Chain of Responsibility software
Everyone in the transport chain shares the duty for heavy-vehicle safety — not just the driver. Complys keeps the evidence that shows you took reasonable steps, across every party and activity.
Complys Vehicle Compliance is launching in Australia.
The duty runs through the whole chain
Chain of Responsibility is the idea, built into the Heavy Vehicle National Law, that safety is shared by everyone whose actions affect it — the operator, but also the business that schedules the run, packs or loads the freight, consigns it or receives it. Each party owes a primary duty to ensure the safety of transport activities so far as is reasonably practicable, and executives owe a due-diligence duty to make sure the business meets it. The practical consequence is that you can be responsible for heavy-vehicle safety without ever driving a truck.
Which jurisdictions this applies in
The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), which contains Chain of Responsibility, applies in the six participating jurisdictions — the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria — and is administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).
Western Australia and the Northern Territory are not part of the HVNL. WA regulates heavy vehicles under its own Road Traffic legislation through Main Roads WA (with its own Chain of Responsibility provisions and accreditation scheme, WAHVA); the NT regulates through its Motor Vehicle Registry and NT WorkSafe.
Being registered in WA or the NT does not put an operator entirely outside the HVNL: operating a heavy vehicle interstate into a participating jurisdiction can bring HVNL and Chain of Responsibility requirements into play. Complys is built to be jurisdiction-aware so the requirements shown match where a vehicle actually operates.
This is general information, not legal advice.
CoR is proven by evidence of due diligence
You don’t demonstrate Chain of Responsibility with a certificate — you demonstrate it with evidence that you took reasonable steps: policies and procedures, the checks you ran, the training your people had, the records you kept, and a clear audit trail tying them together. When something goes wrong, that evidence is the difference between showing due diligence and asserting it.
Complys is built to hold exactly that — the vehicle, maintenance, inspection and defect records underneath, and a structured Chain of Responsibility evidence and assurance layer across the parties (launching next). Everything is timestamped with who did what and when, so your due diligence is demonstrable.
How to read these requirements
Complys keeps the distinction clear between what the law requires, what regulators guide, what accreditation or insurers require, and what’s your own policy — so nothing is over-stated as a legal duty.
Heavy Vehicle National Law s26C — ensure the safety of transport activities so far as reasonably practicable (HVNL states).
HVNL s26D — directors and officers must take reasonable steps to ensure the business meets its primary duty. Personal liability applies.
Defined in the HVNL — employer, prime contractor, operator, scheduler, consignor, consignee, packer, loading manager, loader and unloader.
WA has its own Chain of Responsibility under WA road-transport law (from 2015), enforced by Main Roads WA — not the HVNL sections above.
Good practice for meeting and demonstrating the duty — documented policies, checks, records and an audit trail. This is what Complys keeps.
What’s ready, honestly
Complys Vehicle Compliance is launching in Australia. Here is exactly where the capabilities on this page stand — labelled at the feature level, never marketed as available before they ship.
Structured CoR evidence and assurance across parties; the records and audit trail underneath are in the first release. Being built now; arriving in the release after launch.
Every action recorded with who and when; export the evidence on demand. Included in Complys Self-Drive from launch.
One record per vehicle: registration, CTP, insurance, inspection dates, documents and expiry. Included in Complys Self-Drive from launch.
Sources
- • Chain of Responsibility — the primary duty (NHVR)
- • Executive due-diligence duty (NHVR)
- • About the NHVR — participating jurisdictions
- • Main Roads WA — Chain of Responsibility (WA's own regime)
Last reviewed: 21 September 2026. This page describes current Australian requirements in general terms and is not legal advice; check the primary sources above and the rules for your jurisdiction.
Chain of Responsibility — FAQs
What is Chain of Responsibility?
Under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, everyone in the transport chain — not just the driver — shares responsibility for heavy-vehicle safety. Each party owes a primary duty to ensure safety so far as reasonably practicable (s26C), and executives owe a due-diligence duty (s26D). It means a business that loads, schedules, consigns or receives freight can be responsible for safety even though it never drives a truck.
Who is in the chain?
The HVNL names the parties: employer, prime contractor, operator, scheduler, consignor, consignee, packer, loading manager, loader and unloader. If your business is any of these, CoR applies to you.
Does Chain of Responsibility apply everywhere in Australia?
CoR as defined by the HVNL applies in the six participating jurisdictions — the ACT, NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. Western Australia has its own Chain of Responsibility under WA law, and the Northern Territory relies on WHS duties. A WA/NT business isn't outside it entirely: operating interstate into a participating jurisdiction can bring the HVNL's CoR requirements into play.
How does software help with CoR?
CoR is proven by evidence of due diligence — documented policies, checks, training, records and a clear audit trail showing you took reasonable steps. Complys keeps that evidence connected to your vehicles, people and activities, so you can demonstrate the steps you took rather than assert them.
What's available at launch?
The records and audit trail underneath CoR — vehicles, inspections, maintenance, defects, documents and evidence — are in the first release. A structured Chain of Responsibility evidence and document-assurance workflow across parties is launching next.
Does Complys make us CoR-compliant?
No. It helps you organise and evidence your due diligence; meeting the primary duty remains yours. Complys isn't approved or accredited by any regulator — it makes doing the work and proving it considerably easier.
Explore Complys vehicle compliance
The hub — fleet, heavy-vehicle and rental compliance in one platform.
HVNL, NHVR and Chain of Responsibility evidence for the six participating states.
Cars, vans and utes — rego, CTP, inspection and WHS, state by state.
Run car and vehicle hire with Australian identity and condition evidence.