Do you understand your heavy vehicle maintenance obligations?

Given the broad terms in which vehicle maintenance obligations are couched under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), you may feel confused and overwhelmed about what your obligations actually are. This article provides a starting place for parties in the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) to consider their vehicle maintenance obligations and their strategies for compliance.

What are the key maintenance obligations?

The principal obligations for heavy vehicle maintenance under the HVNL are as follows:

• CoR parties must not use, or permit another person to use, a heavy vehicle on the road that is unsafe. A vehicle is unsafe where its condition or the condition of its components or equipment is such that using the vehicle would be unsafe or would endanger public safety