Edition 56, May 2008

Nationally recognised training for heavy vehicle fatigue management


The Australian Transport Council has unanimously agreed to use units of competency from the Transport and Logistics Training Package (TLI07) to ensure minimum fatigue management knowledge and skills for heavy vehicle drivers and schedulers.

Under the national Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue Reform, operators who want their drivers to work more flexible hours (and night shifts) will be required to have their drivers and schedulers undertake nationally recognised competency assessment, focused on driver fatigue risks, before the operator can be accredited.

The national Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue Reform, which comes into effect on 29 September 2008, will address the root causes of driver fatigue, rather than simply regulating work hours.

Under the reform, drivers and schedulers who are employed by operators working under the new Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) or Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) schemes must demonstrate that they are competent at managing fatigue risks.

This means that the drivers and schedulers will need to be assessed by a registered training organisation (RTO) against the competency standards in the following units of competency:

  • TLIF1007C Apply fatigue management strategies (for drivers)
  • TKIF6307A Administer the implementation of fatigue management strategies (for schedulers and anyone who supervises drivers or schedulers).

Drivers and schedulers who are assessed as competent against these units will receive a Statement of Attainment, which is mandatory if the operator wishes to take part in the accreditation scheme.

The focus of competency-based training is the outcome, rather than the training. There are several paths to achieving competence, including undertaking training.

The training may be done in-house by an operator's own trainer. However, training delivered by an RTO is quality assured and will be mapped against the unit of competency. Other options include the use of skills recognition, which will assess an individual's current knowledge and skills gained from work experience (including training previously undertaken). Only an RTO can undertake assessment and issue a Statement of Attainment.

For a list of RTOs in Australia who can deliver this training, visit www.ntc.gov.au/ViewPage.aspx?page=A02316400400170020

The National Transport Commission has produced the Assessor Guideline to explain the accreditation system and to provide guidance to assessors in the vocational education and training sector who will be undertaking assessments for entry into the Basic or Advanced Fatigue Management modules under the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme.

To download the Assessor Guideline visit www.ntc.gov.au/FileView.aspx?page=A02323402400710020

For more information on the Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue Reforms visit www.ntc.gov.au/ViewPage.aspx?page=A02314401400090020

This page was generated on 08 January, 2010

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