Chain of Responsibility (CoR)

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GlossaryUpdated 10 July 2026

Chain of Responsibility is the principle in the Heavy Vehicle National Law that everyone with influence over a transport task, not just the driver, shares legal responsibility for its safety.

If your business consigns, schedules, loads, receives or manages heavy vehicle work, you hold a primary duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the safety of that transport activity. Pressuring a driver to speed, skip rest or run overloaded can make an office employee, a manager or a director personally liable.

Regulators ask one practical question after an incident: can you show your systems were working? That is why pre-start checks, fatigue records and defect-to-repair trails matter. Plain-English detail is in the Chain of Responsibility guide.

Last updated 10 July 2026General information, not tax or legal advice.

Related terms

Keep reading.

Neighbouring terms from the fleet glossary.

Heavy Vehicle National LawThe Heavy Vehicle National Law is the single rulebook governing vehicles over 4.5 tonnes in every Australian state and territory except Western Australia and the Northern Territory.HVNL
National Heavy Vehicle RegulatorThe National Heavy Vehicle Regulator is the national body that administers the Heavy Vehicle National Law, including accreditation, access permits, fatigue rules and Chain of Responsibility enforcement.NHVR
Pre-start checkA pre-start check is the short inspection a driver completes before operating a vehicle or plant, confirming it is safe and roadworthy and recording any defects found.
Fatigue managementFatigue management under the Heavy Vehicle National Law sets maximum work and minimum rest times for drivers of fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles, with three levels: Standard hours, Basic Fatigue Management and Advanced Fatigue Management.Standard, BFM and AFM

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