HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

National Class 3 Truck and Dog Trailer Mass Exemption Notice 2020 (No.1)

Purpose

1) This notice exempts truck and dog trailer combinations from stated prescribed mass requirements in Schedule 1 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (the Regulation), and provide access for those vehicles on specified networks under specified conditions.

2) This Notice revokes and replaces the National Class 3 Truck and Dog Trailer Mass Exemption Notice 2018.

Note: This version of the Notice removes the maintenance requirements in the South Australian Schedule. No other conditions of this Notice are amended.

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 (HVNL).

3. Commencement

1) This Notice commences on 1 August 2020.

4. Expiry

1) This Notice expires on 21 November 2023.

5. 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:-

Axle Spacing means the greatest distance between centres of axles in any two axle groups.

Participating jurisdiction means the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.

Truck and Dog heavy vehicle means a combination consisting of a rigid truck with 3 or 4 axles towing a dog trailer with 3 or 4 axles.

6. Application

1) This notice applies to a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle where:

a) the combination does not exceed 19m in length; and

b) the truck has a single steer axle or a twin steer axle group at the front, and a dual-drive tandem axle group at the rear; and

c) the dog trailer has either a single axle or a tandem axle group at the front, and a tandem axle group at the rear.

7. Exemption from prescribed mass requirements

1) This notice exempts Truck and Dog heavy vehicles from the following general mass limits specified in Schedule 1 of the Regulation:

a) Section 2(1)(a)(iv); and

b) Section 2(4); and

c) Section 5(1).

2) The exemption in this section only applies to the extent of the conditional mass limits set out in this Notice, and when other relevant conditions in the Notice are met.

8. Condition - General combination mass limits

1) The mass of a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle must not exceed a mass requirement for the vehicle specified in the Schedules to this Notice.

9. Conditions - Axle spacing limits

1) The mass of a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle relating to an axle spacing of the combination, where the combination is more than 42.5t, must not be more than the mass limit stated in:

a) Table 2 (Axle spacing mass limits general table) of Schedule 1 of the Regulation, where the length of the axle spacing is not more than 10m; and

b) Table 1 of this notice, where the length of the axle spacing is more than 10m.

2) The mass limit stated in section (a) or (b) is increased by 0.5t if the axle spacing includes a steer axle to which the steer axle mass exception limits apply.

Table 1 Extension of axle spacing mass limits general table for axle spacing exceeding 10m

Length of Axle Spacing (m)		Mass Limit(t)
At least	Less than
10.0	10.5	42.5
10.5	11.0	43.0
11.0	11.5	43.5
11.5	12.0	44.0
12.0	12.5	44.5
12.5	13.0	45.0
13.0	13.5	45.5
13.5	14.0	46.0
14.0	14.5	46.5
14.5	15.0	47.0
15.0	15.5	47.5
15.5	16.0	48.0
16.0	16.5	48.5
16.5	17.0	49.0
17.0	17.5	49.5
17.5		50.0

10. Condition - Mass ratio

1) The mass of a dog trailer with 4 axles must not exceed by more than 25 per cent the loaded mass of the towing vehicle.

11. Condition - Suspension

1) The drive axle group of the truck and all axles of the dog trailer must be fitted with air suspension with effective dampers.

12. Other conditions

1) The driver and operator of the vehicle must comply with all conditions set out in the Schedule for a participating jurisdiction when the vehicle is being used in the jurisdiction to which that Schedule applies.

Peter Caprioli

Executive Director (Network Operations)

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
Schedule 1: Australian Capital Territory

Conditions - General mass limits

1) The mass of a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle operating under the general mass limits must not be more than:

a) in the case of a combination consisting of a rigid truck with 3 axles towing a dog trailer with 3 axles – 48t;

b) in the case of a combination consisting of a rigid truck with 4 axles towing a dog trailer with 3 axles – 50t;

c) in the case of a combination consisting of a rigid truck with 3 or 4 axles towing a dog trailer with 4 axles – 50t.

2. Conditions - General mass limits, and steer axle mass exception limits

1) The mass of a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle operating under this notice and the steer axle mass exception limits must not be more than:

a) in the case of a combination consisting of a rigid truck with 3 axles towing a dog trailer with 3 axles – 48.5t;

b) in the case of a combination consisting of a rigid truck with 3 axles towing a dog trailer with 4 axles – 50.5t

3. Conditions - Other mass requirements

1) The loaded mass of a 3 Axle dog trailer may not exceed by more than 25% the loaded mass of the truck.

Note: Section 11 of this Notice permits a dog trailer with 4 axles to have a mass that is 25 per cent of the loaded mass of the towing vehicle.

4. Conditions - General

1) The extreme axle spacing for a dog trailer with 3 axles must be at least 4.3m.

2) The height of the load on a dog trailer with 3 axles must not exceed 3.5m.

3) The Truck and Dog heavy vehicle must be capable of starting on a 10 percent gradient and maintaining 70km/h on a one percent gradient.

5. Conditions - Stated routes and areas

1) An eligible vehicle may access approved routes on the Approved Routes for National Class 3 Heavy Vehicles 19m Truck & Dog Trailer Combination Mass Exemption published by the Transport Canberra and City Services (ACT).

Schedule 2: New South Wales

Conditions - General mass limits