Heavy Vehicle Standards, Certificates of Fitness and Operation
Certificate of Fitness (CoF)
Heavy vehicles must hold a current CoF, not a warrant of fitness. The CoF is issued after an inspection by an NZTA-approved inspecting organisation and normally lasts six months. It covers brakes, steering, tyres, lights, structure, load security and other safety items. A CoF is a snapshot: the driver and operator must still check the vehicle daily and report defects. If a defect makes the vehicle unsafe, it must not be used until repaired and, where required, reinspected.
Operator duties
Operators must maintain vehicles in a safe condition, keep maintenance and inspection records, ensure drivers hold the correct class and conditions, manage work time and fatigue, and secure loads within mass and dimension limits. A transport service licence (TSL) is required for certain goods and passenger services; the threshold generally depends on vehicle weight and whether the service is for hire or reward. Heavy vehicles also pay road user charges (RUC) by distance, and the operator must keep the distance licence current.
Worked example
A truck's CoF expires on Friday. On Thursday the driver notices a cracked brake line. The operator must not send the truck out. The defect is safety-critical, so it needs repair and reinspection before the new CoF can be issued. Booking the inspection before expiry is good planning, but it does not authorise use of an unsafe vehicle. The driver should record the defect and the vehicle should be stood down.
Traps
Do not confuse CoF with WoF or assume a CoF lasts 12 months. Do not treat the CoF as a substitute for daily pre-trip checks. Do not ignore RUC or TSL requirements, and do not assume a current CoF makes an overloaded or badly loaded vehicle legal.