The Heavy Vehicle National Law makes requirements when transporting items on a Class 1 load-carrying vehicle. This web page describes the conditions under which transporting more than one large indivisible item or other goods is allowed.

Notice and permit requirements take precedence

A Class 1 load-carrying vehicle, transporting at least one large indivisible item must always operate under a notice or permit. The requirements discussed on this page for carrying multiple items are the default requirements made under Schedule 8 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (the MDL Regulation). Under the HVNL, any conditions of a mass and or dimension (access) notice or permit may add to, vary and take precedence to those described here.

Requirements for carrying multiple large indivisible items

The loading of more than one large indivisible item on a Class 1 load-carrying vehicle is allowed if:

• the additional item(s) do not cause the vehicle and load to exceed any prescribed dimension requirement that the primary item did not already cause it to exceed; and
• the total vehicle or combination mass does not exceed General Mass Limits.

Prescribed dimension requirements are those made under the MDL Regulation and described at General mass and dimension limits. Key examples are:

• Height limit of 4.3m.
• Heavy vehicle combination length limit of 19.0m.
• Width limit of 2.5m.

As illustrated in Figure 1. Two of the loads separately cause the loaded vehicle to exceed different prescribed dimension requirements. Those are:

• The two forward-most loads (the grey tanks) exceed the prescribed width limit of 2.5m.
• The rear-most blue load causes the combination to exceed the prescribed height limit of 4.3m.

Had all three loads exceeded only the prescribed width limit, they would comply with the HVNL requirements for carrying multiple large indivisible items.

Requirements for carrying goods in addition to a large indivisible item

A Class 1 load-carrying vehicle may carry other goods in addition to and which are not large indivisible items, if:

1. the goods themselves would not cause any prescribed dimension limit to be exceeded
2. the vehicle is carrying at least one large indivisible item
3. the vehicle, together with the load does not exceed the General Mass Limits.

Other goods are any items that are not a large indivisible item. The additional goods may be goods used in connection with the large indivisible items(s) loaded on the vehicle (e.g. attachments for an excavator being transported), or for an entirely different purpose.

Examples of additional goods loaded in a compliant and non-compliant manner are shown in Figure 2. It shows a Class 1 combination carrying a large indivisible item (the yellow front end loader). The combination is 23m long, while the applicable prescribed dimension limit is 19m.

With additional items allowed to be loaded within the prescribed dimension limit (19m for length), Figure 2 shows how the tyres loaded at the forward position (identified by the ) complies with this requirement, while the tyres loaded at the rear outside of the prescribed 19m limit do not comply. There are exceptions to this, as noted with the rearward loaded tyres in Figure 2 and described in the following section.

While the example in Figure 2 uses length, the same rules apply for other dimensions – i.e. width and height.

Class 1 load carrying vehicle carrying a special purpose vehicle (SPV) or agricultural vehicle

A load-carrying vehicle carrying a special purpose vehicle (SPV) or agricultural vehicle may carry equipment, tools, substances or detached parts to be used in conjunction with the vehicle being carried. These items must be loaded to comply with conditions of the Class 1 load-carrying vehicle’s mass and dimension notice or permit. 

Such items may be loaded in a way that they (on their own) would cause a prescribed dimension limit to be exceeded. For example, if a permit authorises the vehicle and load to be up to 25m length, these items may be positioned anywhere on the vehicle within that length.

The example of Figure 2 shows the tyre stack loaded rearwards on the trailer, at a position beyond the prescribed length limit of 19m. If the tyres are being transported for a purpose associated with operation of the front end loader (the large indivisible item), this would be allowed.