Law and Chain of Responsibility

All parties in the road transport supply chain are responsible for preventing an accident. This is called the Chain of Responsibility. Historically, transport laws have focused on the actions of drivers, while failing to sufficiently recognise and regulate the actions of other key parties involved. The Chain of Responsibility laws introduced in recent years recognise and ensure all parties in the chain are liable for the impact of their actions and inactions.

All parties in the supply chain – the consigner or dispatcher, packer, loader, scheduler, consignee or receiver, as well as the driver and operator – must take positive steps to prevent a breach of road transport laws and regulations in regards to mass, packaging, load restraint dimension, loading, speed, fatigue and work hours.

Simon National Carriers takes all reasonable steps to prevent our actions or conduct (or the actions of our regional carriers or clients) from causing or contributing to a breach. We will not make demands that we know will cause a breach and we refuse to fulfill demands from our clients that will require us to breach legislative requirements. We will not coerce, induce or encourage breaches and we will not pass on false or misleading information that could cause a breach.


The Chain of Responsibility is addressed by all participants within our regional operations network. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure all goods carried on our behalf comply with State, Territory and National regulations, laws and codes of practice. And while we commit to ensuring our compliance within the Chain of Responsibility, we also look to our clients and seek the same commitment from them.

We’ve worked hard to build a culture of safety and compliance. Our systems support our operations to ensure we meet and exceed all standards within the industry. Simon National Carriers can say with complete confidence that we meet all of the obligations required of us under Road Transport Chain of Responsibility regulations.