The 52-year-old driver was stopped by the NSW police force when he was travelling south on the Hume Highway, earlier this week.
The B-Double combination truck with a Victorian registration was detected travelling at 121 km/hr, exceeding the speed limit for a vehicle more than 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass (GMV), according to NSW police force records.
- Truck driver cops $1155 fine for speeding and a work diary offence
- The driver was given a grounding direction for seven hours
- A driver must complete a work diary if travelling outside a 100 km radius of their base
The truckie was also subjected to a breath test, which returned a negative result.
An investigation of his work diary also known as logbook indicated further offences, including ‘driver not record required information’ after starting work.
Following which, the driver was given a grounding direction for seven hours, a major rest break to comply with work and rest hours due to lack of recording trip details.
As a result, he was issued traffic infringement notices for Class C motor vehicle exceed 100km/h - over 10km/h $481 with 3 demerit points and 'driver not record required information' after starting work $674.
Work diary requirements and penalties:
The National Driver Work Diary is evidence that a driver’s work and rest hours are compliant with the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) and that their fatigue is being managed, as per information provided on the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s website.
Drivers are not allowed to drive or work more than the maximum work hours or rest less than the minimum rest hours in a certain period set out by law.
It is also important to carry and complete the diary correctly and in accordance with HVNL.
Truckie cops two fines totalling $1155. Source: Traffic and Highway Patrol Command - NSW Police Force
In NSW, a driver must complete a work diary, if travelling outside a 100 km radius of their base.
Jay Gill, a Brisbane-based driving instructor, who also runs his own driving school told SBS Punjabi that the main motive behind laws and tougher penalties relating to work diaries is to ensure that drivers on the road are never impaired by fatigue.
“Drivers need to understand that these laws have been largely enacted for their own safety.
"Imagine a situation where a driver was pushed to overwork by his employer and he continued driving without resting, ended up sleeping behind the wheel which eventually resulted in a mishap.
“So in order to avoid such situations, it is imperative for them to complete logbooks so regulators can assess how much a driver has worked and for how long he has rested within a stipulated time period,” said Mr Gill.
The Department of Transport for NSW said that a driver can incur $674 fine for not keeping a work diary as required or a maximum court-imposed penalty of $6,000.
The HVNL further states that a person must not record something in a work diary that the person knows, or ought reasonably to know, is false or misleading. The maximum penalty for one contravention of this offence is $10,000.
The regulations relating to work diaries currently apply in ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, Tasmania and Victoria. WA and NT are the only two states that do not have the same laws.
