulator wanting to see positive reforms to the Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme.
During 2024, the NHVR released its ‘Removing Roadblocks to Reform’ paper calling for reform of the PBS scheme. It’s looking to build on this paper in 2025 as it forges new ground as Australia’s national regulator.
“Right now in Australia, the safest, most productive, and lower emission heavy vehicles face more barriers to get on the road than a standard ‘prescriptive’ heavy vehicle,” the spokesperson says.
“This is resulting in lost opportunities to reduce emission, avoid fatalities and increase productivity. Through the ‘Removing Roadblocks to Reform’ paper, the NHVR is calling for amendments to the HVNL to allow for mature and proven PBS vehicles to transition to the prescriptive vehicle fleet, and to give the NHVR the ability to adjust standards in response to the latest research and technology.”
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