Why safe load restraint is everyone's responsibility

Brush up on your legal requirements and learn how our 2023 Load Restraint Guide can keep your workforce safe

As an occupation, truck driving accounts for the highest proportion of both worker fatalities and serious claims in Australia. Within the freight transport sector, being hit by moving objects accounts for 7% of fatalities, while being trapped between stationary and moving objects accounts for a further 3%. Safe load restraint plays an important role in reducing statistics just like these.

Correctly restraining heavy vehicle loads reduces the likelihood of serious injury and fatality and also prevents unnecessary vehicle damage, road obstructions and congestion. According to Paul McDonough, RTO Manager at Coates, transporting equipment is one of the highest risk activities that the company performs, making the safe transport of equipment a key priority for the business.

“The most precious cargo in any heavy vehicle is the driver who is most at risk, so it’s critical we get load restraint right,” Paul says. “Load restraint is an important part of keeping our customers’ people and businesses and other road users safe, too.”

Here’s a refresher on load restraint requirements in Australia, as well as the importance of training and education in keeping people safe.

Who is responsible for load restraint?

Load restraint safety is everyone’s business.

Under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL)*, anyone across the supply chain who conducts, controls or influences transport-related activities is responsible for complying with load restraint laws. In the event of a HVNL breach, each party in the Chain of Responsibility can be charged with the offence.

So if you’re driving, packing, loading or unloading heavy vehicles, overseeing or employing people to perform any of these tasks, it's important that you know your legal requirements and understand the basic principles of safe load restraint. For more detailed guidance, refer to the National Transport Commission’s (NTC) Load Restraint Guide (2018).

Legal requirements for load restraint

Some basic legal requirements apply to heavy vehicle load restraint in Australia. The Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation, or MDL regulation, is one of five sets of regulations that underpin HVNL. According to this regulation, all loads must:

• be placed in a stable and safe way
• be secured in a way that prevents items falling or being dislodged
• be appropriately restrained and meet the loading performance standards set out by Schedule 7 of the MDL regulation.

In 2018, updates were made to Schedule 7 to include load restraint Performance Standards, to ensure all load restraint systems are engineered and tested for reliability.

Guides and resources

Furthering its commitment to safe transport practices, Coates partnered with Engistics Engineering in 2020 to publish two detailed industry guides – the Coates Load Restraint Guide and Coates Truck Drivers Guide – to support those involved in transporting construction equipment and mobile plant. The 2023 edition of the Coates Load Restraint Guide is available for download below and via branches. Other useful information can be found in the NTC’s Load Restraint Guide (2018) and on the NHVR website.

Click to download the guide

*HVNL is enforced in all Australian States and Territories, except Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Information on loading requirements in the Northern Territory and Western Australia can be found at:

• NT Government - How to secure loads on your vehicle
• WA Department of Transport - Heavy vehicle safety