Operating a heavy vehicle

Multi-combination vehicles

Transitioned notices covering the operation of heavy vehicle access have been replaced and National and State notices made under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) have been updated. A list of expiring notices and their replacement is available on the NHVR's Notice and permit-based schemes website.

Operators and drivers of multi-combination vehicles must comply with the specified notice(s) available from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator's (NHVR) website

Vehicle Combinations

B-Doubles

Expiring Notice	Updated Notice
South Australia Class 3 Heavy Articulated Motor Vehicle and B-Double Livestock Loading Mass Exemption (Notice) 2014 (No.1)	South Australia Class 3 Articulated Motor Vehicle and B-Double Livestock Loading Mass Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)
Operation of 26m B-Double Vehicles and Operation of B-Double Vehicles up to 25m in length	National Class 2 B-Double Authorisation Notice 2019

Expiring Notice

Updated Notice

South Australia Class 3 Heavy Articulated Motor Vehicle and B-Double Livestock Loading Mass Exemption (Notice) 2014 (No.1)

South Australia Class 3 Articulated Motor Vehicle and B-Double Livestock Loading Mass Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)

Operation of 26m B-Double Vehicles

and

Operation of B-Double Vehicles up to 25m in length

National Class 2 B-Double Authorisation Notice 2019

Operation of B-Doubles to access Thomas Food International at Lobethal

Conditional B-Double access to Thomas Foods International at Lobethal is available to heavy vehicle operators with a permit issued by the NHVR. Operators must comply with a range of safety conditions that will remain in place until the Lobethal Freight Access Upgrade project is completed.

Rigid truck and dog trailers

Expiring Notice	Updated Notice
Operation of Rigid Truck and Dog Trailer Combinations up to 23m in length	South Australia Class 3 Heavy Vehicle 23m Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2017
Transport of Stobie poles by SA power networks and contractors	South Australia Class 3 Heavy Vehicle Truck and Dog (Stobie Pole) Dimension Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)

Road trains

Expiring Notice	Updated Notice
Operation of B-triple vehicles up to 35m in length	South Australia Schedule of the National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 (No. 1) (Refer to the National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 Amendment Notice 2019 (No.1))
Operation of Road Train Vehicles in South Australia¹	South Australia Class 3 (Application of Higher Mass Limits) Mass Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1) South Australia Class 3 Road Train (Limited Routes) Dimension Exemption Notice 2019 National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 (No. 1) National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 Amendment Notice 2019 (No.1) National Class 3 Heavy Vehicle 4.6m High by Construction Semitrailer Dimension Exemption (Notice) 2014 (No. 1) South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2019
South Australia class 2 heavy vehicle 25m to 30m road train authorisation notice 2017	National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 (No. 1) National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 Amendment Notice 2019 (No.1)

Expiring Notice

Updated Notice

Operation of B-triple vehicles up to 35m in length

South Australia Schedule of the National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 (No. 1)

(Refer to the National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 Amendment Notice 2019 (No.1))

Operation of Road Train Vehicles in South Australia¹

South Australia Class 3 (Application of Higher Mass Limits) Mass Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)

South Australia Class 3 Road Train (Limited Routes) Dimension Exemption Notice 2019

National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 (No. 1)

National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 Amendment Notice 2019 (No.1)

National Class 3 Heavy Vehicle 4.6m High by Construction Semitrailer Dimension Exemption (Notice) 2014 (No. 1)

South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2019

South Australia class 2 heavy vehicle 25m to 30m road train authorisation notice 2017

National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 (No. 1)

National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation (Notice) 2015 Amendment Notice 2019 (No.1)

Note:

The original SA Road Train notice contained a variety of authorisations, exemptions and Higher Mass Limit declarations. These cannot be combined under a single Heavy Vehicle National Law Notice therefore various components have been included amongst existing and amended notices.
Rules relating to the speed limits applying to road trains are located in the Road Traffic (Road Rules - Ancillary and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2014.

AB-triples: AB-Triple Road Train Fact Sheet (899.6 KB PDF) - operators with eligible AB-triple road trains are able to access approved routes using a permit issued by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

Converter Dolly

Expiring Notice	Updated Notice
South Australia Class 3 Heavy Vehicle Converter Dolly Mass and Dimension Exemption (Notice) 2014 (No. 1)	South Australia Class 3 Converter Dolly Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)

Vehicle Carrier

Expiring Notice	Updated Notice
South Australia Class 3 Heavy Vehicle 23 Metre Long Single Deck Vehicle Carrier Dimension Exemption (Notice) 2014 (No. 1)	South Australia Class 3 23m Long Single Deck Vehicle Carrier Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)

Conditions of Operation

NHVAS Maintenance

The review of transitioned notices identified that requirements to satisfy roadworthiness of a heavy vehicle, either through a periodic inspection or through the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) Maintenance Management, has not been consistency applied.

The revised conditions published in the updated notices provide the following options in relation to roadworthiness requirements:

NHVAS Maintenance Management accreditation must be held for all vehicles and components of the combination. or
The heavy vehicle is subject to periodic inspection in line with requirements of the jurisdiction of registration, or where regular period inspection is not a requirement, in accordance with South Australian heavy vehicle inspection schedules.

More information is available in the Information Bulletin - NHVAS Maintenance (215.9 KB PDF).

Medical certificates

The requirement to carry a medical certificate south of Port Augusta has been removed from the updated notices as it is not a valid road or travel condition under the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

Medical examination requirements have been removed as these are administered under the Motor Vehicles Act 1959 and/or the HVNL, as part the Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue requirements.