Our WHS team has recently received several questions about truck weight limits, load restraints, and current legal requirements. This refresher is a reminder for members on how to safely load vehicles on-site.

Your legal responsibilities

You are legally responsible for ensuring any load on your vehicle is properly restrained so that it:

• Does not come off the vehicle under normal driving conditions — including heavy braking or minor collisions.
• Does not affect vehicle stability — unsecured loads can cause rollovers or loss of control.
• Does not protrude dangerously — loads must not stick out in a way that could injure people, damage property, or obstruct other road users.

Unrestrained loads can kill

If a load falls off a vehicle, it can cause serious injury or death to other road users or even to the driver if the load shifts forward into the cabin.

As a business owner or operator, you are responsible for ensuring your team members comply with all load restraint laws when packing, loading, moving, or unloading vehicles.
If a load does fall off, it is your responsibility to recover it safely or arrange for it to be retrieved by an appropriate authority.

Remember…

Proper load restraint is not just a legal requirement, it is a critical part of keeping everyone safe on the road.

Stay safe and compliant — check out the latest guides: NHVR 2025 Load Restraint Guide and Chain of Responsibility (CoR) | NHVR for the most up to date requirements.