Which Way To Go

Transport law, news & explainers

Independent Australian transport journalism and plain-English reference guides built from primary sources.

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  • What is a heavy-vehicle defect notice?

    A heavy-vehicle defect notice is an enforcement notice identifying a vehicle defect and the restrictions, repair and clearance steps required before unrestricted use can resume.

  • What are the HVNL speed compliance duties?

    Drivers must obey applicable speed limits, and businesses must ensure their transport activities, requests and contracts do not cause or encourage a heavy-vehicle driver to speed.

  • What are heavy-vehicle roadworthiness and maintenance duties?

    A heavy vehicle used on a road must comply with applicable vehicle standards and must not be unsafe, while each Chain of Responsibility party must control the maintenance and roadworthiness risks within its influence.

  • When are pilot and escort vehicles required?

    A pilot or escort is required only when the applicable notice, permit or jurisdictional condition requires it for the vehicle’s dimensions, route, travel time or other circumstances.

  • Who is a road manager and when is consent required?

    A road manager is the public authority responsible for a road, and its consent is generally required before the NHVR can add restricted-access authority for that road to a notice or permit.

  • What is a restricted-access vehicle?

    A restricted-access vehicle is a heavy vehicle that cannot rely on ordinary general access and may use a road only under the notice, permit, network and conditions that authorise its exact vehicle or category.

  • What are Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 heavy vehicles?

    The HVNL access classes describe why a heavy vehicle needs restricted access: Class 1 covers specified special-purpose, agricultural and large-indivisible-load vehicles, Class 2 covers prescribed configurations, and Class 3 captures other mass or dimension exceptions.

  • What is an oversize overmass vehicle?

    An oversize or overmass movement exceeds an applicable dimension or mass requirement and needs a lawful exemption, route and conditions before the vehicle can travel on a road.

  • What is an axle group and how do axle-spacing limits work?

    An axle group is a legally defined set of closely spaced axles, and a heavy vehicle must comply with both the limit for each axle or group and the separate gross-mass limit produced by its axle spacings.

  • What do GVM, GCM, ATM and GTM mean?

    GVM, GCM, ATM and GTM are maximum manufacturer or registration mass ratings for a vehicle, combination or trailer; they are ceilings, not the vehicle’s actual scale weight or an automatic legal loading entitlement.