HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

Tasmania Class 3 Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1)

1. Purpose

This notice grants exemptions from mass and dimension requirements for class 3 vehicles that are truck and dog combinations.

Note: This notice revokes the following instruments upon their expiry:

Tasmania Class 3 Heavy Vehicle Truck and Dog Trailer Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)

Tasmania Class 3 Heavy Vehicle Truck and Dog Trailer Combination (Increased Mass Limits) Mass Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)

2.       Authorising provision

1)      This Notice is made under the following provision of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL):

a)      section 117 – Regulator’s power to exempt category of class 1 or 3 heavy vehicles from compliance with mass or dimension requirement.

3.       Title

This exemption Notice may be cited as the Tasmania Class 3 Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1).

4.       Commencement date

This Notice commences on 10 February 2024

5.       Expiry date

This Notice expires on 9 February 2029.

6.       Definitions

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

2)      In this Notice:

aggregate axle load means the sum of the axle loads of all the axles of the vehicle or combination.

air suspension means a suspension system in which—

a)      the vertical movement between each axle and the body of the vehicle is controlled by variations in the air pressure and the air spring; and

b)      the proportion of the vehicle’s mass borne by the air spring remains substantially constant despite variations in the air pressure in the air spring.

Guide means the Tasmania Class 3 Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Operator’s Guide, as amended from time to time.

rear log guard means a mechanism or fixture installed to the rear of a trailer for the purpose of restraining logs.

7.       Application

1)      This exemption notice applies to a class 3 heavy vehicle that is a combination consisting of a truck towing a dog trailer.

2)      This notice applies to a combination in which the truck has:

a)      a single or twin steer axle; and

b)      a dual drive tandem axle group.

3)      This notice applies to a combination in which the dog trailer has:

a)      a single or tandem axle group to the front; and

b)      a single or tandem axle group to the rear.

4)      All axles must have four tyres, except steer axles on the truck.

5)      This Notice applies in Tasmania.

6)      A heavy vehicle to which this section applies and that complies with the conditions of this notice is an eligible vehicle.

8.       Exemption – Prescribed mass requirements

1)      An eligible vehicle is exempt from the following mass requirements under Schedule 1 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation):

a)      section 2 – Mass limits for a single vehicle or combination

b)      section 4 – Mass limits for single axle or axle groups

c)       section 5 – Mass limits relating to axle spacing generally.

2)      An exemption in 1) only applies to an eligible vehicle to the extent that specific conditional mass limits are provided in sections 9 to 12 of this notice.

3)      In any case, any additional or conditional mass allowed under this Notice may not exceed manufacturer mass limits pursuant to section 8 of the MDL Regulation.

9.       Conditions – Mass (total mass of an eligible vehicle)

The total mass of an eligible vehicle must not exceed 62.0t.

10.   Conditions – Mass (tandem axle group)

1)      A tandem axle group must not exceed:

a)      For a vehicle not enrolled in mass management accreditation 16.5t; or

b)      For a vehicle enrolled in mass management accreditation 17.0t.

Note: all single axle groups and any twin steer axle groups are restricted to prescribed mass requirements.

11.   Condition – Mass (mass limits relating to axle spacing)

1)      An eligible vehicle must comply with section 5(1) of Schedule 1 of the MDL Regulation as though a reference to Table 2 of Part 2 were a reference to Table 3 of Part 2.

Note: The effect of 1) is that the axle spacing mass requirements for eligible vehicles is determined by Table 3 that normally applies to B-doubles, rather than Table 2 that normally applies to a truck and dog.

2)      The maximum mass allowed under 1) is 60.5t.

3)      If the eligible vehicle is enrolled under mass management accreditation and one or more tandem axle groups are used to calculate the mass relating to axle spacings, the mass limit allowed under 1) and 2) may be increased by 0.5t for each tandem axle in the calculation.

12.   Conditions – Restriction of ratio of mass of towing vehicle and trailer

For an eligible vehicle the mass of the dog trailer must not exceed the mass of the truck by more than 50%.

13.   Condition – Required suspension

1)      An eligible vehicle must have one of the following suspension systems on all axles except the single or twin steer axles on the truck:

a)      Certified road friendly suspension; or

b)      For eligible vehicles manufactured prior to 1 January 2000 road friendly suspension or air suspension as defined in section 6.

14.   Exemption – Prescribed dimension requirements

1)      An eligible vehicle is exempt from the following dimension requirements under Schedule 6 of the MDL regulation:

a)      section 3 – Length (combination or single vehicle)

2)      An exemption in 1) only applies to the extent that specific conditional dimension limits are provided in section 15.

15.   Condition – Dimension limits

An eligible vehicle must not exceed 25.0m in length.

16.   Condition – Stated areas or routes

1)      An eligible vehicle described in columns 1 and 2 of Table 1 may operate on the routes and areas specified in the networks set out in columns 3.

Table 1: Stated areas and routes

2)      In column 1 of Table 1, the combination length 21.0m threshold is increased to 21.3m for a vehicle fitted with a rear log guard.

3)      In column 2 of Table 1, the 50.0t mass thresholds are increased to 50.5t for vehicles operating with a complying steer axle.

4)      For the purposes of section 119(1)(a) of the HVNL, an area or route specified in this section is a stated area or route to which this notice applies.

5)      In this section general access means access to all roads except as restricted by the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements in the Guide.

6)      An eligible vehicle operating on an area or route specified in this section must comply with any of the following conditions prescribed for that area or route:

a)      Road conditions pursuant to section 160 of the HVNL; and

b)      Travel conditions pursuant to section 161 of the HVNL; and

c)       Vehicle conditions pursuant to section 162 of the HVNL.

Peter Austin

Director, Policy Implementation

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator