Log transport AFMS trial a safety & productivity success

The Advanced Fatigue Management Scheme (AFMS) trials have gained traction across the trucking sector and is beginning to show tangible operational and safety benefits for the forest industry. The Log Transport Safety Council (LTSC) Log Transport AFMS trial has included approximately 520 drivers across seven companies, with two further companies having applied. In aggregate, around 500 of New Zealand’s approximately 2,500 log trucks are now operating under the AFMS, signalling a notable shift in how driving hours and rest breaks are being managed.

Participation in the Log Transport AMFS requires alignment with a number of controls implemented by the LTSC intended to protect safety and compliance. Operators must hold LTSC contractor certification at levels 4 or 5, use electronic logbooks rather than paper records, install and operate fatigue cameras, maintain a documented fatigue management plan (which will be audited by the Waka Kotahi – New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA)), and accept operator audits from NZTA covering Certificate of Fitness, workhours and permits.

These conditions ensure the log transport AFMS is implemented and managed under consistent standards rather than as an ad-hoc relaxation of rules.

The operational change at the heart of AFMS delivers greater flexibility in how periods of rest are managed. Instead of the traditional requirement for a single 30-minute rest period after 5.5 hours, AFMS allows drivers to take breaks every four hours. These breaks can range from a minimum of 10 minutes to a maximum of 30 minutes, giving drivers the flexibility to manage their rest time in a way that best suits their day.

In practice, this means a driver can now build short breaks into their working day, for example while scaling, waiting at a skid site or unloading point, or simply extending a short meal stop into a 10-minute break. These shorter, task-aligned breaks are recorded in the electronic logbook and reduce the need for a dedicated half-hour stoppage during otherwise productive periods.

Feedback from drivers and operators has been positive. Drivers report lower stress, less rushed behaviour, and greater control over their working day with no lost productivity. Most drivers in the trial are logging 90–120 minutes per day of legitimate non-driving time. The AFMS approach is helping the industry move away from unsustainably long days, and feedback from the FOA/FFA Transport and Logistics Committee is clear that 14-hour shifts are not a viable long-term model.

NZTA has confirmed its support for continuing the AFMS following the successful completion of the 12-month trial.

Throughout the trial, NZTA and the LTSC worked closely together, and the programme has been recognised as a success. Operators involved are having their registrations extended for a further two years, and rule changes are now progressing. NZTA has also reviewed and endorsed the LTSC Contractor Certification process as part of the AFMS framework.

For forest owners, AFMS offers benefits beyond driver welfare, including reduced time pressures around loading and scaling, improved safety outcomes, and greater supply chain reliability. The two-year extensions granted by NZTA are a well-deserved acknowledgement of the diligence, dedication, and professionalism of participating operators, whose efforts continue to strengthen the industry’s social licence to operate.

Source: NZFOA