HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW
Tasmania Class 3 Heavy Vehicle Truck and Dog Trailer Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)
Purpose
- The purpose of this Notice is to exempt class 3 Truck and Dog heavy vehicles from stated prescribed mass and dimension requirements in Schedule 1 and Schedule 6 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (the Regulation).
Note: This Notice does not exclude the operation of heavy vehicles under the Tasmania Class 3 Heavy Vehicle Truck and Dog Trailer Combination (Increased Mass Limits) Mass Exemption Notice 2019 if the conditions of that Notice are complied with.
Authorising Provision
2. This Notice is made under section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law as in force in each participating jurisdiction.
Title
3. This Notice may be cited as the Tasmania Class 3 Heavy Vehicle Truck and Dog Trailer Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2019.
Commencement
4. This Notice commences on 10 February 2019.
Expiry
5. This Notice expires on 9 February 2024.
Definitions
6. Unless otherwise stated, words and expressions used in this Notice have the same meanings as those defined in the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
7. 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.
’Forestry Safety Code’ means the Forest Safety Code (Tasmania) 2007, as amended from time to time, produced by the Safety Standards Committee of the Tasmanian Forest Industries Training Board Inc. and approved under section 22 of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 (Tas)and recognised by the section 274 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (Tas).
‘Livestock Carrier’ means a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle with at least one vehicle in the combination that is higher than 4.3m but not higher than 4.6m and is built to carry cattle, sheep, pigs or horses.
‘road-friendly suspension’ means vehicle suspension that complies with the performance criteria specified in Vehicle Standards Bulletin 11 - "Certification of Road-friendly Suspension Systems" published by the Federal Office of Road Safety in April 1999, as amended or substituted from time to time.
‘Truck and Dog heavy vehicle’ means a combination consisting of a rigid truck towing a dog trailer.
Application
8. This Notice applies in Tasmania.
9. This Notice applies to a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle meeting either or both of the following conditions—
(a) the combination does not exceed 25m in length; and
(b) the combination has a mass not more than—
- 60.5t; or
- 61t, if the vehicle is eligible to operate under the steer axle mass exception limits.
Exemption from prescribed mass requirements
10. This Notice exempts a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle 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).
Exemption from prescribed dimension requirements (length)
11. This Notice exempts a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle from the dimension limits specified in section 3(1)(a) of Schedule 6 of the Regulation.
Condition – Maximum permissible mass
12. The mass of a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle must not be more than—
(a) 60.5t; or
(b) 61t, if the vehicle is eligible to operate under the steer axle mass exception limits.
Condition – Axle spacing mass limits
13. The mass of a Truck and Dog heavy vehicle relating to an axle spacing of the combination must not be more than the mass limit stated in Table 3 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the Regulation.
Condition – Mass ratio of combination
14. The mass of the dog trailer must not exceed by more than 50% the loaded mass of the towing vehicle.
Dimension requirements condition
15. A Truck and Dog heavy vehicle must not be longer than 25m.
Other conditions
16. If the Truck and Dog heavy vehicle has an aggregate axle load of more than 50t, the trailer couplings must have a coupling strength D value of at least 13.5 kilo Newtons.
17. All axles of the Truck and Dog heavy vehicle, except for the steer axle of the truck, must be fitted with air suspension, road-friendly suspension or a certified road-friendly suspension system.
18. If the Truck and Dog heavy vehicle is longer than 22m, it must be fitted with a long vehicle warning sign in accordance with section 5(3) of Schedule 3 of the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation.
Stated Areas and routes
19. A Truck and Dog heavy vehicle may use all roads in Tasmania if the vehicle—
(a) has a mass that is not more than—
- 50t; or
- 50.5t if the vehicle is eligible to operate under the steer axle mass exception limits; and
(b) has a length that is not more than—
- 21m; or
- 21.3m, if the trailer is fitted with a rear load-restraining guard that complies with the Forestry Safety Code.
20. A Truck and Dog heavy vehicle, which exceeds the mass or length in section 19 may only use the routes stated in the Tasmanian Approved Truck and Dog Trailer Combination Route Network set out in Appendix 1
Condition – Livestock Carrier
21. A Livestock Carrier that complies with the mass and dimension limits specified in section 19 or section 20, is restricted from using -
(a) Tasman Bridge; and
(b) Bridgewater Bridge; and
(c) any other road where there is insufficient height clearance for the vehicle to pass without striking or damaging any road infrastructure
Note- the driver of an eligible vehicle must assess the suitability of a road prior to operating the vehicle on that road using the maps specified in Appendix 1 to ensure sufficient clearance for the vehicle exists.
Peter Caprioli
Executive Director (Freight and Supply Chain Productivity)
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
Appendix 1
Tasmanian Truck and Dog Trailer Combination Network Map
Height Clearance Under Overhead Structures Map
Note: The Height Clearance Under Overhead Structures Map identifies relevant height clearances that may be relevant depending on specific routes on the network.
The maps and networks mentioned in this appendix are published by the Tasmania Department of State Growth, and are available on its website.