Quick answer
Under Chain of Responsibility (CoR) laws in the Heavy Vehicle National Law, everyone who influences a heavy-vehicle transport task shares responsibility for safety — not just the driver. That includes operators, schedulers, consignors and consignees, loaders and packers, and company executives. If your decisions can affect safety on the road, you have a duty.
Who’s in the chain?
- Operators of the heavy vehicle business
- Schedulers who plan trips and timeslots
- Consignors and consignees who send and receive freight
- Loaders, packers and loading managers
- Prime contractors and employers
- Executives and directors, through their due-diligence duty
The primary duty
Each party must ensure the safety of their transport activities so far as is reasonably practicable. Because duties are shared, more than one party can be responsible for the same risk — for example, unrealistic scheduling that pressures a driver to speed or skip rest.
Executive due diligence
Company officers must take reasonable steps to ensure the business meets its CoR duties — understanding the risks, providing resources, and checking controls are working. It’s an active duty, not a sign-off.
How to manage it
Know which parties you are in the chain, identify your risks (fatigue, speed, mass, loading, maintenance), put controls in place, and train your people. Awareness training is a practical first step.
FMS Training (RTO 45189) delivers a Chain of Responsibility course online. See the course →
Frequently asked questions
Is only the driver responsible under CoR?
No. Every party who influences the transport task shares responsibility, including office-based and executive roles.
Can more than one party be liable for the same incident?
Yes. Duties are shared, so several parties can be responsible for the same risk.
Do executives have CoR duties?
Yes — officers have a due-diligence duty to ensure the business complies.
Understand your CoR duties
FMS Training (RTO 45189) delivers Chain of Responsibility training online. Explore the course →
Last updated June 2026 · FMS Training, RTO 45189
Sources
Update — reforms commencing 1 August 2026: The HVNL Amendment 2025 commences on 1 August 2026 (no grace period). Key changes: a broader driver “fit to drive” duty covering fatigue, illness, injury, mental health and substance impairment, now applying to all heavy vehicles over 4.5 tonnes; and the replacement of NHVAS with the new Heavy Vehicle Accreditation (HVA) scheme. Read our full Chain of Responsibility guide.