South Australia Class 3 Heavy Vehicle 23m Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2020

Overview

The South Australia Class 3 23m Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2020 (No. 1) was enacted to address the need for specific mass and dimension exemptions for Class 3 heavy vehicle 23-metre long truck and dog trailer combinations, thus improving operational efficiency for certain freight operations within South Australia. This Notice was made under section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law and was enacted by the relevant legislature. Its primary policy objective is to streamline the transportation of goods by exempting certain heavy vehicles from specified mass and dimension limits, thereby facilitating smoother and more efficient logistics operations while ensuring compliance with other safety and operational conditions. This Notice revokes and replaces the South Australia Class 3 Heavy Vehicle 23m Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2017, incorporating all necessary amendments and removing previous maintenance conditions. It is designed to cater to the specific needs of three-axle trucks towing dog trailers with three, four, or five axles, allowing these combinations to operate within defined parameters while adhering to safety standards and route restrictions. The Notice commences on 1 August 2020 and will expire on 4 September 2022, providing a temporary regulatory framework to address the identified gap in the existing heavy vehicle regulations.

Scope and Application

The South Australia Class 3 Heavy Vehicle 23m Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2020 (No. 1) provides an exemption from specific mass and dimension limits for certain truck and dog trailer combinations operating within South Australia. This Notice applies to 23-metre truck and dog trailer combinations, specifically those where the truck has a single steer axle and a dual-drive tandem axle group, and the dog trailer has three, four, or five axles with particular configurations. The exemption from the prescribed mass and dimension requirements applies conditionally, provided the combination adheres to the mass limits and other conditions set out in the Notice. For instance, the maximum permissible mass for a truck towing a three-axle dog trailer is 48 tonnes, while for a four-axle dog trailer it is 55.5 tonnes, and for a five-axle dog trailer it is 59 tonnes. Furthermore, the combination must not exceed a length of 23 metres and must comply with certain axle spacing requirements and a speed limit of 80 km/h or any posted speed limit, whichever is lower. These vehicles are also not permitted to operate under the Concessional Mass Limits or Higher Mass Limits and must display a Long Vehicle sign if they exceed a length of 22 metres. The Notice further specifies particular routes and areas where these vehicles can operate, including the 23m Truck and Dog Network and certain B-Double Commodity routes, provided they are carrying specified commodities. This Notice revokes and replaces the 2017 version, incorporating new provisions for three-axle truck and four-axle dog trailer combinations and removing maintenance conditions.

Key Provisions

The South Australia Class 3 Heavy Vehicle 23m Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2020 (No. 1) (the Notice) provides exemptions from certain mass and dimension limits for specified combinations of heavy vehicles, namely, Class 3 heavy vehicles that are 23 metres long and consist of a truck towing a dog trailer (sections 1, 7, 8). This Notice applies to these vehicle combinations when they operate in South Australia (section 7(1)) and meet the specific criteria outlined in section 7(2). The Notice exempts these combinations from the dimension and mass limits specified in Schedules 1 and 6 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation, subject to the conditions set out in section 9 of the Notice (section 8). The Notice imposes several conditions on the operation of these vehicle combinations (section 9). These include limits on the maximum allowable mass for each combination configuration, with a maximum mass of 48 tonnes for a combination with a 3-axle dog trailer, 55.5 tonnes for a 4-axle dog trailer, and 59 tonnes for a 5-axle dog trailer (section 9(1)). If the steer axle of the truck is compliant, these mass limits increase slightly to 48.5 tonnes, 56 tonnes, and 59.5 tonnes, respectively (section 9(2)). The vehicle combination must not exceed 23 metres in length (section 9(3)), and must comply with specified axle spacing requirements (section 9(4)). The combination must not exceed a speed of 80 kilometres per hour or the posted speed limit, whichever is the lower (section 9(5)). Additionally, these combinations are not permitted to operate under concessional or higher mass limits (section 9(6)), and if the combination exceeds 22 metres in length, a Long Vehicle sign must be displayed at the rear (section 9(7)). The Notice also specifies the routes that these combinations can use (section 10(1)), which include the routes set out in the '23m Truck and Dog Network' published by the South Australia Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) and certain B-double commodity routes when the combination is carrying a specified commodity in a designated area (section 10(2)). There are no specific offences, penalties, or consequences for breaches of the Notice. However, any breach of the conditions specified in the Notice may result in the vehicle being considered non-compliant with the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation, which could lead to enforcement actions, fines, and other penalties under that Regulation. The maximum penalties for breaches of the Regulation are set out in the relevant provisions of that legislation.