National Class 2 Road Train Operator’s Guide JUNE 2020 National Class 2 Road Train Operator’s Guide – 2020 Operator’s Train 2 Road Class National 1 Contents Introduction 3 Eligible road trains 3 Livestock transport 4 Commodity transport in South Australia 4 Vehicle carriers 4 Mass requirements 4 Axle groups and mass limits 4 Axle mass spacing limits 4 Local mass requirements 5 Dimension requirements 6 Warning signs 6 Braking requirements 6 Mechanical couplings and ratings 6 Approved routes 7 Speed limits 9 Conditions applying to road trains in individual states 9 NHVAS accreditation 9 Requirement to carry the Notice or Operator’s Guide 9 Appendix 1: Axle spacing mass limits 10 Appendix 2: Definitions 11 Further information For further information about the National Class 2 Road Train Operator’s Guide please contact: National Heavy Vehicle Regulator E: [email protected] P: 1300 MYNHVR (1300 696 487) www.nhvr.gov.au National Class 2 Road Train Operator’s Guide – 2020 Operator’s Train 2 Road Class National 2 Introduction Type 2 combinations (up to 53.5m long) States where operation is permitted: NSW QLD SA VIC The National Class 2 Road Train Operator’s Guide outlines the requirements for operating a road train under the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2020 (the Notice) in the Allowable Type 2 combinations: Length limit (m) participating states of New South Wales, Queensland, South A-triple 53.5 Australia and Victoria. The Notice commences on 4 June 2020. AB-triple 44.0 Eligible road trains BAB-quad 53.5 ABB-quad 53.5 Rigid truck towing two trailers 47.5 A separate and additional road network for AB-triples up to 42.0m long Figure 1: An example of a road train (AB-triple) exists in South Australia only. Road train combination types eligible to operate under the Notice The eligibility of Type 1 road train combinations varies between states are shown in Table 1. Operators of road trains that cannot operate (e.g. Table 1 shows that A-doubles have access in all participating under the Notice must apply for an access permit. states, while B-triples and AB-triples only have access in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. Table 1: Eligible road train combinations under the Notice Type 2 road trains are granted access as a group. Table 1 shows the Type 1 combinations (up to 36.5m Length States where operation range of allowable Type 2 combinations with access in New South long) limit is permitted Wales, Queensland and South Australia—but not Victoria. (m) NSW QLD SA VIC Two additional road networks are available in South Australia: A-double1 36.5* • A-doubles up to 30.0m long • AB-triples up to 42.0m long. For these shorter combinations, these networks are extensions of the B-triple (Modular) 35.0 ones for 36.5m A-doubles and 44.0m AB-triples respectively. To be eligible to operate under the Notice, road trains must fully comply with all requirements of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension B-triple 36.5 and Loading) National Regulation. AB-triple2 36.5 Rigid truck towing two trailers 36.5 * A separate and additional road network for A-doubles up to 30.0m long exists in South Australia only. 1 A-doubles are sometimes called double road trains. 2 AB-triples are sometimes called AB-doubles. Guide – 2020 Operator’s Train 2 Road Class National 3 Livestock transport Mass requirements Road trains may be used to transport livestock. They typically have The default mass limits are the General Mass Limits (GML). two, three or four decks, and a total height of up to 4.6m. Their A summary of mass requirements is available on the NHVR website operation is authorised under the Notice. at www.nhvr.gov.au/road-access/mass-dimension-and-loading. These include mass limits: Livestock-transport-specific mass requirements vary between states and are summarised in Table 2. • specified by the vehicle manufacturer • for individual axles and axle groups Table 2: Mass limits for livestock transport road trains by state and • for individual component vehicles and trailers territory • for the combination as a whole • as determined by axle spacing (Appendix 1). State/territory Livestock transport road train mass limits Road trains may also load to Concessional Mass Limits (CML). The New South Wales Livestock transport mass limits standard requirements for CML apply, including for operators to be Queensland Livestock volumetric loading accredited under the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) Mass Management module. South Australia As per non-livestock Victoria Road train operators may operate under Higher Mass Limits (HML). When loaded under HML, operators may only access roads approved under both this Notice and for HML. This means that more Volumetric loading is permitted in South Australia and Victoria for restricted access applies when operating at HML than at GML or some combination types, but not road trains. CML. More information is available on the NHVR website at www.nhvr. More information can be found at: gov.au and on state and territory road agency websites. • https://www.nhvr.gov.au/cml for CML Some specific requirements apply to operating livestock transport • https://www.nhvr.gov.au/hml for HML. road trains in New South Wales. In some instances, A-doubles must be fitted with a tri-axle converter dolly. Details are published on Transport for New South Wales’ road train access maps (see the Approved routes section of this guide). Axle groups and mass limits Table 3 shows the maximum mass allowable on an axle or axle Commodity transport in South Australia group. All of the axle group types listed in Table 2 are allowed on road Dedicated road networks for road trains carrying certain trains operating under the Notice, except: commodities are available in South Australia. These networks • tri-axle drive groups – prohibited on any road trains operating provide additional access, beyond that for the same combinations under the Notice carrying goods other than the specified commodities. • quad-axle groups – prohibited on any road trains operating Road trains eligible to operate on the South Australian commodity under the Notice and when on state-controlled roads in networks are: Queensland only. • A-doubles up to 36.5m long • B-triples up to 36.5m long (including modular B-triples up to 35.0m long) Axle mass spacing limits • rigid trucks towing two trailers up to 36.5m long. In addition to complying with the mass and dimension requirements, Detailed information on local conditions for commodity-carrying road trains must comply with the axle spacing mass limits included road trains in South Australia is available on the South Australian in Appendix 1. RAVNet Online Map system at www.dpti.sa.gov.au/ravnet. Figure 2 shows an example of the axle spacing requirements and mass limits for a 36.5m A-double. Vehicle carriers Road trains used to carry vehicles may operate under the Notice. Vehicle carrier road trains may be up to 4.6m high if built with more than one deck. National Class 2 Road Train Operator’s Guide – 2020 Operator’s Train 2 Road Class National 4 Axle/s Axle group/ Axle/vehicle Tyre section Mass limit (t) tyres requirements width GML CML HML less than 11.0 11.5 11.0 375mm single tyres on all axles 375- 450mm 13.3 13.8 13.3 at least 14.0 14.5 14.0 450mm Tandem 3 axle group single tyres on one axle and n/a 13.0 13.5 14.0 dual tyres on the other axle Figure 2: Measuring axle spacing on a 36.5m A-double dual tyres on all n/a 16.5 17.0 Table 5 specifies road train axle spacing mass limits. The distance axles between axle groups determines the maximum allowable mass over single tyres on those axle groups. all axles single tyres less than 15.0 15.5 15.0 Table 3: Mass limits for single axles and axle groups a combination of single and 375mm Axle/s Axle group/ Axle/vehicle Tyre section Mass limit (t) dual tyres tyres requirements width GML CML HML Tri-axle single tyres on at least 375 default limit n/a 6.0 group all axles mm complying steer a combination single tyres n/a 6.5 axle vehicle of single and at least 375 20.0 21.0 22.54 Steer axle dual tyres mm n/a 295-375 mm 6.5 at least 375 dual tyres on all n/a 7.1 n/a mm axles less than less than 6.0 15.0 375mm single tyres on 375mm all axles at least single tyres 375- 450mm 6.7 Quad-axle 5 375mm Single axle at least 20.0 7.0 dual tyres on all 450mm n/a axles dual tyres n/a 9.0 non load- Local mass requirements sharing n/a 10.0 Twin-steer suspension The mass requirements under the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension axle group system and Loading) National Regulation and described—GML, CML and Single tyres load-sharing HML—determine whether a road train is eligible to operate under the suspension n/a 11.0 Notice (at all). system Operators must also comply with local mass requirements. These are as shown on the maps detailing road train access. These local requirements reflect limitations of specific road infrastructure (e.g. a bridge load limit). 3 Tri-axles cannot be used as the drive axle group. 4 HML (22.5t) is unavailable for single-tyred tri-axle groups when operating on roads in Victoria.