Tasmania Class 3 Twin Steer Prime Mover Semitrailer Mass Exemption Notice 2026 (No.1)

HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

Tasmania Class 3 Twin Steer Prime Mover Semitrailer Mass Exemption Notice 2026 (No.1)

1.        Purpose

1.       This Notice grants exemptions from mass requirements for a class 3 heavy vehicle that is a twin steer prime mover towing a semi-trailer that is operating in Tasmania.

1.       This notice replaces and revokes the Tasmania Class 3 Twin Steer Prime Mover Semitrailer Mass Exemption Notice 2024 (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 Tasmania Class 3 Twin Steer Prime Mover Semitrailer Mass Exemption Notice 2026 (No.1).

1.        Commencement date

This Notice commences on 1 August 2026.

1.        Expiry date

This Notice expires on 9 February 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 Tasmania Class 3 Twin Steer Prime Mover Semitrailer Mass Exemption Operator’s Guide, as amended from time to time.

1.        Application

1.       This exemption notice applies to a class 3 heavy combination consisting of:

1.       a prime mover fitted with a twin steer axle group and dual-drive tandem axle group; and
2.       a single semitrailer fitted with a tri-axle group.

1.       This notice applies in Tasmania.

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 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 sections 9, 10, 11 of this Notice.

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 – Mass (without Alternative Compliance (ACA) – Mass)

1.       An eligible vehicle complying with all other conditions of this section may have a total vehicle mass of:

1.       Without load sharing suspension on the twin steer axle group – 46.5t
2.       With load sharing suspension on the twin steer axle group – 47.5t

1.       The mass of an eligible vehicle relating to a given axle spacing must not be more than the mass limits relating to that axle spacing set out in Table 1.

Table 1: axle spacing mass limits – general access

1.       The mass in relation to axle spacings of an eligible vehicle that has a trailer manufactured before 1 January 2025 and that complies with 1) and 2), must not be more than the mass limit relating to the axle spacing set out in Table 3 under section 11, instead of those in table 1 above.

Note: To be clear, the effect of 3) is that combinations with trailers manufactured before 1 January 2025 may continue to operate with general access at mass limits set by the axle spacing in table 3 which was used under previous versions of this Notice.

1.    Condition – Mass (vehicles enrolled in Alternative Compliance (ACA) – Mass)

1.       This section applies to an eligible vehicle that is enrolled in Alternative Compliance (ACA) – Mass, or mass management accreditation granted prior to 1 August 2026.

1.       The mass of an eligible vehicle relating to an axle spacing must not be more than the mass limit relating to the axle spacing set out in Table 1, increased by the masses specified in column 2 of Table 2.

Table 2: Masses for eligible vehicles enrolled in ACA – Mass or mass management accreditation granted prior to 1 August 2026

1.       Regardless of any increases allowed under this section, the total vehicle mass must not exceed 1.0t over that allowed in Table 1.

1.    Condition – Mass (vehicles enrolled in Alternative Compliance (ACA) – Mass with certified road friendly suspension)

1.       This section applies to an eligible vehicle that is enrolled in Alternative Compliance (ACA) – Mass, or mass management accreditation granted prior to 1 August 2026.

1.       This section applies to an eligible vehicle where both the drive axle group and trailer axle group have certified road friendly suspension.

1.       The mass of an eligible vehicle relating to an axle spacing must not be more than the mass limit relating to the axle spacing set out in Table 3, increased by the masses specified in column 2 of table 4 for relevant axle group types.

Table 3: Axle spacing mass limits – restricted network access

Table 4: Masses for eligible vehicles enrolled in ACA – Mass or mass management accreditation granted prior to 1 August 2026 with certified road friendly suspension

1.    Condition – Stated areas or routes

1.       An eligible vehicle may operate in the areas and on the routes specified in this section.

1.       An eligible vehicle described in column 1 of Table 5 is authorised to operate on the areas and routes set out in the networks named in column 2.

Table 5: Networks

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

1.       In this section general access means access to all roads except as restricted by the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements in the Guide.

1.       An eligible vehicle operating on an area or route specified in this section must comply with the following conditions prescribed for 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 Arredondo

Manager Network Access Policy

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator