NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE LAW

Victoria Class 3 Road Friendly Suspension Mass Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)

1. Purpose

1)      This Notice exempts certain heavy vehicles fitted with certified road friendly suspension from mass requirements set out in the Heavy Vehicle (Mass Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation).

Note: This Notice replaces the following Victorian declarations:

Mass limit exemptions and route specifications for certain class 2 combinations fitted with road friendly suspension, published in the Victoria Government Gazette, No. S 440 on Friday 30 December 2011.

Declaration of Class 3 Vehicles and Mass Limit Exemptions and Route Specifications for such Vehicles, published in the Victoria Government Gazette, No. S 97 on Friday 23 March 2012.

Variation to Notices Specifying Routes for B-doubles and Certain Class 2 and 3 Vehicles Fitted with Road Friendly Suspension, published in the Victoria Government Gazette, No. S 458 Wednesday on 18 December 2013

2.       Authorising Provision

1)      This notice is made under Section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) as in force in each participating jurisdiction.

3.       Title

1)      This Notice may be cited as the Victoria Class 3 Road Friendly Suspension Mass Exemption Notice 2019.

4.       Commencement

1)      This Notice commences on 10 February 2019.

5.       Expiry

1)      This Notice expires 9 February 2024.

6.       Definitions

1)      Unless otherwise stated, words and expressions used in this Notice and its Schedules have the same meanings as those defined in the HVNL.

2)      In this Notice and its Schedules:-

Eligible vehicle means a Class 3 heavy vehicle that is:

a)      a heavy vehicle which is not towing a dog trailer, a pig trailer or a tag trailer; and

b)      a combination consisting of a prime mover and one semi-trailer

RFS System means a certified road-friendly suspension system as defined in s3 of the MDL Regulation.

7.       Application

1)      This notice applies to eligible vehicle operating in Victoria.

8.       Exemption - Prescribed mass requirements

1)      This notice exempts eligible vehicles from the following mass requirements specified in Schedule 1 of the Regulation:

a)      Section 4 - Mass limits for a single axle group

b)      Section 5 - Mass limits relating to axle spacing generally

9.       Condition - Stated Routes, Areas and Networks

1)      Subject to 9(2) an eligible vehicle may be used on all roads in Victoria.

2)      A vehicle fitted with road friendly suspension that has a tri-axle group exceeding 20.0 tonnes may access the following network in Victoria

“Higher Mass Limits network”

Notes: relevant maps are published by VicRoads and may be found on the VicRoads website.

10.   Conditions - General

1)      An eligible vehicle operating under this Notice this notice must have road friendly suspension fitted on:

a)      a single axle with 4 tyres, in the case of a motor vehicle or semi-trailer;

b)      a tandem axle group with 6 tyres, in the case of a motor vehicle;

c)       a tandem axle group with 8 tyres, in the case of a motor vehicle or semi-trailer;

d)      a tri-axle group with 12 tyres, in the case of a semi-trailer; and

e)      a quad-axle group with 16 tyres, in the case of a semi-trailer.

2)      For an eligible vehicle operating under this Notice the mass limit for a single axle or axle group described in column 1 of Table 1, if fitted with road friendly suspension, is the corresponding limit set out in column 2 of that Table.

Table 1 Mass limit for a single axle or axle group for a vehicle fitted with road friendly suspension

3)      A vehicle must comply with the mass limits relating to axle spacing set out in Table 2 in s6 of the MDL Regulations as if those mass limits were increased by:

a)      in respect of each single axle with 4 tyres with a road friendly suspension – 1.0t;

b)      in respect of each tandem single axle with 8 tyres with a road friendly suspension – 0.5t;

c)       in respect of each tandem axle with 6 tyres with a road friendly suspension – 1.0t;

d)      in respect of each tri-axle group with 12 tyres with a road friendly suspension – 2.5t;

e)      in respect of each quad-axle group with 16 tyres with a road friendly suspension – 2.5t.

4)      If a vehicle travelling under this notice is a combination consisting of a motor vehicle and a semi-trailer, it must comply with s2(1)(a)(v) of the MDL Regulation as if the reference to ‘42.5t’ of that subsection were a reference to ‘45.5t’.

11.   Conditions - Mass Management Accreditation

1)      The operator of a vehicle that is travelling under this notice, and whose tri-axle or quad-axle group exceeds 20.0t, must be accredited under the Mass Management Module of the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme.

Peter Caprioli

Executive Director (Freight and Supply Chain Productivity)

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator