Fatigue offences up almost 16 per cent, NHVR says — Safe Freight Mate, 27 Oct

Truck & Bus News · Enforcement Action · 20 October 2026

Fatigue offences up almost 16 per cent, NHVR says

The NHVR recorded 5835 fatigue-related offences nationally last financial year. That is up almost 16 per cent on the 5039 recorded the year before. Fatigue calls to its Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line also rose, from 326 in FY25 to 365 in FY26. Callers reported being told to work through breaks, work excessive hours or work when fatigued. Chief operations officer Paul Salvati says some drivers are "choosing, or being pressured into" driving tired.

Why it mattersSalvati points to the August HVNL changes. The unfit to drive duty now covers physical illness, injuries, stress and mental illness, not just fatigue. He says employers must legally support a driver who stops.

NHVR On the Road · Regulatory Update · 22 October 2026

NHVR updates its HVNL reform guidance and FAQs

It is nearly three months since the HVNL reforms took effect. The NHVR says it is still answering industry questions with updated practical guidance. Issue 205 of its On the Road newsletter points to the latest reform guidance. The Regulator says it will keep updating its FAQs and resources as new questions come in.

Big Rigs Magazine · Regulatory Update · 26 October 2026

VTA says Victorian licensing reforms need significant improvements

The Victorian Transport Association has made a submission to the Department of Transport and Planning's Heavy Vehicle Driver Safety Reform Regulatory Impact Statement. CEO Peter Anderson says time holding a licence "is not, on its own, a measure of competence". The VTA wants competency-based progression between licence classes. It also wants all heavy vehicle driver training delivered by qualified trainers through Registered Training Organisations.

Notice when a mate goes quiet

Driving for a living means long stretches alone. A mate who is struggling can hide it well on the two-way or at the servo. The signs are usually small. They stop ringing back. They skip the usual yarn at the depot. They snap at things they'd normally laugh off, or say they're tired of it all. You don't need the right words. Ask straight: "You right? You don't seem yourself." Then listen, and don't rush to fix it. This week, pick one driver you haven't heard from in a while. Ring them on your break, not while you're driving. Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds has tools built for our industry on having that conversation.

Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds →

Why a 10-minute coffee stop isn't rest

Standard hours apply to solo drivers of fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles who aren't working under BFM or AFM accreditation. Those schemes have their own limits. Under standard hours, in any 5½ hours you can work no more than 5¼. You must take at least 15 minutes of continuous rest. Say you start at 6.00am. You need that break by 11.15am. Time is counted forward from the end of your last qualifying rest break, not by the clock on the wall. Here is what drivers get wrong: a break shorter than 15 minutes doesn't count as rest. It counts as work time. Western Australia and the Northern Territory run their own fatigue rules.

Read the NHVR page: Why a 10-minute coffee stop isn't rest →

PowerTorque Magazine · Worth a look · 26 October 2026

Wood chip haulage from plantation to Albany port

Qube Forestry's Albany fleet runs 17 prime movers within a 180-kilometre radius of base. Transport manager Adrian Robinson says drivers who start "green" can be his best, with no bad habits.