The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) today called on Australian Governments to consider the development of a national operator standard for heavy vehicle operators as part of a review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).
The call formed part of a submission made to the National Transport Commission in response to a consultation regulatory impact statement prepared on possible changes to the HVNL.
ALC proposes the creation of a national standard in which every heavy vehicle operator would:
- provide the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator with a list of heavy vehicles it operates and garaging information about the vehicle
- ensure that each heavy vehicle has installed, and uses equipment meeting international standards that records information regarding driving hours and location that can be used in the investigation of alleged breaches of the HVNL as well as providing operators with data that can be used to manage safety outcomes or otherwise provide road owners with information that can be used when applying for access to routes.
- maintain a safety management system (SMS) that meets standards established in the HVNL; and
- require a registered operator would have capital available to ensure efficient operation of the heavy vehicles.
The chief executive officer of ALC Kirk Coningham said that the most important proposal is for vehicle movements to be recorded.
Coningham said that ‘data is the “new oil” for the freight transport industry.
“As the Productivity Commission said in its recent report on national transport regulatory reform governments should prioritise uses of data with the greatest potential to improve productivity in the transport sector in ways that can inform the provision and management of road infrastructure, inform decisions around permits and road access for heavy vehicles and assist in the development and implementation of the Heavy Vehicle Road Reform Agenda, with the information possible forming part of the proposed federal Freight Data Hub.”
It will be an opportunity lost if the national operating standard concept is not tested in a holistic way as governments consider responses to the regulatory impact statement, Coningham concluded.