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Road train speed limits
Road train speed limits
National
Heavy
Vehicle
Regulator
The maximum speed a road train may travel is determined by the state or territory road authority.
Maximum speed limit
The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) does not give the NHVR the power to exempt an operator from complying with road rules. The actual speed limit of a road train on any given road is always the lesser of:
- state or territory road rules
- notice conditions
- permit conditions
- network road conditions
- posted speed limit.
What is a road train?
A road train is
- a B-triple; or
- a combination, other than a B-double, consisting of a motor vehicle towing at least 2 trailers, excluding any converter dolly supporting a semitrailer.
PBS vehicles that meet this definition (including PBS A-doubles) are also classified as road trains.
Maximum speed limits by state or territory
The maximum speed a road train may travel is determined by the state or Territory road authority. Table 1 lists the maximum speed limits relevant to road trains in each jurisdiction participating in the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice as outlined in their relevant regulations. The actual speed limit may be lesser, such as indicated by a posted speed limit, notice or permit condition. Operators must comply with the applicable speed limits.
Table 1: Speed limits for road trains by state and territory1
| Notice or permit | NSW | QLD | SA2 | VIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Eligible road train or PBS road train3 operating under the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice 2022 (No.3) |
90km/h as a condition of the Notice |
100km/h for B-triples 90km/h for all other road trains |
100km/h on the Eyre Highway, West of Port Augusta and Stuart Highway, North of Port Augusta 90km/h on any other road in South Australia. |
100km/h |
|
PBS road train operating under the |
100km/h |
100km/h for B-triples 90km/h for all other road trains |
100km/h on the Eyre Highway, West of Port Augusta and Stuart Highway, North of Port Augusta 90km/h on any other road in South Australia. |
100km/h |
|
PBS A-double operating under the Queensland Class 2 Performance Based Standards A-Double (Toowoomba to Port of Brisbane) Authorisation Notice 2023 (No.1) |
N/A |
90km/h as a condition of the notice |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Prescriptive road train under permit or PBS road train under permit |
90km/h when conditioned in a permit, otherwise 100km/h. |
100km/h for B-triples 90km/h for all other road trains |
100km/h on the Eyre Highway, West of Port Augusta and Stuart Highway, North of Port Augusta 90km/h on any other road in South Australia. |
100km/h |
|
1For New South Wales road train speed limits are defined in Part 3 of Road Rules 2014. For Queensland road train speed limits are defined in Section 24A of Transport Operations (Road Use Management—Road Rules) Regulation 2009. For South Australia road train speed limits are defined under Section 8 of the Road Traffic (Road Rules—Ancillary and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2014. For Victoria road train speed limits are defined in Part 3 of the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 The Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania do not have schedules in the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice. Part 3 of the Road Transport (Road Rules) Regulation 2017 and Part 3 of the Road Rules 2019 respectively, outline that if the speed limit is over 100km and the driver is driving a bus with a GVM over 5t, or another vehicle with a GVM over 12t, the speed limit applying to the driver for the length of road is 100km/h. For the Northern Territory the speed limit is 100km/h for a vehicle that meets the description under regulation 32 of the Motor Vehicle (Standards) Regulations 2003. Otherwise 90km/h for a road train that does not comply with regulation 32 of the Motor Vehicle (Standards) Regulations 2003. For Western Australia, Part 3 of the Road Traffic Code 2000 outlines the speed restriction, noting that s13(3) states: A person must not drive a vehicle, the GVM of which, taking into account any trailer attached and including the total load carried, is more than 12t, at a speed exceeding 100 km/h. 2In South Australia, a driver must not drive a road train at a speed exceeding 40km/h on a length of road in a built-up area in Orroroo, Peterborough, Port Augusta or Whyalla. 3A PBS road train operating under the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice can only operate under the notice if they meet all the conditions. Therefore eligible PBS road trains must only be one of the following road train configurations: A-double, AB-triple, B-triple, B-triple (modular), A-triple, ABB-quad, BAB-quad (as per the definition section of the notice for a Type 1 or Type 2 road train). PBS-approved road trains with exemptions to prescribed mass and dimension requirements are ineligible to operate under the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice (refer to Eligible vehicles for more information). 4A PBS road train operating under the National Performance Based Standards (High Productivity) Notice in Victoria includes A-double, B-triple and AB-triple; and in New South Wales includes A-double. |
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Operating under a notice
A heavy vehicle notice or operator guide may apply a speed limit as an access condition. For example, New South Wales applies a maximum 90km/h speed limit in the Operator's Guide for the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice.
PBS-approved road trains are subject to maximum speed limit(s) by state legislation unless a speed condition is applied in their relevant PBS notice.
Operating under a permit
A road manager can specify speed restrictions in a heavy vehicle access permit. Operators must comply with the conditions of the permit and not exceed the lesser of the posted speed limit and the maximum speed limits specified in the permit.
Operating on a network
A road manager may apply speed restrictions to specific roads on a network by listing the restriction as a condition in the relevant state map.
When accessing networks approved via gazettal notice or permit, operators must check the applicable state maps to ensure no extra conditions or restrictions apply to their intended route. Operator must comply with network road conditions unless an explicit permit allows for deviations.
In scenarios where operators are not permitted to exceed a particular network road condition, they must abide by the restriction detailed on the state maps, always adhering to the lower limit between posted speed limits and road condition-defined speed limits.
For the most recent network route restrictions, please refer to State road transport authority mapping sites.
Speed limiting devices
The Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation requires that the maximum road speed capability of prime movers used in a road train combination is limited to 100 km/h. This refers to the speed capability of the road train, and is not a factor in determining the maximum speed limit.
