Truck Driver Pre-Trip & Driving SWMS

Driver pre-trip inspection covers the inspection of a heavy vehicle by the driver before a trip — checking the vehicle's condition, safety systems and load before driving, to confirm it is roadworthy and safe. It is part of the Chain of Responsibility and vehicle standards duties under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, and the defining hazards are an undetected vehicle defect being driven, the access and movement around the vehicle during the inspection, and the load and its restraint. This document is written on the basis that the driver pre-trip inspection is carried out by the heavy vehicle driver with the inspection, defect-reporting, vehicle-access and load controls in place.

Driver pre-trip inspection is carried out in connection with the Heavy Vehicle National Law vehicle standards and the Chain of Responsibility, with the vehicle's condition and safety systems inspected, any defect reported and the vehicle not driven if unroadworthy, and the load and its restraint checked. The undetected defect, the vehicle access during the inspection, and the load restraint are the considerations. This document coordinates the inspection, defect-reporting, vehicle-access and load controls so the driver pre-trip inspection is carried out safely.

Hazards identified

9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Administrative: carry out the pre-trip inspection systematically — brakes, steering, tyres, lights, coupling, fluids, load and safety systems — to confirm the vehicle is roadworthy before the trip.
2. 2Administrative: report any defect, and do not drive the vehicle if it is unroadworthy, to the Heavy Vehicle National Law vehicle standards.
3. 3Engineering: restrain the load to meet the performance standards of the National Transport Commission Load Restraint Guide 2018, so the load cannot move or fall during transport, with appropriate restraint equipment inspected before use.
4. 4Engineering: access and move around the vehicle safely during the inspection, using three points of contact climbing the cab and trailer and managing slips and falls.
5. 5Administrative: carry out the inspection in a safe location away from traffic, and manage moving parts and hot surfaces during the inspection.
6. 6Administrative: check the coupling and trailer connection, and confirm the load and restraint are secure.
7. 7Administrative: meet the Chain of Responsibility duties under the Heavy Vehicle National Law — the primary duty under section 26C shared across the scheduler, consignor, loader, consignee and operator — recognising these duties cannot be contracted out, and manage fatigue, mass, dimension, load restraint and vehicle standards.
8. 8Administrative: all workers must hold the competencies and licences required for the work, including a High Risk Work Licence for forklift operation, a heavy vehicle driver licence for heavy vehicles, and any dangerous goods or other training required.
9. 9Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, traffic and plant movements, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
10. 10Administrative: consult workers and any health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document available at the workplace.
11. 11PPE: high-visibility clothing, eye protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, hearing protection where required, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
12. 12Administrative: review and update this SWMS whenever the work scope changes, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, when new hazards are identified, or at minimum every 12 months.

Applicable Codes of Practice

Worked example

A heavy vehicle driver carries out the pre-trip inspection before a trip. The inspection is carried out systematically — brakes, steering, tyres, lights, coupling, fluids, load and safety systems — to confirm the vehicle is roadworthy before the trip. Any defect is reported, and the vehicle is not driven if it is unroadworthy, to the Heavy Vehicle National Law vehicle standards. The load is checked and restrained to the performance standards of the National Transport Commission Load Restraint Guide 2018. The driver accesses and moves around the vehicle safely during the inspection, using three points of contact climbing the cab and trailer and managing slips and falls. The inspection is carried out in a safe location away from traffic, and moving parts and hot surfaces managed. The coupling and trailer connection are checked, and the load and restraint confirmed secure. The Chain of Responsibility duties are met. The inspection is completed, the vehicle confirmed roadworthy or defects reported, and the records retained.

Related legislation

• Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
• Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — the plant, hazardous manual tasks, hazardous chemicals and High Risk Work Licence provisions, and the Section 291 high risk construction work and SWMS duties where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
• The Heavy Vehicle National Law and the Chain of Responsibility, the National Transport Commission Load Restraint Guide 2018, and the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, apply to heavy vehicles and the transport of dangerous goods, alongside the model WHS framework, and are administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and the state and territory dangerous goods regulators.
• Forklift operation requires a High Risk Work Licence (LF or LO class) under each state and territory's licensing scheme, and heavy vehicle driving requires the appropriate heavy vehicle driver licence; dangerous goods drivers require dangerous goods licensing and training.
• Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the plant, manual handling, hazardous chemicals and high risk construction work provisions applying in place of the model instruments, alongside the Dangerous Goods Act 1985.

Frequently asked questions