HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

Victoria Class 3 Livestock Carrier Mass Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1) 

1.       Purpose

1.       This notice grants exemptions from mass requirements for class 3 heavy vehicle combinations used for the transportation of livestock and operates in conjunction with the Victorian Livestock Loading Scheme (VLLS).

1.       This notice revokes and replaces the following notices:

1.       Victoria Class 3 Livestock Carrier Mass Exemption Notice 2020 (No. 1); and

1.       Victoria Class 3 Carrier (Goats) Mass Exemption Notice 2020 (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 3 heavy vehicles from compliance with mass or dimension requirement.

1.       section 23 of Schedule 1 – Regulator’s power to amend or repeal instrument.

1.       Title

This notice may be cited as the Victoria Class 3 Livestock Carrier Mass Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1).

1.       Commencement date

This notice commences on 09 November 2024.

1.       Expiry date

This notice expires on 08 November 2029.

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:

Guide means the Victoria Class 3 Livestock Carrier Mass Exemption Notice Operator’s Guide as published by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, as amended from time to time.

General access means access to all roads, subject to the operation of the HVNL and the road rules.

Livestock carrier means a heavy vehicle that is a heavy vehicle or combination that is higher than 4.3m but not higher than 4.6m and is built to carry cattle, sheep, pigs, goats or horses.

Scheme means the Victoria Livestock Loading Scheme published and maintained by the Victoria Department of Transport and Planning.

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 that is:

1.       a prime mover and semitrailer combination not longer than 19m, or a 9-axle B-double not longer than 26m; and
2.       is equipped with certified road-friendly suspension; and
3.        is equipped with dual tyres on all non-steering axles.

1.       This notice only applies to a vehicle specified in 1) if that vehicle is transporting livestock.

1.       A semitrailer operating under the notice must have a tri-axle group.

1.       A B-double operating under this notice must have a tri-axle group on each B-double trailer.

1.       This notice applies in Victoria.

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

1.       Exemption – Mass

1.       Eligible vehicles operating under this notice are exempt from the following mass requirements in Schedule 1 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension & 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.

Note:  Eligible vehicles and their components (including axles and tyres) are not exempt from exceeding manufacturer’s ratings and limits, including Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), Gross Combination Mass (GCM) and Gross Trailer Mass (GTM).

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.       Conditions – Mass limits (prime movers)

1.       The weight unladen mass of a prime mover (with fuel) must not exceed 11 tonnes.

1.   Conditions - Minimum manufacturer’s ratings

1.       The prime mover must have a manufacturer’s ratings of at least:

1.       steer axle - 6.0 tonnes;
2.       drive axle group - 17.3 tonnes;
3.        GVM (prime mover) - 23.3 tonnes;
4.       GCM (single articulated) - 46.3 tonnes; and
5.       GCM (B-double) - 68.0 tonnes.

1.       The semitrailer must have a manufacturer’s tri-axle rating of at least 25.0 tonnes.

1.       The manufacturer’s ratings for the vehicle and components must not be exceeded, including the vehicle GVM, GCM, GTM and ratings for axles, wheels and tyres.

1.   Conditions – Mass limits (semitrailers)

1.       The unladen mass of a semitrailer must not exceed 12.0 tonnes.

1.       The total unladen mass of the prime mover and semitrailer must not exceed 22.0 tonnes.

Note: This is less than the sum of the allowable unladen mass of the prime mover and the semitrailer.

1.   Conditions – Mass limits (B-doubles)

1.       The total unladen mass of the two trailers in a B-double combination must not exceed 21.0 tonnes.

1.       The total unladen mass of a B-double combination must not exceed 32.0 tonnes.

1.   Condition – Dimension (loading space)

1.       The maximum loading space for livestock carriers is:

1.       12.5 metres for semitrailers; and
2.       a total of 18.8 metres for B-double trailers.

1.   Condition – Axle spacing

1.       For prime mover and semitrailer combinations, minimum axle spacing is:

1.     4.0 metres between the centre of the steering axle to the centre of the rear axle of the prime mover; and
2.    6.2 metres from the centre of the rear axle of the prime mover to the centre of the first axle of the semitrailer.

1.       For B-doubles, the axle and axle group spacings must comply with Table 3 in Schedule 1 of the MDL Regulation.

1.   Loading and operating

1.       The number of decks used to transport livestock must not exceed:

1.       2 for cattle;
2.       3 for pigs;
3.        4 for sheep; or
4.       4 for goats.

1.   Condition - Carriage of livestock

1.       An eligible vehicle must not carry livestock in any upper deck unless the lower deck of the vehicle is fully loaded with livestock.

1.       An eligible vehicle must not carry any freight other than livestock.

1.   Conditions – Carriage of fuel and water

1.       Fuel tanks must not be fitted to a semitrailer operating under this notice.

1.       Any water carried on a semitrailer must be in quantities for personal use only.

1.       The unladen mass is the mass of the empty vehicle with water for personal use only.

1.   Condition – Compliance with the Victoria Livestock Loading Scheme

 Compliance with the Victoria Livestock Loading Scheme is a condition of the notice.

Note:  Victoria Livestock Loading Scheme is published and maintained by the Victoria Department of Transport and Planning.

1.   Conditions – Area and routes

1.       An eligible vehicle that is a prime mover towing a semitrailer has general access in Victoria.

1.       An eligible vehicle that is a B-double is authorised to operate on routes stated in the National Class 2 B-double Authorisation Notice.

1.       Regardless of any access granted under this section, an eligible vehicle must comply with any conditions or restrictions applied to a stated area or route in the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements in the Guide.

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 for those routes and areas:

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 Arredondo,

Manager Network Access Policy,

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.