If you run trucks in Australia and fatigue paperwork already feels like a moving target, this update matters. The latest NHVR updates change how fatigue accreditation works, introduce templated work and rest hours, update the written work diary, and widen the legal duty around being fit to drive. That hits drivers, schedulers, fleet managers, directors, site teams, and anyone with chain of responsibility obligations.

Here’s the bit that actually matters for your operation. Standard hours are not changing. But if you use BFM or AFM, or plan to move into the new accreditation setup, there are real changes to hours, records, systems, and CoR Safety expectations. This guide breaks it down in plain English so you can stay legal, stay productive, and stay always audit ready with TRTT.

Bottom line: if your business touches fatigue management, chain of responsibility, CoR, TransportToolbox and Safety, you need to tighten up your systems before the next audit, incident, or roadside check.

Table of Contents

• Plain-English summary of the NHVR changes
• Key changes at a glance
• How the new fatigue accreditation setup works
• Work and rest hours: what changed and what did not
• What this means for day-to-day operations
• Written work diary changes you need to know
• Unfit to drive: the CoR and Safety change many operators will underestimate
• 7-step action plan to stay audit ready
• Common pitfalls and how to avoid getting pinged
• Toolbox tips and pro moves
• Suggested TRTT reads
• Stock image suggestions for this article
• FAQ
• Final word

Plain-English summary of the NHVR changes

The big structural change is this. Australia is moving from the old single-tier fatigue accreditation setup into a new two-tier heavy vehicle accreditation scheme. The first tier is general safety accreditation. The second tier is alternative compliance accreditation, which includes the fatigue module.

For most existing accredited operators, this is not about rebuilding the whole business from scratch. It is about pulling your existing controls together into a proper safety management system, with a fatigue risk management system sitting inside it where needed.

There is also a major practical change to hours. Instead of relying on the old BFM and AFM model when transitioning into the new scheme, operators will be able to select from 10 alternative compliance hour templates, or submit a bespoke table for assessment. On top of that, the written work diary is being updated, and the legal duty not to drive while impaired now extends further into an explicit unfit to drive duty for all heavy vehicle drivers over 4.5 tonnes.

That last point is not just a driver issue. It is squarely a chain of responsibility issue too. If your scheduling, culture, site pressure, or management practices push someone to drive when they are not fit, you are in the frame.

Key changes at a glance

Change	What it means	Who it affects	Why it matters for CoR and Safety
New two-tier accreditation scheme	General safety accreditation first, then alternative compliance accreditation for fatigue	Operators using or seeking fatigue accreditation	You need documented systems, not loose bits of paper
Existing NHVAS fatigue accreditation remains valid for now	Current fatigue accreditation continues until expiry, cancellation, or transition	Current NHVAS fatigue-accredited operators	Gives breathing room, but do not leave transition planning too late
Standard hours unchanged	No change to standard hours under the amended law	Operators on standard hours	Do not overcomplicate what has not changed
Alternative compliance hour templates	10 templated options based on current BFM and common AFM patterns	Operators moving into the new fatigue module	Should reduce admin burden and improve fit for most accredited businesses
Outer limits apply	Solo and two-up approvals cannot go beyond legal outer limits	Alternative compliance and exemption applicants	Stops businesses trying to build unsafe hours into approvals
Written work diary updates	ACH option added, some fields become optional, current diaries still usable until completed	Drivers and operators using written work diaries	Training and transition management matter
Unfit to drive duty expanded	Applies to all heavy vehicle drivers over 4.5 tonnes, not only fatigue-regulated vehicles	Drivers, operators, schedulers, managers, directors	Huge chain of responsibility and Safety implication

For official source material and updates, check the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator website.

How the new fatigue accreditation setup works

1. General safety accreditation comes first

This is the entry tier. To get in, you need a safety management system that is developed, implemented, and audited.

2. Fatigue sits in the second tier

If you want the fatigue module, you move into alternative compliance accreditation. That means your safety management system must also include a fatigue risk management system.

3. Most current operators already have the building blocks

If you already hold fatigue accreditation, you probably already have many of the pieces. The job now is to consolidate them properly. Policies, procedures, responsibilities, records, training, reviews, and risk controls need to line up as one system.

Don’t be the operator who learns this the hard way: having a few separate fatigue documents is not the same as having a functioning system.

Bottom line: accreditation is shifting from a module mindset to a systems mindset. That is pure chain of responsibility, CoR, TransportToolbox and Safety territory.

Work and rest hours: what changed and what did not

What did not change

Standard hours stay the same. If your operation runs under standard hours only, there is no change to those hours under the amended law.

What changed for accredited fatigue hours

BFM and AFM hours transition into the new world through alternative compliance hours. Operators can either:

• Select from 10 ACH templates
• Create a bespoke work and rest table for specialist assessment

The templates were developed from current BFM settings and common AFM operating patterns. The regulator’s modelling suggests that most current accredited operators should be able to find a template that suits their business.

Important outer limits

Anything outside standard hours must still sit within legal outer limits.

• Solo drivers: no more than 15.5 hours work in 24 hours, and no less than 7 hours rest in 24 hours
• Two-up drivers: no more than 14 hours work in 24 hours, and no less than 5 hours rest in 24 hours

If you are building a custom table, that is your fence line. No clever wording will get around it.

The three broad template types

• BFM-like templates with a key change. The reset rest break over 14 days rises from 24 hours to 30 hours.
• Common AFM-like templates that often allow around 5 to 6 hours work before a short rest break, up to 15.5 hours work in a 24-hour period, and around 9 to 10 working days in a 14-day count, sometimes with minimum night rest requirements.
• Extended work templates that support longer operating blocks, paired with longer reset breaks, such as longer periods on followed by a week or more off.

Some templates include a 36-hour cap on long night work. Some do not. Check the specific template, not your memory.

You can also select more than one template if your business runs different task profiles.

Bottom line: the new fatigue hours framework gives more structured options, but it still lives and dies on your system, your scheduling, and your CoR controls.

What this means for day-to-day operations

If you are an owner-driver, transport manager, allocator, or depot boss, here’s the practical impact.

For fleet managers and operations teams

• Review whether your current BFM or AFM pattern fits one of the ACH templates
• Map every task type, not just your most common linehaul run
• Make sure your safety management system and fatigue risk management system are documented and auditable
• Train dispatch and scheduling staff, not just drivers

For drivers

• Know whether you are operating under standard hours or alternative compliance hours
• Understand the updated written work diary layout
• Use your stop-work authority if you are fatigued or otherwise unfit to drive

For business owners and directors

• Check that business practices do not force or encourage unsafe driving
• Review how your company deals with illness, medication side effects, and mental distress
• Make sure leaders know this is a chain of responsibility issue, not just an HR issue

A transport business can no longer treat driver fitness as “private, therefore untouchable” when there is a direct Safety risk on the road.

Written work diary changes you need to know

The written work diary is not being turned upside down, but there are important updates.

• Drivers can indicate they are working under alternative compliance hours
• Some fields become optional, including the day of the week, marking standard hours, and recording work and rest totals
• If a lost or stolen diary later turns up, it no longer needs to be returned, although unused sheets still need to be cancelled
• The updated diary rolls out progressively as existing stock is used up
• Current written work diaries can still be used until completed, including during transition from BFM or AFM to ACH

Approved electronic work diaries can continue to be used, with back-end improvement work underway. The changes are not expected to alter how drivers, operators, or record keepers use approved EWDs in day-to-day practice.

Important note for local operations

There is no change to work diary requirements for drivers who do not travel more than 100 km from base.

Bottom line: train your people on the new diary fields, but do not create panic. The structure is mostly familiar.

Unfit to drive: the CoR and Safety change many operators will underestimate

This is the one that catches most blokes out. The law now makes it clear that a person must not drive a heavy vehicle on a road if they are impaired by fatigue or unfit to drive.

The expanded part is the unfit to drive duty. It recognises that a driver may be unsafe for reasons beyond fatigue alone. That can include:

• Physical or mental health conditions
• Temporary illness or injury
• Alcohol or other drugs
• Side effects from medication
• Emotional or psychological distress

Just as important, this duty now applies to all heavy vehicle drivers over 4.5 tonnes, not only those driving fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles.

Examples of when a driver may be unfit to drive

• A medical episode, such as a hypoglycaemic event that causes weakness, shaking, dizziness, or light-headedness
• Severe emotional distress that affects judgement, attention, or situational awareness
• An adverse reaction to new medication causing drowsiness, slowed reactions, or poor coordination

Having a medical condition does not automatically make someone unfit to drive. The real question is simple: does the person’s condition affect their ability to drive safely at that point in time?

What stays the same

• The existing duty around fatigue remains
• Primary duty obligations still apply to all parties in the chain
• Heavy vehicle licensing rules do not change
• Work health and safety obligations still apply alongside heavy vehicle law

This means businesses must not force or encourage a person to drive while unfit, and they must support drivers to stop driving when necessary.

Bottom line: if your dispatch culture punishes drivers for speaking up, your chain of responsibility, CoR, TransportToolbox and Safety controls are not good enough.

7-step action plan to stay audit ready

Print this checklist and stick it on the depot noticeboard.

1. Confirm your operating mode. Are you on standard hours, current fatigue accreditation, or preparing to transition?
2. Review your current fatigue hours against the 10 ACH templates. Do not assume your old setup maps neatly across.
3. Pull your system together. Build or refresh your safety management system and fatigue risk management system so they work as one.
4. Train drivers and allocators together. Fatigue failures often start in scheduling, not in the cab.
5. Update written work diary instructions. Make sure everyone knows what is optional and how to record ACH.
6. Set a fit-to-drive escalation process. Drivers need a simple, safe way to say “I’m not fit today” without getting belted for it.
7. Audit your CoR pressure points. Delivery windows, customer demands, bonus structures, and poor communication can all push unsafe decisions.

Do this today	Do this this week	Do this before your next audit or accreditation change
Identify who in your business is affected by fatigue changes	Brief drivers, schedulers, and supervisors on written diary and fit-to-drive changes	Document your safety management system and fatigue risk controls clearly
Check whether you use standard hours or accredited hours	Review which ACH template fits each task	Test your records, training, and audit trail
Download current NHVR guidance	Review CoR and reporting pathways for unfit-to-drive situations	Transition formally if you need changes after the commencement date

Common pitfalls and how to avoid getting pinged

• Thinking standard hours changed. They did not. If you are standard hours only, do not create confusion in the yard.
• Assuming current accreditation can be endlessly tweaked. If you want to make changes after the new law starts, that can trigger transition to the new scheme.
• Treating ACH templates as “set and forget”. You still need proper fatigue risk controls and evidence.
• Training only the drivers. Allocators and managers are often the weak point in chain of responsibility failures.
• Ignoring health and medication issues. Unfit to drive is broader than fatigue.
• Having no safe reporting culture. If a driver is afraid to speak up, you have a CoR problem.

Red flag: if your business says “just get it there and sort the paperwork later”, you are already standing in dangerous territory.

Toolbox tips and pro moves

• Use the NHVR website as your source of truth. Start with the NHVR safety accreditation and compliance pages.
• Build one fatigue matrix per task type. Metro shuttle, interstate linehaul, livestock, and seasonal work often need different treatment.
• Note livestock-specific issues. The additional one hour for livestock emergencies remains available under the relevant exemption notice.
• Check your training records. Existing competency units remain accepted moving forward while review work continues.
• Keep your fit-to-drive process practical. A one-page reporting pathway beats a 30-page policy nobody reads.
• Use TRTT resources to close the gap between regulator language and real operations. Audit ready, always, with TRTT.

Helpful official context:

• NHVR fatigue management information
• NHVR work diary and work and rest time information
• NHVR chain of responsibility guidance

Suggested TRTT reads

Related: TRTT guide to PBS vehicles and what operators get wrong

Related: How to apply for an NHVR access permit without the usual headaches

Related: TRTT fatigue management checklist for owner-drivers and fleets

Related: Practical CoR compliance guide for transport businesses

FAQ

Final word

The NHVR is not changing everything. But it is changing enough that you cannot afford to wing it. If you run standard hours, confirm that and keep your crew clear on the basics. If you run accredited fatigue operations, get ahead of the transition, choose the right ACH template, and tighten your system. And if your business still treats fit-to-drive as “not our problem”, fix that now.

Bookmark this, share it with your drivers, ops team, prime contractor and peers, and check in with TRTT every day to stay ahead of your competitors and your compliance risks.

For more real-world transport tools and straight-talking compliance guides, stick with The Real Transport Toolbox. We help operators move from chaos to calm, so you can reclaim what matters most while staying strong on chain of responsibility, CoR, TransportToolbox and Safety.

This article was created from content published by https://www.nhvr.gov.au/. Visit the site for latest and current information.