What is Chain of Responsibility for Australian Operators

The Chain of Responsibility (CoR) is the part of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) that makes parties other than drivers responsible for the safety of heavy vehicle transport activities.

Under the HVNL, the principle of shared responsibility means that the safety of transport activities relating to a heavy vehicle is the shared responsibility of each party in the chain. Safety is no longer the sole responsibility of drivers and heavy vehicle owners.

MAEZ helps Australian supply-chain, transport, warehouse, procurement and executive teams understand and meet their CoR obligations through training, consulting and risk-review services. Learn more on our about Chain of Responsibility page.

CoR legislation sits under the Heavy Vehicle National Law and directs that all parties across the supply chain play a role in heavy vehicle safety. The framework places legal obligations on parties within the heavy vehicle road transport supply chain.

This means that businesses which influence a transport task — whether by consigning goods, scheduling journeys, loading vehicles or managing loading sites — can be held accountable for on-road outcomes.

A key principle under the HVNL is that a duty may not be transferred to another person. Each party must discharge its duty to the extent it has the capacity to influence and control the transport activity, or would have had that capacity but for an agreement or arrangement purporting to limit or remove it.

For a deeper look at what duty holders need to understand, see our guide on Chain of Responsibilities for Australian HVNL duty holders.

Under the HVNL, responsible parties in the chain include:

• Employers
• Prime contractors
• Schedulers
• Loaders
• Unloaders
• Loading managers
• Operators
• Consignors
• Consignees

Each party has a role depending on its capacity to influence and control the transport activity. For example, a consignor that sets delivery deadlines may influence driver fatigue, while a loading manager controls how vehicles are loaded at a site.

The obligation is proportionate: a party is not responsible for managing a risk it cannot control. This ensures that duties align with each party's actual influence over the transport task.

Every party in the Chain of Responsibility must ensure the safety of all their transport activities so far as is reasonably practicable. However, this responsibility depends on the party's ability to control, eliminate or minimise risk.

The HVNL establishes a primary duty framework that applies to each party in the chain. A party is not responsible for managing a risk it cannot control, which keeps obligations proportionate to actual influence over the transport task.

Executives of a corporation also have a specific duty under the HVNL. This executive duty means senior management must ensure the business has systems in place to prevent breaches of mass, dimension, load restraint, speed and fatigue requirements.

For practical guidance on executive obligations, see our resource on CoR training for executives and managers.

The aim of CoR is to make sure everyone in the supply chain has a shared responsibility for ensuring the safety of their transport activities. For Australian businesses, this means that compliance extends well beyond the depot or the driver's seat.

Executives and senior management have obligations under CoR, including a duty to ensure the business has systems in place to prevent breaches of mass, dimension, load restraint, speed and fatigue requirements.

Businesses that influence a transport task — whether by consigning, scheduling, loading or managing sites — need to understand where their duties begin and end. Without clear controls and evidence, exposure to fines and regulatory action increases.

If you need a structured review of your organisation's CoR exposure, MAEZ offers CoR consulting services tailored to Australian supply-chain and transport businesses.

Taking practical steps toward CoR compliance does not need to be overwhelming. Start by reviewing where your business sits in the transport supply chain.

Identify your CoR party categories

Review your business's role in the transport supply chain and identify which CoR party categories apply to you — whether that is consignor, consignee, loader, scheduler, operator or a combination.

Document your transport activities

Document transport activities including scheduling, loading practices and journey management. Written records help demonstrate that controls exist and are being followed.

Ensure executives understand their duty

Executives must understand their duty to maintain compliant systems. This includes having visibility of whether the safety system is actually working, not just whether it exists on paper.

Provide CoR training to staff

Provide Chain of Responsibility training to staff who influence heavy vehicle transport tasks. Whether your team is new to CoR or needs a refresher, training helps clarify who is responsible and what each party must do.

To discuss your training or consulting needs, contact MAEZ directly.