Huge fines for operators as national regulator outlines breaches
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has released details on recent court outcomes in Victoria pertaining to Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) contraventions.
Of particular note to transport companies, multiple entities were penalised primarily for dimension breaches.
In one example, early July, a company was fined $20,000 in the Dandenong Magistrates Court.
NHVR notes the company was observed operating a prime mover towing an extendable heavy trailer loaded with a crane gantry beam.
The vehicle was intercepted and the load inspected, with the vehicle revealed to be travelling over the prescribed dimension limits.
“The company did not have a permit for the return trip. Accordingly, the dimensions were assessed against the statutory limits,” NHVR explains.
“The allowed length was 19m. The length of the vehicle was 33.5m, an excess length of 14.5m.
“The allowed width was 2.5m. The width of the vehicle was 2.75m, an excess width of 250mm.
“A permit would have allowed for a length of 45m and a width of 3.5m.
“The vehicle was about to cross a railway just prior to the intercept. It was revealed that the company failed to obtain permission to cross the railway.
“There were a total of 2 pilot vehicles. One of the pilots was not a certified level 2 pilot vehicle driver. There needed to be a minimum of 3 certified pilot vehicles to be used.”
The company had no prior convictions.
Read about the NHVR’s awareness campaign on illegal engine remapping, here
Earlier, on May 13, a company was convicted and fined $41,000 at the Werribee Magistrates Court after its B-double combination with two 40-foot containers was intercepted.
“It was revealed that the vehicle was travelling over the prescribed dimension limits and the prime mover was registered to the incorrect category,” NHVR notes.
“The vehicle permitted length was 26m.
“The vehicles length was measured at 28.9m, an excess length of 2.9m.”
On the same day at Werribee Magistrates Court, a company – not specified if the same one – was convicted and $100,000 when its vehicle with two containers, 20-foot and 40-foot, was inspected.
“It was revealed that the vehicle was travelling over the prescribed mass requirements,” NHVR notes.
“The vehicle was loaded at 150% of the applicable mass limit of the tri-axle.
“The company was also not carrying container weight declarations for the two containers.”
On both occasions it’s noted the company had no prior convictions.
A driver was also fined $10,000 for travelling over prescribed dimension limits when their vehicle’s length was measured at 20.3m, an excess of 1.3m over its permitted length of 19m.