General Access Vehicles
General Access Vehicles comply with certain mass and dimension requirements and do not require any special permission or exemption to operate on the road network. These vehicles have a general right to access to the road network except where a specific sign-posted restriction applies to any particular road or infrastructure – for example, a mass limit applying to a section of road or a bridge would prohibit any vehicles exceeding that particular limit.
Typical examples of GAVs include many heavy vehicle combinations measuring 19 metres in length or shorter (20m for PBS Level 1) – such as a semi-trailers or rigid trucks (which may include dog or pig trailers).
Restricted Access Vehicles
Restricted Access Vehicles are separated into three classes as outlined below.
Class 1:
- Special Purpose Vehicles defined as a motor vehicle or trailer, other than an agricultural vehicle or a tow truck, built for a purpose other than carrying goods; or a concrete pump or fire truck. Examples include mobile cranes, drill rigs, concrete pumps, graders and fire trucks.
- Agricultural Vehicles defined as an agricultural implement or agricultural machine, including any agricultural trailers. Examples include combine harvesters, tractors, grain augers and chaser bins.
- Oversize Overmass Vehicles (OSOM) defined as a heavy vehicle or combination that does not comply with a prescribed dimension (oversize) or mass (overmass) requirement applying to it (including gross mass, axle or axle group mass).
Class 2:
- Freight Carrying Vehicles including B-doubles, road trains, Performance Based Standard (PBS) vehicles and some livestock and vehicle carriers that exceed prescribed heights by construction. These vehicles are typically over 19 metres long as they require specific road networks that are capable of handling these larger vehicles, although 19 metre B-Doubles are also classified as Class 2 Heavy Vehicles.
- Controlled Access Buses defined as a bus, other than an articulated bus, that is longer than 12.5m but less than 14.5m, that complies with prescribed mass and dimension requirements.
Class 3:
- Heavy vehicles that exceed prescribed limits within the Heavy Vehicle Mass, Dimension and Loading National Regulation requirements and are not Class 1 heavy vehicles. Examples include underhook/underlift tow trucks, truck and dog combinations over 42.5 tonnes, and B-double or road train combinations transporting a load wider than 2.5 metres.
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator publishes an interactive online map which sets out the pre-approved networks for the various classes/categories of heavy vehicles across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. A permit is required for Restricted Access Vehicles to use any parts of the road network which are not indicated as approved for that particular configuration.
The Amber team have extensive experience across all heavy vehicle access matters and can provide specialist advice to assist with any unique project requirements. Our work on a wide range of wind farm, solar farm and battery storage projects often involves determining the most appropriate routes for complex vehicle combinations including B-doubles, cranes and oversize/overmass vehicles used to transport larger plant and equipment. Where vehicles need to access specific sections of the road network which are not pre-approved, we can review the geometry of the road network and undertake swept path assessment to determine whether it is feasible for heavy vehicle access or if any specific road upgrades would be required. Feel free to get in touch with our friendly team to discuss your next project.
