Category: Technical Working Groups

HVIA offers further support for members impacted by the VSB6 changes

6 June 23

In April this year, the NHVR published updates to Vehicle Standards Bulletin 6 (VSB6) and announced a commencement date of 1st July 2023.

HVIA warns against jumping the gun on trailer width

1 June 23

The NHVR’s discussion paper, released today, explores options for implementing the Safer Freight Vehicle (SFV) reforms, which are yet to be finalised at the Federal level.

Warning – One Month to Go – MVSA end date in sight

26 May 23

The Department of Infrastructure has recently circulated the latest guidance material as the end of the transition from the Motor Vehicle Standards Act (MVSA) to the Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) transition approached.

New guidance for PBS access at greater masses

3 May 23

The NHVR’s new guidance replaces previously published advice relating to Tier 2 and 3 assessments and guides operators through the process of applying for a PBS permit under the Tier 2/3 bridge assessment option.

VSB6 v3.2 update

18 April 23

Following last week’s Talk the Torque article on the implementation date for the new version of VSB6, HVIA received important feedback from members regarding the new ‘J4’ modification code for tipper bodies.

Low-Speed Swept Path and Tail Swing options paper

17 April 23

As part of an on-going review of the PBS standards that kicked off in 2019, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has released a detailed options paper that explores possible improvements to the PBS low speed turning performance standard, and its related performance measures.

NHVR publishes VSB6 v 3.2 and commencement date

12 April 23

VSB6 Version 3.2 includes new information on tipper body design, tow truck design and box or top hat chassis section modifications, plus updates to existing codes.,

ROVER – outage reminder and new guidance released

12 April 23

Members are reminded that ROVER and the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) will be unavailable from 4 pm AEST on Friday 14 April until 9 am AEST on Tuesday 18 April 2023 while the Release 8B upgrade takes place.

New regulatory advice for safety technologies and telematics

12 April 23

The NHVR has released guidance on best-practice safety technologies and telematics for CoR parties to meet primary duty obligations under the HVNL.

HPFV network updates from Freight Victoria

5 April 23

Freight Victoria staff delivered a valuable update on Victoria’s High Productivity Freight Vehicle (HPFV) policy and networks for HVIA members this week.

Takeaways from the first round

29 March 23

Several recurring viewpoints were expressed by HVIA members at State Committee meetings held in WA, QLD, NSW, and VIC this month.

Amendments to Lighting ADRs

22 March 23

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts has amended a wide range of Australian Design Rules related to vehicle lighting. 

HVIA and NHVR techsperts tackling policy challenges

15 March 23

Newly-minted Chief Technical Officer, Adam Ritzinger, and Manager of Member Engagement, Harrison Hunkin are on the case for HVIA members.

Proposed Recall Rectification Targets

1 March 23

The Department of Infrastructure has proposed benchmarks for recall rectification to provide “suggested timeframes for industry to progress and complete voluntary recalls.”

HVIA cautiously optimistic towards PBS 2.0

22 February 23

The PBS scheme should be better used as a mechanism for promoting the uptake of safer high-productivity vehicles according to HVIA.

The comments form part of HVIA’s submission responding to the NHVR’s Performance Based Standards (PBS) 2.0 discussion paper, and follow extensive consultation with HVIA members and stakeholders.

ADR now in place for Euro VI and some EV’s

21 February 23

ADR 80/04 adopting Euro VI and equivalent standards for heavy vehicles has now been signed and can now be accessed on the Federal Register of Legislation. 

HVIA draft submission – PBS 2.0 Discussion Paper

1 February 23

HVIA has circulated its draft submission on the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s PBS 2.0 Discussion Paper for review by members.

It’s not too late to have your say on PBS 2.0

18 January 23

HVIA’s Greg Forbes says the level of member engagement on the NHVR's PBS 2.0 discussion paper shows how important the scheme is to the heavy vehicle industry.

Truck and dog notice forum success

23 November 22

The Class 3 Truck and Dog Notice created a stir on its release but has gone on to be the catalyst for great industry-regulator collaboration.

NHVR releases PBS version 2 Discussion Paper

23 November 22

The NHVR has proposed a series of significant reforms in its long-awaited discussion paper on PBS 2.0.

Expanded tyre choice brings greater flexibility to PBS operators

15 November 22

From 1 December 2022, Performance Based Standards (PBS) vehicles will be able to use a broader range of tyres, enabling the PBS scheme to better support and promote the next generation of smarter, safer and more productive vehicles.

Webinar: the NHVR’s Class 3 truck and dog notice

9 November 22

HVIA and the NHVR have agreed that HVIA will organise a Webinar that will allow the allow members to engage with the NHVR and seek clarity on what can and can’t be done under the existing Class 3 truck and dog notice.

ROVER Release 8A and RAV outage

25 October 22

UPDATED - The ROVER outage is now from 4 pm AEDT on Thursday 3 November to 9 am AEDT on Tuesday 8 November 2022. The RAV will be unavailable 12 pm AEDT on Thursday 3 November to 9 am AEDT on Tuesday 8 November 2022.

Albanese Government confirms new emissions standards for trucks and buses

13 October 22

HVIA has congratulated the Albanese Government on today’s announcement confirming the introduction of ADR80/04 – the Australian standard that brings our emissions standards in line with Euro 6. 

The long overdue next step to keep pace with world emissions standards

11 October 22

Believe it or not we live in a first world country, not just a distant colonial outpost. Why then has it taken an additional eight years for our engine emissions regulations to catch up with Europe?

Removing red tape on PBS applications

11 October 22

The NHVR will be introducing changes to the Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme Vehicle Approval (VA) document to reduce administrative burden for industry and provide a better customer experience.

Long slow path to PBS reform finally taking shape

7 September 22

It has been a long time coming, but the necessary pieces of the puzzle for the future of PBS are finally coming together.

Grattan Truck Report misses the easy wins and ignores key obstacles

31 August 22

The Grattan Institute’s new “Grattan Truck Plan”has made headlines this week with its controversial calls for city-wide bans on pre-2003 diesel engines, but misses out on easier opportunities to lower heavy vehicle emissions.

Release of Revised AS2213.1 covering automatic type couplings

17 August 22

Standards Australia has released for public comment AS 2213.1 that covers the selection and marking of pin type couplings, which are often referred to as “automatic couplings”.

Bull bars for light vehicles under review

9 August 22

The current standard covering bull bars for light vehicles (AS 4876.1-2002) is being assessed to determine its future status.

Rover outage next week for implementation of upgrade

6 July 22

The Department of Infrastructure has announced that ROVER will be unavailable from 4 pm AEST Wednesday 13 July to Monday 18 July to allow for the implementation of Release 10.

New PBS Notice is progress – but not the end goal

6 July 22

A new Performance Based Standards (PBS) class 2 notice will introduce more nationally consistent conditions for road trains, supporting more seamless cross-border access and dramatically reducing requirements for permits.

Coupling evaluation project progresses

5 July 22

The industry's collaborative coupling evaluation project is gathering pace now that significant challenges have been overcome, thanks to contributions from several HVIA members.

Changes to PBS vehicle approval documents

22 June 22

The NHVR has released two discussion papers canvasing possible changes to vehicle approval documents issued under the PBS scheme.

Is cloning ROVER the answer to VTA delays?

7 June 22

During the latest round of State committees one of the Road Vehicles Standards Act problems  HVIA has been discussing with members has been the problems caused by slow processing of VTA’s and variations.

Reversing Technologies Consultation RIS

13 April 22

A consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) examining the case for introducing a new mandatory standard for the installation of reversing technologies to new vehicles has been released.

RVS transition period extended

6 April 22

The Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) transitional period has been extended by 12 months until 30 June 2023, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications has advised.

HVIA welcomes Advanced Emergency Braking ADR’s

9 March 22

HVIA has welcomed two new Australian Design Rules (ADR) mandating Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) on heavy vehicles.

Blowout in heavy vehicle access permits at crisis point

9 March 22

Hundreds of PBS heavy vehicles are parked up, sitting idle, instead of working to keep Australia moving - all because of behind-the-scenes bureaucratic bungling.

RVSA Industry Webinar #10 presentations

16 February 22

Presentations from the RVSA webinar facilitated by the Department of Infrastructure on Wednesday 2 February 2022 are available for download.

Industry Investigates Coupling Strength

2 February 22

A new project investigating dynamic loads on couplings has been funded by the Commonwealth Government's Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative to fill a gap in knowledge and provide evidence to update relevant Standards and Rules.

New RVSA guidance videos now available

15 December 21

The Department of Infrastructure has released a video of their webinar covering Low ATM Trailers. Presentation slides are also available.

Truck and trailer width review a long way from resolved

9 December 21

HVIA has welcomed news that proposed amendments to truck and trailer width will be circulated for comment and further explorations into their productivity and cost impact.

The proposed amendments are the result of the Safer Freight Vehicles reforms, a process that was begun by the national Transport Commission in March of this year.

HVIA State Committee online special recording – Dec 2021

7 December 21

This is a special recording of the December 2021 HVIA State Committee meeting as the live stream experienced technical difficulties.

ABN is key to resolving VTA opt-in rejections

3 November 21

Vehicle type approval "opt-in" applications are now being processed more efficiently thanks to the use of applicants' ABN.

PBS notice takes a step in the right direction

29 October 21

The heavy vehicle industry has welcomed the NHVR’s announcement of a new gazette notice that reduces reliance on permits for some Performance Based Standards (PBS) vehicles.

New PBS access notice provides permit-free travel

27 October 21

A new notice delivered by the NHVR will give eligible Performance Based Standards (PBS) vehicles immediate network access when they receive a vehicle approval with a Tier 1 bridge assessment.

RVSA videos, webinars and issues portal

27 October 21

The Department of Infrastructure has created a YouTube channel with videos regarding the RVSA. The first one covers the opt-in process for Vehicle Type Approvals.

Department urges early VTA opt-ins

13 October 21

While VTA opt-ins are technically available until 31 December, the Department of Infrastructure is urging vehicle manufacturers to get their opt-in submissions in before 1 December to ensure they are processed in time.

NTC lays out consultation roadmap for HVNL

13 October 21

The National Transport Commission has laid out the road map for the consultation process on the Heavy Vehicle National Law with fatigue management the first cab off the rank.

Release of Consultation Draft: VSB6 Section J4 – Tipper Bodies

22 September 21

HVIA is facilitating a series of web meetings for members to discuss the draft VSB 6 Section J4 covering Tipper Bodies.

RVSA FAQ

25 August 21

The Department of Infrastructure is hosting fortnightly webinars with key industry peak body representatives to address queries about the operation of the Road Vehicle Standards legislation now it has been fully implemented.

ROVER how-to videos other important RVSA and RAV info

4 August 21

The Department of Infrastructure has just released new guidance material for the RVSA including determinations, three ROVER “how to” videos, three new guides and information on assessment times for various transactions.

Industry Celebrates as PBS Tyre Changes Given Green Light

2 August 21

Trailer manufacturers, tyre manufacturers and suppliers, heavy vehicle operators and PBS assessors will all win once the decision by the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting (ITMM) to use generic tyre data in PBS assessments is fully implemented.

Clarification on vehicle marking requirements for Heavy Trailers under RVSA

28 July 21

HVIA has obtained a quick response from the Department following an anomaly spotted by an HVIA member.

RVSA in place but work still required

6 July 21

The Road Vehicle Standards Act is now in force and will increasingly play a large role in the activities of many HVIA members.

ROVER has been let off the leash

1 July 21

The Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) has gone live this week following a much delayed, somewhat controversial development, and serious concerns about its ambitious rollout.

Updated VTA guide in preparation for RVSA go-live

30 June 21

The Department of infrastructure has updated the Guide to Vehicle Type Approvals in preparation for the RVSA going live tomorrow.

Axle mass limits key to any changes on vehicle width

23 June 21

HVIA has settled on its position on proposed changes to Australian Design Rules governing vehicle width.

Get in your CTAs and plan for your VTAs

23 June 21

With the Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) going live next week, HVIA's Greg Forbes urges members to ensure they submit draft Component Type Approval applications by Friday.

HVIA State Committees say ‘yes’ to truck widths and ‘no’ to trailer widths

9 June 21

HVIA State Committees are considering proposed changes to Australian Design Rules (ADR) governing vehicle width.

Release of ADR Amendment Omnibus

9 June 21

In early 2020, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development indicated that they intended to alter the process by which minor amendments to ADR’s were to be carried out.

ROVER system outage

9 June 21

Draft CTA applications will be deleted when ROVER is offline from COB 25th June to prepare the system for full Road Vehicle Standards Act commencement on 1 July.

Could changes to ADR’s see an uptake of safer heavy vehicles?

28 April 21

Yesterday the Department of Infrastructure released a discussion paper outlining possible changes to ADRs to enhance the uptake of safety features on heavy vehicles.

NHVR’s pledge to fix PBS

23 April 21

HVIA's urgent call to action for the NHVR to fix PBS approval timelines has seen a swift response.

NHVR response on PBS application processing times

22 April 21

The following communique was issued by NHVR Vehicle Safety & Performance Director Peter Austin on 22 April, responding to HVIA's earlier plea to solve the PBS approvals crisis.

RVSA Sessions Issue Summary

21 April 21

Last week HVIA ran two in-person sessions in Melbourne covering Component related and Vehicle related issues and repeated these sessions in online sessions run out of Brisbane on 15 April.

PBS Delays Hurting Industry

13 April 21

HVIA has today issued an urgent and passionate plea to the National Heavy Vehicle Industry Regulator to solve the Performance Based Standards approvals crisis.

Responsibilities and exceptions under Queensland Engineers Act

7 April 21

The Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (BPEQ) recently issued a reminder of the responsibilities of a Corporation under the Queensland Professional Engineers (PE) Act 2002.

Implementation team lined up to address RVSA

17 March 21

The Department of Infrastructure has released two new guidance documents the Guide to Vehicle Type Approval Opt-in Arrangements and the Guide to Vehicle Type Approvals.

The countdown is on – RVSA Checklists

10 March 21

HVIA has prepared guidance material in preparation for the introduction of the Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) on 1 July 2021.

Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 (VSB1) – light trailers

3 March 21

The VSB1 review includes important clarifications and expanded information on lighting and how to certify and identify imported trailers amongst other items.

Pieces falling into place for RVSA implementation

3 March 21

HVIA's review of the latest releases in the Road Vehicles Standards Act (RVSA) shows that the transition is coming together, however there are still critical procedural areas yet to be unveiled.

Have you checked the boxes for the RVSA implementation?

24 February 21

The Road Vehicle Standards Act goes live in 4 months; manufacturers of vehicles and suppliers of parts need to make sure they are prepared.

Full advocacy strategies on the table at HVIA State Committee meetings

17 February 21

Agendas for 2021's first round of HVIA State Committee meetings are now available with a broad range of issues and information on the table.

NHVR says use Suzi on the semi but rubber on Dollys, Dogs or Pigs

11 February 21

The NHVR has issued a Safety Bulletin on the use of coiled air hoses (“Suzi” coils). The issuing of the safety bulletin has been prompted by several incidents where trailers have disconnected, and the air hoses have remained attached.

Updates to Vehicle Standards Guide 2

10 February 21

The NHVR has updated Vehicle Standards Guide 2 to outline some changes to the Heavy Vehicle National Law and Regulations that will come into effect from 22 February.

PBS standard for Directional Stability Under Braking

3 February 21

The NHVR has released a discussion paper on the transition arrangements for implementing the new deemed to comply provisions for the PBS standard related to Directional Stability Under Braking.

Transitioning PBS to the NHVR Portal

3 February 21

The NHVR are moving all regulator services and functions into a common platform - providing one location for regulator service delivery.

Two new NHVR Vehicle Standards Guides

27 January 21

The NHVR has published Vehicle Standards Guides covering vehicle mounted lifting systems and rear coupling on road trains.

Infrastructure updates on ROVER and RVSA

27 January 21

The Department of Infrastructure has added functionality to the Component Type Approval sections of the Road Vehicle Regulation (ROVER) system to allow users to vary, suspend or revoke their approvals.

Draft revisions of Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual

20 January 21

The NHVR has published a draft of proposed updates to the Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual (HVIM).

VSB 6 Section T – Tow Trucks

20 January 21

HVIA is consulting with members on the review of Vehicle Standards Bulletin 6 (VSB6) section relating to the design and construction of tow trucks.

Have you got your RVSA implementation plan ready?

20 January 21

All heavy vehicle manufacturers need a plan for the Road Vehicle Standards Act implementation.

RVSA implementation – Interim arrangements for RAWs and SEVS

7 January 21

The Department of Infrastructure has written to industry associations regarding transition arrangements for the Registered Automotive Workshops (RAWs) scheme and the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles Scheme (SEVS).

ROVER release 3.0

6 January 21

The Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) implementation team has been busy over the past few weeks preparing to deploy ROVER 3.0 to production.

Open for comment – HVIM and Tow trucks (VSB6)

16 December 20

Draft documents regarding VSB6 - Section T covering Tow trucks and proposed reviews to the Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual are currently ioen for comment.

Road Vehicle Standards Act Draft Determinations

15 December 20

The Department of Infrastructure has released a series of draft determinations on issues relevant to the Road Vehicle Standards Act implementation.

HVIA to outline solutions for HVNL rewrite for State Committees

25 November 20

Attendees of HVIA’s State Committee meetings will have the opportunity to inform HVIA’s submission to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) Review with the meetings kicking off in Brisbane tomorrow.

Government commences work on AVV scheme

18 November 20

The Department of Infrastructure has commenced working through the details of the proposed Authorised Vehicle Verifier (AVV) Scheme.

Time to get serious about the RVSA implementation

11 November 20

HVIA has urged members to sort out their plans for the implementation of the Road Vehicle Standards Act.

Coupling Working Group

4 November 20

Looking at proposals submitted to Standards Australia (SA) to review Australian Standards including: AS 2213.1 Commercial road vehicles ; AS/NZS 4968.1 Heavy road vehicles; AS NZS 4968.2 Heavy road vehicles; AS NZS 4968.3 Heavy road vehicles

HVNL review: consultation period extended

29 October 20

The closing date for submissions to the HVNL review consultation regulation impact statement (RIS) has been extended until Friday 20 November 2020.

Component Type Approvals – ROVER feedback

21 October 20

The Department of Infrastructure has applied the latest update to its ROVER application including addressing a number of issues related to Component Type Approvals.

Have your say on HVNL changes impact

30 September 20

It is not too late to have input into HVIA's response to the current review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

Questions over ROVER readiness to administer new certification scheme

23 September 20

Work continues on the implementation of the ROVER IT system which will replace the current certification application system, RVCS for vehicle and component certification.

HVIA’s new tyre working group kicks off

16 September 20

Last Thursday, HVIA held the lick off meeting for the Tyre working group. Just over 25 members participated in the webinar to discuss the background and scope of what the group intends to achieve.

Safety Devices to be exempted from dimension rules

19 August 20

Proposed amendments to Heavy Vehicle Standards governing dimension rules will impact HVIA members.

Component Type Approvals changes are a win for industry

8 July 20

After almost 12 month of negotiations lead by HVIA, the Department of Infrastructure recently revised its approach to Component Type Approvals. At an industry consultation meeting on Monday afternoon HVIA and key industry stakeholders praised the Department for responding
positively to industry concerns.

HVNL reset is a rare chance to iron out legacy issues

29 June 20

HVIA says the HVNL legislation review is a very rare opportunity to iron out legacy issues, making it less prescriptive and more outcome focused to harness to industry’s innovation.

HVNL Review RIS

25 June 20

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has just released the consultation regulatory impact statement (RIS) for the Review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

10,000 PBS vehicles is only the beginning

17 June 20

Australia’s benchmark setting Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme has celebrated its 10,000th vehicle approval recently. HVIA says it is only the beginning of the quest for a safer more productive fleet.

New timeline for RVSA changes

10 June 20

The Department of Infrastructure has just updated its RVS legislation implementation webpage, which includes a new section on our stakeholder commitment and a link to a revised RVS Legislation Program Roadmap calendar.

Testing facility applications now open

6 May 20

The Department of Infrastructure has announced that organisations wishing to register as a testing facility under the Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) should be able to submit applications from Wednesday 6 May 2020.

Component Type Approvals papers released

22 April 20

The Department of Infrastructure has released two documents explaining how Component Type Approvals will be managed under the new Road Vehicle Standards Act which will come into force next year.

Next round of RVSA consultation commencing soon

14 April 20

The Department of Infrastructure has announced that it will be releasing some additional Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) guidance material for review within approximately the next week.

Updated working arrangements for the NHVR PBS team

25 March 20

In response to the current COVID-19 situation affecting the country, the NHVR PBS team will be transitioning to a work from home model starting Monday 30 March 2020.

PBS tyre report recommendations on the table

29 January 20

A review of tyre management practice in the Australian PBS system recommends a system based around the use of standard tyre characteristics for all PBS assessments.

Is your evidence good enough?

6 March 19

Members who holds an approval under the the Motor Vehicle Standards Act for Vehicle, a Component (CRN) or a Sub Assembly (SARN) should undertake an audit of the evidence used to obtain the approval.

HVIA’s Greg Forbes says that changes set for implementation in the Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) from December this year will ...

The Road Vehicle Standards Act is coming

28 November 18

HVIA National Manager Policy and Government Relations Greg Forbes says that the new Road Vehicle Standards Act legislation is in its final stages in Parliament and is expected to take  effect from late 2019 and be fully in place by late 2020.

In particular, truck manufacturers, trailer manufacturers and component suppliers need to understand the implications ...