The Performance-Based Standards (PBS) Scheme offers the heavy vehicle industry the potential to achieve higher productivity and safety through innovative and optimised vehicle design.
PBS vehicles are designed to perform their tasks as productively, safely and sustainably as possible, and to operate on networks that are appropriate for their level of performance. The basic principle of PBS is matching the right vehicles to the right tasks.
PBS vehicles are tested against 16 stringent safety standards and four infrastructure standards to ensure they fit the existing road network and are safe. The scheme has been in operation since October 2007.
Publications
- Adding Identical-Footprint Vehicles to a PBS Vehicle Approval (PDF, 240KB) - When new vehicles are added to an existing VA, these vehicles can have identical and non-identical axle spacings footprint to vehicles already approved on the VA. The identical-footprint policy allows operators to update their VA without unnecessary administrative delays associated with a brand-new VA number.
- Information for PBS Assessors and Certifiers - Vehicle Certification and COVID-19 (PDF188KB) - Guidance for certifiers certifying vehicles for the purpose of Vehicle Approvals during the current coronavirus outbreak.
- PBS Design Approval modification process (PDF, 350KB) - This information sheet provides guidance about the administrative arrangements for making modifications to existing PBS Design Approvals (DAs).
- PBS Performance Assessment Results – Road Manager Information Sheet (PDF, 325KB) - This information sheet outlines the new process of providing the PBS technical assessment results to Road Managers. The new process is designed to provide details of vehicle’s performance and facilitate more informed access decisions.
- PBS pre-advised design approval process (PDF, 338KB) - Guidance about the extension of the PBS pre-advised design approval process to include qualifying truck and 5- and 6-axle dog combinations
- PBS Vehicle Configurations chart (PDF, 1.1MB) - This chart shows some of the NHVR-approved PBS heavy vehicle combinations used in Australia. Other heavy vehicle configurations may not be represented.
- PBS vehicles carrying dangerous goods (PDF, 144KB) - Describes the requirements for PBS approved tankers carrying dangerous goods.
- Performance Based Standards - A guide for road managers (5.7MB) - This booklet is designed to provide road managers with a greater understanding of the Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme, and its principles, benefits and approval processes, to make it as easy as possible to assess, and grant network access to, PBS vehicles.
- Performance Based Standards - Australia’s PBS fleet 2020 (PDF, 1.7MB) - The ARTSA Institute and the NHVR have prepared this report to assist the heavy vehicle market to better understand the significance and benefits of PBS.
- Updates to the PBS pre-advised design approval process (PDF, 372KB) - From 22 July 2019, the PBS pre-advised design approval process has been extended to include vehicles carrying dangerous goods