01
Employer
Employs a heavy vehicle driver (in the course of that employment).
Compliance & Safety · Chain of Responsibility
Chain of Responsibility (CoR)
Road transport safety is a shared responsibility. Under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, everyone who influences a transport task — not just the driver — has a duty to keep it safe. Here is how that works, and what it means when you freight with Ontime Haulers.
What is Chain of Responsibility?
Chain of Responsibility (CoR) is the safety framework in the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). It recognises that the way a heavy vehicle is used on the road is shaped by many businesses and people — not only the person behind the wheel.
If your decisions, actions, requests or business practices affect how freight is packed, loaded, scheduled, transported, received or unloaded, you are part of the chain. CoR duties are about managing the risks you can control or influence — mass and dimensions, load restraint, speed, fatigue and vehicle condition.
This page is general information for customers, not legal advice.
The Primary Duty
Each party in the chain must, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure the safety of their transport activities.
That duty applies to the extent a party has control or influence over the transport activity. It cannot be transferred to someone else, and more than one party can hold a duty for the same task at the same time. In practice it means identifying the risks in your part of the task and doing what is reasonable to eliminate or minimise them.
It is not about paperwork for its own sake. It is about the everyday decisions — how a pallet is built, whether a site is safe to reverse into, whether a delivery window is realistic — that determine whether the trip is safe.
Who can have CoR responsibilities?
The HVNL sets out ten CoR functions. A single business — or a single person — can perform several of them at once. Responsibility follows control and influence, not job titles.
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Prime Contractor
Engages a driver under a contract for services to drive the vehicle.
03
Operator
Operates or controls the use of the heavy vehicle.
04
Scheduler
Schedules the transport of goods or passengers, or the driver's work and rest times.
05
Consignor
Sends or arranges for the goods to be transported.
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Consignee
Receives the goods, or is named as the receiver on transport documentation.
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Packer
Packs goods into a container, pallet or other packaging for transport.
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Loading Manager
Manages, or is responsible for, the premises where goods are loaded or unloaded.
09
Loader
Loads goods onto the vehicle, or into a container placed on the vehicle.
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Unloader
Unloads goods, or unloads a container, from the vehicle.
Example: a warehouse that packs pallets, loads the truck and books the run is acting as packer, loader, loading manager and consignor.
What this means for Ontime customers
These are the practical things we rely on from customers, consignors and consignees so every job can be completed safely and lawfully. They reflect our Customer Terms & Conditions of Carriage.
Accurate freight information
Give a correct description of the goods, including weight, dimensions, pallet or item counts and any special handling needs, so the right vehicle is allocated and mass and dimension limits are not exceeded.
Suitable packaging & securing
Present freight packed, palletised, wrapped and secured so it can be handled and restrained safely for road transport.
Safe loading & unloading
Provide appropriate equipment and labour for loading and unloading where that is your responsibility, and keep the process safe for everyone involved.
Safe site access
Confirm access, height, width, turning, surface and traffic conditions at pickup and delivery points before booking, so the vehicle can be positioned and worked safely.
Lawful, realistic timeframes
Set delivery requirements that can be met within legal speed limits, mass and dimension limits and driver work and rest requirements.
Dangerous goods declarations
Where dangerous goods are involved, declare and document them accurately. Ontime Haulers does not carry bulk dangerous goods or Dangerous Goods Class 7.
No unsafe instructions
Do not give instructions or apply pressure that would cause, encourage or reward a breach of road transport law or an unsafe transport activity.
Delivery & POD cooperation
Have someone available to receive and acknowledge the freight, or arrange documented alternative instructions in advance.
Non-negotiable
What customers must never ask — or pressure — a driver to do
Requesting, encouraging or rewarding any of the following is a breach of Chain of Responsibility duties. Our drivers are supported to say no, and we will work with you on a safe alternative.
Exceed speed limits or 'make up time' on the road.
Exceed gross mass, axle mass or load limits for the vehicle or combination.
Exceed dimension limits, or operate outside permit or access conditions.
Breach driver fatigue, work or rest-time requirements.
Operate a vehicle that is unsafe, defective or not roadworthy.
Carry freight that is unsafe, unstable, overloaded or not properly restrained.
Otherwise breach the Heavy Vehicle National Law or any other transport law.
How Ontime manages transport safety
- A safety-first approach — safety takes priority over delivery pressure or convenience.
- Licensing, induction and safety requirements for drivers, and equivalent expectations of subcontractors.
- Pre-start vehicle checks, scheduled servicing and prompt repair of defects.
- Fatigue management controls and realistic scheduling of transport tasks.
- Load restraint practices consistent with Heavy Vehicle National Law requirements.
- Risk assessment of freight, sites and transport tasks, with hazard identification and staff training.
- Incident and near-miss reporting, investigation and continuous improvement.
- Electronic proof of delivery and transport records for traceability.
- The ability to stop, refuse or re-plan work where continuing would be unsafe or unlawful.
Loading, unloading & site safety
Keep loading docks, yards and hardstand areas clear, level and well lit.
Separate pedestrians from operating forklifts and reversing vehicles.
Ensure the operator using a forklift or loading equipment is licensed and competent for the task.
Load pallets squarely, within pallet footprint, with weight distributed evenly and heavier items low.
Shrink-wrap, strap or band unstable, tall or loose freight before the vehicle arrives.
Advise in advance where tailgate, pallet jack, manual handling or timed-slot access is required.
Follow site rules, PPE requirements and directions given by drivers on load safety.
Not sure whether your site suits a rigid, tautliner or semi-trailer? Check our fleet or palletised freight options before you book.
Executive Due Diligence
In addition to the business duty, executives of a business that holds CoR responsibilities have their own duty to exercise due diligence to ensure the business complies with its safety obligations under the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
In practice that means executives are expected to understand the transport risks their business creates, keep informed about heavy vehicle safety, ensure appropriate resources and processes are in place to manage those risks, and verify that those processes are actually being used.
Refer to NHVR guidance below for the current framework and detail.
Chain of Responsibility FAQs
Everyone who has control or influence over a heavy vehicle transport task can hold responsibilities — not just the driver or the operator. That can include consignors, consignees, packers, loaders, unloaders, loading managers, schedulers, employers and prime contractors.
Yes. CoR functions are based on what you do, not what you own. If your business sends, receives, packs, loads, unloads, schedules or manages a site where heavy vehicles are loaded or unloaded, you can hold duties even with no vehicles of your own.
Accurate weights, dimensions and item counts let us allocate a suitable vehicle and keep the load within legal mass, axle and dimension limits. Inaccurate details can result in an overloaded or unsafe vehicle, refused freight, re-handling or additional charges.
Delivery requirements need to be achievable lawfully. We will always work to the tightest safe option — including Express or Hot Shot services where available — but we cannot accept a deadline that would require speeding, overloading or breaching fatigue requirements.
It depends on the booking. Where the customer, consignor or consignee loads or unloads, they must provide safe access, suitable equipment and competent labour. Where tailgate, pallet jack or manual handling assistance is required, tell us at booking so the right vehicle and equipment are allocated.
Our drivers can decline, pause or re-plan work where a load, site or instruction would be unsafe or unlawful. We will contact you to agree a safe alternative — for example re-restraining the freight, changing the access point or rebooking with different equipment.
Our Customer Terms & Conditions of Carriage contain a dedicated Driver Safety & Chain of Responsibility section, together with clauses on packaging, loading and unloading, site access, dangerous goods, pallets and proof of delivery. Those documents are the operative terms; this page is a plain-English summary.
No. This page is general information to help customers understand shared transport safety duties. For advice about your specific obligations, refer to the Heavy Vehicle National Law, NHVR guidance or your own legal adviser.
CoR Resources
Ontime Haulers documents
- Customer Terms & Conditions of CarriageIncludes the Driver Safety & Chain of Responsibility section.
- Customer DisclaimerScope of service, risk and limitations.
- Pallet ManagementPallet quality, exchange and documentation.
- Privacy PolicyHow we handle customer and consignment data.
- Compliance & SafetyOur WHS, driver, fleet and freight security framework.
- All policies & legal documentsFull library, with PDF downloads.
Regulator guidance (NHVR)
- NHVR — Chain of Responsibility
- NHVR — Primary duties under the HVNL
- NHVR — Executive due diligence
- NHVR — Load restraint guide
- NHVR — Fatigue management
Links open the current NHVR framework. Where this page and the Heavy Vehicle National Law differ, the law and our Customer Terms & Conditions of Carriage prevail.
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