This law, also known as the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL)<\/a>, applies to all of Australia\u2019s states and territories except the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It applies to drivers of fatigue-related vehicles in each of these states, and to those from NT or WA who cross into these six regulated states while driving.<\/p>\n Heavy vehicle fatigue management is a legal requirement for drivers of heavy vehicles to manage their fatigue by taking adequate rest breaks and limiting work hours.<\/p>\n The HVNL applies to drivers of heavy vehicles that the NHVR classifies as a fatigue-related vehicle. These vehicles meet a certain set of standards to fall under this category.<\/p>\n The NHVR classifies<\/a> a fatigue-related vehicle as:<\/p>\n The majority of the vehicles classified as fatigue-related vehicles are trucks and buses. Other heavy vehicles such as trams, agricultural machinery, bulldozers, tractors and residential motorhomes are not classified as fatigue-related vehicles.<\/p>\n According to the NHVR, in the six states and territories where the HVNL applies, there are more than:<\/p>\n So, if you are a truck or transport driver in Australia, your heavy vehicle most likely qualifies as a fatigue-related vehicle, and you need to be abiding by heavy vehicle fatigue management laws.<\/p>\n As a heavy vehicle driver, you may think you already know what fatigue looks like. You may believe that you already manage your fatigue appropriately. But have you ever had any of the below symptoms of fatigue, yet kept driving anyway? Sometimes the signs can be subtle, and we may disregard them.<\/p>\n These signs of driver fatigue can all lead to accidents and even death. It is important that drivers pay close attention to the way that they feel, addressing signs and symptoms of fatigue as soon as they arise by taking rest breaks. The heavy vehicle national law sets maximum work and minimum rest limits to assist in this process.<\/p>\n A rest break doesn\u2019t just consist of time that you aren\u2019t driving. The HVNL measures work time and rest time in a specific way, incorporating other work tasks under the umbrella of work time to prevent fatigue. Other work responsibilities still count as work and should be thought of as such when monitoring fatigue.<\/p>\n According to the NHVR, work time includes all tasks to do with the operation of a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle such as:<\/p>\n These tasks can further fatigue and deplete us, as they require concentration and physical exertion. Switching to a task other than driving may make you feel like you are taking a break, but according to law, these activities cannot be considered as breaks.<\/p>\n Rest time is all time that is not work time. There are no stipulations to what this may consist of, except that it may not involve any tasks such as those mentioned above. This is strictly personal time.<\/p>\n It can be confusing to understand the rules and regulations for heavy vehicle drivers. Although they are complex, these anti-fatigue laws exist to protect drivers and businesses by preventing accidents and fatalities. The minimum and maximum requirements for rest and work times must be monitored and records kept in order to provide evidence of compliance.<\/p>\n The best way to do this is by keeping a logbook, also known as the National Driver Work Diary. There are a number of ways to approach this, including maintaining a paper logbook or by using an electronic work diary.<\/p>\n A paper logbook can be used to record work and rest hours. While some drivers like this approach, many find it onerous and very manual. Keeping a paper work diary requires the driver to maintain an acute understanding of the fatigue management laws, which can be difficult to stay on top of. A paper logbook can also be easily lost or damaged.<\/p>\n An electronic work diary (EWD) is an easy and efficient option for heavy vehicle drivers and fleet managers. An EWD can record rest and work times at the click of a button, while also providing automated notifications for rest breaks and potential compliance breaches. Electronic work diary apps like Smart eDriver<\/a> take all of the complexity out of fatigue management and can reduce driver reporting time by up to 50%. With EWDs, you can achieve more without as many stops and starts on your route.<\/p>\n The Smart eDriver EWD app was the very first electronic work diary to be approved by the NHVR, and it remains the best option on the market today. Read more about the benefits of SED for drivers<\/a> here, or the benefits for fleet managers<\/a> here. No matter your role or your fatigue rule set, we\u2019ve got you covered. Enquire now<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ever had a near-miss on the road because you\u2019ve been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1862"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1862"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1869,"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1862\/revisions\/1869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1862"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartedriver.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=1862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What is a Fatigue-Related Vehicle?<\/h2>\n
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Knowing the Signs and Symptoms of Fatigue<\/h2>\n
Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue Symptoms<\/h3>\n
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HVNL Work Time and Rest Time Explained<\/h2>\n
Work Time<\/h3>\n
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Rest Time<\/h3>\n
How to Meet Anti-Fatigue Requirements and Stay Compliant<\/h2>\n
Paper Work Diary for Heavy Vehicle Fatigue Management<\/h3>\n
Electronic Work Diary for Heavy Vehicle Fatigue Management<\/h3>\n
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