Now that the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) reforms are in effect, operators are working out what the changes mean day to day, and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has released new guidance on the questions coming up most often.
According to Paul Daly, the NHVR’s Director Strategic Policy, the reforms taking effect was a milestone rather than a finish line. He said the regulator is now hearing the practical questions that come with applying the changes on the road, and that this feedback is showing where operators need more clarity and support.
New FAQs and factsheets now available
To address these questions, the NHVR has published a set of frequently asked questions along with factsheets and other supporting material. The resources build on the regulator’s wider HVNL awareness campaign, which has reached more than 11.2 million views on social media and driven over 648,000 visits to HVNL content on the NHVR website.
Longer combinations, with conditions
One of the most talked-about changes is the increase in maximum length for eligible combinations, which has gone from 19 metres to 20 metres. Mr Daly stressed that the extra metre isn’t automatic. Operators must still make sure their vehicle and trailer components meet the relevant requirements for dimensions, braking, mass and other safety standards before running at the new length.
Moving to the Heavy Vehicle Accreditation scheme
The shift to the new Heavy Vehicle Accreditation (HVA) scheme is also prompting plenty of enquiries, especially from operators who currently hold Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) or Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) accreditation.
Here’s what operators need to know:
- Existing BFM and AFM accreditations stay valid under their current conditions until they expire, are cancelled, or the operator chooses to move across to the HVA scheme.
- New applicants wanting alternative fatigue hours will now apply through Alternative Compliance Accreditation – Fatigue (ACA-Fatigue).
- There’s no need to transition straight away just because the new scheme has started, but operators should check their expiry dates and plan ahead.
To help with the changeover, the NHVR has produced practical tools including ACA-Fatigue Templated Tables of Hours and guidance on the HVA application and audit process.
Keep the questions coming
Mr Daly said the NHVR’s subject matter experts will keep meeting operators face to face at conferences, forums and industry events around the country. He described these conversations as invaluable for identifying where more guidance is needed, and encouraged operators to keep raising questions so they understand their obligations and can operate safely and compliantly.
The full set of FAQs, factsheets and guidance on the amended HVNL is available on the NHVR’s HVNL reform implementation page.
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