What the Code is
The NHVR’s 2026 Master Code of Practice is an authoritative source of guidance on heavy-vehicle transport safety: hazards, risks, risk assessment and controls. It helps Chain of Responsibility (CoR) parties understand how to meet the HVNL Primary Duty, which requires each party to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of its transport activities.
It is a registered industry code of practice under s706 of the HVNL. Under s632A, a registered code may be used as evidence of whether a duty has been met, and a court may consider what the code says about a hazard or risk and how to control it.
Guidance, not new law
The Code does
- Describe hazards, risks and control approaches
- Help parties apply the existing Primary Duty
- Serve as evidence of what is known about risks and controls
The Code does not
- Create new legal obligations or duties
- Replace the HVNL or regulations
- Guarantee compliance if followed as a checklist
- Apply where the HVNL does not (WA and NT)
Following the Code is not the only way to meet the duty, and reading it does not by itself establish compliance. What matters is whether your controls are reasonably practicable for the risks your activities create, and whether they work.
Activity-based, not role-based
The 2026 Code organises guidance around activities rather than traditional CoR roles. It reaches decisions made well away from the vehicle, such as recruitment, vehicle procurement and premises management, and it covers off-road parties. Not every business or employee that touches transport is automatically a CoR party; the question is which transport activities you undertake or influence.
The 45 activities
| Group | Activities | Code pages |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation activities Building organisational safety capability · Executives understanding the business · Policies and procedures · Recruitment of all employees · Training employees · Fitness to work · Working with other businesses · Monitoring and assurance · Sharing information · Agreements | 1–10 | p.24–36 |
| Managing drivers Recruiting drivers · Driver health · Driver fatigue · Driver distraction · Driver training · Driver equipment · Monitoring devices and safety systems | 11–17 | p.38–50 |
| Vehicles and equipment Vehicle procurement and fleet · Vehicle maintenance · Vehicle modifications | 18–20 | p.52–55 |
| Premises Premises design · Managing premises | 21–22 | p.56–58 |
| Operations Arranging goods transport · Considering the vehicle task | 23–24 | p.61–63 |
| Journey planning Allocating a driver to the task · Scheduling · Routes · Accepting a vehicle · Owner-driver accepting a task | 25–29 | p.63–68 |
| Loads, loading and unloading Manufacturing and packaging goods · Loading · Load restraint · Unloading · Mass · Dimensions · Weighbridges and weighing | 30–36 | p.70–75 |
| Sector-specific activities Livestock transport · Online freight platforms · Construction sites · Vehicle recovery · Dangerous goods and explosives · Packing containers · Imported goods · Transporting containers · Container premises | 37–45 | p.77–84 |
Page numbers refer to the official NHVR PDF. Check the current version on the NHVR website.
Using it in practice
- Map the activities you undertake or influence, including contractors and interfaces.
- Identify hazards in normal work, exceptions and changes.
- Assess risks in context and choose controls that fit the risk and your level of influence.
- Check that controls work in the field, not just on paper.
- Keep evidence, learn from incidents and review after change.
Sources
Regulatory facts are drawn from the NHVR 2026 Master Code page and the official Code PDF. Consult NHVR for updates.