HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

South Australia Class 3 Road Friendly Suspension Mass Exemption Notice 2026 (No.1)

1.        Purpose

1.       This notice exempts certain class 3 heavy vehicles and combinations fitted with certified road friendly suspension from axle mass requirements and allows operation at higher axle masses.

1.       This notice revokes and replaces the South Australian Class 3 Road Friendly Suspension Mass Exemption Notice 2023 (No.1).

1.        Authorising provision

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

1.       section 117 – Regulator’s power to exempt category of class 1 or 3 heavy vehicles from compliance with mass or dimension requirement.
2.       section 23 of Schedule 1 – Regulator’s power to amend or repeal instrument.

1.        Title

This exemption notice may be cited as the South Australia Class 3 Road Friendly Suspension Mass Exemption Notice 2026 (No.1).

1.        Commencement date

This notice commences on 1 April 2026.

1.        Expiry date

This notice expires on 13 July 2028.

1.        Definitions

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

1.       In this notice, definitions specified in the following notices apply:

1.       National class 2 B-Double Authorisation Notice, as amended from time to time; and
2.       National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice, as amended from time to time.

1.        Application

1.       This notice applies to a Class 3 heavy vehicle that meets all the requirements in this section.

1.       This notice applies to a heavy vehicle or heavy vehicle combination that is a:

1.       rigid truck; or
2.       prime mover towing a semitrailer; or
3.        bus fitted with a single drive axle or tandem axle group fitted with 6 tyres; or
4.       B-double; or
5.       A-double; or
6.         B-triple (modular); or
7.        B-triple; or
8.       Rigid truck combination; or
9.         AB-triple; or
10.         BA-triple; or
11.        A-Triple; or
12.         ABB-quad; or
13.     BAB-quad. 

1.       This notice does not apply to a heavy vehicle combination that has a quad-axle group.

1.       This notice applies in South Australia.

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

1.        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):

1.       section 2 – Mass limits for a single vehicle or combination
2.       section 4 – Mass limits for a single axle or axle group
3.        section 5 – Mass limits relating to axle spacing generally

1.       An exemption in 1) only applies to an eligible vehicle to the extent that specific conditional mass limits are provided in section 9.

1.       If, in relation to a particular vehicle or component, this notice provides for two or more mass limits imposing different mass limits that apply in the same circumstances, the lower mass limit applies, and the other mass limit must be disregarded.

1.       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.

1.        Condition - Axle mass limits

1.       An axle configuration described in Column 1 of Table 1 may have its axle mass limit listed in Column 2 increased by an additional axle mass listed in Column 3.

Table 1: Axle mass limits

1.       For a given axle spacing in a relevant axle spacing table, the mass of an axle configuration listed in Column 1 of Table 1 must not be increased by more than the additional axle mass listed in Column 3.

1.       For the purpose of 2), a relevant axle spacing table is:

1.       For B-doubles – Table 3 of Schedule 1 of the MDL Regulation; or
2.       For road trains – Table 4 of Schedule 1 of the MDL Regulation; or
3.        For all other eligible vehicles – Table 2 of Schedule 1 of the MDL Regulation.

1.    Condition – Mass Management Accreditation

The operator of an eligible vehicle with a tri-axle group exceeding 20.0t must hold Mass Management Accreditation.

1.    Condition – Road friendly suspension

An axle operating at axle limits under section 9 and exceeding the General Mass Limits pursuant to Schedule 1 of the MDL Regulation must be fitted with certified road friendly suspension.

1.    Condition – Stated areas or routes

1.       An eligible vehicle that is stated in Column 1 of Table 2 and complying with the conditions of this notice, may operate on the network stated in Column 2.

Table 2: Networks for specified eligible vehicle configurations

Note: All networks are published the NHVR National Network Map.

1.       An eligible vehicle that includes a rigid truck with a tri-axle group or a combination that includes a prime mover with a tri-axle group of a vehicle configuration described in Column 1 of Table 3 and complying with the conditions of this notice, may operate on the network stated in Column 2.

Table 3: Networks for specified eligible vehicle configurations

1.       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.

1.       An eligible vehicle operating on an area or route specified in this section must comply with the following conditions as specified for routes and areas set out on that area or route:

1.       Road conditions pursuant to section 160 of the HVNL; and
2.       Travel conditions pursuant to section 161 of the HVNL; and
3.        Vehicle conditions pursuant to section 162 of the HVNL.

Jose Arrendondo

Manager Network Access Policy

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator