The NHVR’s new Master Code of Practice, released in 2026, replaces the 2018 version and marks a noticeable shift in how Chain of Responsibility (CoR) risks are managed for heavy vehicles, including mobile cranes and crane supporting vehicles. While the legal duties under the Heavy Vehicle National Law haven’t changed, the way risks and controls are organised has.
For mobile crane operators, the Master Code is no longer a standalone reference. It is intended to be used alongside the Mobile Crane Industry Code of Practice (registered in 2024). The crane code provides the technical detail – crane types, roles, hazards, and controls, while the Master Code acts as the overarching CoR framework.
The practical takeaway is this: use the Mobile Crane Industry Code as your technical foundation and show how your systems align with the activity-based structure of the 2026 Master Code. Doing so helps demonstrate recognised good practice and puts you in a stronger position if audited or investigated.
It was a general heavy vehicle Registered Industry Code of Practice (RICP) focused on four primary risk areas: speed, fatigue, mass/dimension/loading, and vehicle standards.
For crane businesses, it mainly guided you on transport-related risks (road movements, permits, loading/unloading, load restraint, weight, access, maintenance), not on crane-specific lifting risks themselves.
It worked alongside Mobile Crane Industry Code of Practice which filled in most of the technical crane content, while the Master Code set the CoR “umbrella”.
The 2026 version has been re‑structured around about 46 transport “activities” (e.g. planning jobs, site access, loading operations, subcontracting, maintenance management) instead of just four risk headings.
Documentation and systems: You are expected to communicate your crane‑specific procedures (lift studies, slew exclusion zones, outrigger set‑up, ground bearing checks) to other CoR Parties under the new Master Code.
No new legal duties are created; like the old version, the new Master Code is guidance on how to meet the existing “primary duty” and other HVNL obligations, and courts may use it as evidence of what is “reasonably practicable”.
You now map your crane transport activities (job planning, mobilising to site, on‑road travel, access/egress, loading/unloading counterweights and gear, demobilisation) to the Master Code’s activity‑based structure, instead of only checking the four “classic” risk areas (speed, fatigue, mass, vehicle standards).
Hazards that strongly affect crane jobs—such as poor information from clients about loads, ground conditions, or access, and behaviours/culture that pressure drivers and crews—are more clearly called out in the 2026 Master Code, so your procedures and contracts are expected to address these explicitly.
The 2026 Master Code explains how parties in the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) should identify hazards, assess risk, implement controls, train staff and monitor outcomes to meet their Primary Duty under HVNL.
The Mobile Crane Industry Code of Practice applies those same principles specifically to mobile cranes, giving examples of typical crane-related hazards and recommended controls for on-road operation, loading, route planning, maintenance and operator competence.
Using structured tools that mirror these steps (risk identification, control implementation, training and review) helps a crane owner demonstrate they have systems in place consistent with these Codes, rather than relying on adhoc practices.
The Codes expect systematic identification of hazards arising from vehicle and crane condition, and implementation of maintenance and inspection programs as control measures.
A structured inspection/assessment program such as CraneSafe (with standardised checklists, defect recording and signoff) directly supports those duties by:
-showing that cranes are inspected against a consistent safety benchmark,
-identifying defects and triggering repairs, and
-providing dated records to prove the system is being followed.
That maps to the Master Code and Mobile Crane Code requirements for documented maintenance, inspection, and verification that the vehicle is safe for its intended task before it is used on the road.
Both Codes emphasise that parties in the CoR must ensure drivers and operators are competent for the specific heavy vehicle they control, not just licensed in a generic sense.
CrewSafe’s competencybased assessments and appdriven records provide a structured way to assess crane and heavyvehicle operators against defined criteria, record evidence of competence, and schedule reassessments.
For crane owners this helps meet:
Master Code expectations for appropriate training, supervision and verification of competence; and
Mobile Crane Code guidance that operators of mobile cranes (including articulated or pickandcarry cranes) must understand the unique handling, stability and roadoperation risks, not only basic heavyvehicle driving.
The Mobile Crane Code and Master Code expect preoperation checks, defect reporting, and rectification processes as part of “monitor and review” of controls.
StartSafe provides structured prestart checklists for cranes and related equipment, with the ability to log faults, track unresolved issues and show that unsafe plant is removed from service until repaired.
This aligns with the Codes by:
-making hazard identification and risk control part of everyday operations,
-ensuring workers can easily report defects, and
-giving crane owners auditable records to show defects were managed in line with their primary duty obligations.
– showing that cranes are inspected against a consistent safety benchmark
– identifying defects and triggering repairs, and
–providing dated records to prove the system is being followed.
CICA’s Articulated Mobile Crane OnRoad Course was developed with NHVR safety funding specifically to address those risks, using online adaptive theory plus practical assessment based on realworld articulated crane handling.
For crane owners, requiring drivers to complete this course helps to:
-demonstrate they have identified articulated crane onroad hazards;
-implemented a specific risk control (specialised training and competency assessment); and
-documented compliance with industry best practice endorsed and funded through NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, consistent with the expectations of both the Master Code and the Mobile Crane Industry Code of Practice.
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Disclaimer: The information displayed on this page is intended as a general guide only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, regulations and requirements may change over time. It is your responsibility to be aware of and comply with all relevant local, state, and federal laws applicable to your specific job or project. Always consult official regulatory bodies and seek professional advice when necessary to ensure compliance with the latest safety and legal requirements.
