Qualifying to be a Specified PBS Vehicle

Under the Specified PBS Vehicle provision, certain qualifying vehicles may access all roads without an access permit or Notice.

A Specified PBS Vehicle must meet the following criteria to qualify:

• Possess a current PBS Vehicle Approval (VA) with a Level 1 mass table.
• Have a length of no more than 20 metres.
• Not be a bus, road train or B-double.
• Be loaded to General Mass Limits (GML) masses as per Schedule 1 of the Mass Dimension Loading (MDL) Regulation. 

Note: GML as per Schedule 1 of the MDL and approved GML on your VA are not necessarily the same. Approved mass as a specified PBS Vehicle will generally be LESS than the PBS GML on your VA.

What are General Mass Limits?

GML is defined in the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) and includes:  

• Axle and axle group mass limits (Table 1)
• Total vehicle and combination mass limits (Table 2 and 3)
• Axle mass spacing limits
• Towed mass ratio limits. 

GML excludes the following mass exceptions:

• Quad-axle mass exception limits
• Higher Mass Limits (HML). A heavy vehicle operating under any of the above two mass exceptions is not operating at GML and does not qualify for general access. 

Access modes for PBS Level 1 vehicles

A PBS Level 1 heavy vehicle can operate under two different access modes:

Access mode 1 – Full PBS mass limits

Under this mode, the vehicle has the ability to operate at full PBS mass limits. The operator must carry a valid PBS Vehicle Approval (VA) and comply with the conditions of a relevant notice or access permit.

The operator must also meet all PBS Level 1 conditions specified in the vehicle’s PBS Approval.

Access mode 2 – Specified PBS Vehicle GML mass

Under this mode, the vehicle operates at reduced masses (GML) as outlined in Tables 1 and 2. A VA must still be carried; however, the vehicle is permitted general access to the road network without the need for a permit or notice.

The operator must continue to comply with all PBS Level 1 conditions of the vehicle’s PBS Approval.

An additional requirement when operating under general access is that the total vehicle length must not exceed 20 metres. Other dimensions, such as height and width, are governed by the VA and may exceed standard prescriptive limits for non-PBS vehicles (for example, heights above 4.3 metres or widths above 2.5 metres).

Although general access may apply to vehicles both above and below 4.3 metres in height, operators remain responsible for ensuring adequate overhead clearance along any planned route.

Example VA 1

Based on the information we can see in the above Example VA 1 the combination may operate as a specified PBS vehicle as:

• A valid VA is being used.
• Overall length is less than 20m.
• The combination is not a bus, road train or B-double.

But the combination would be limited to 44.0t loaded as per Schedule 1 GML mass of the MDL Regulation.    

If the operator wants to carry full PBS GML mass as per the VA (50.5t) this would exceed Schedule 1 GML MDL Mass and therefore unable to travel as a Specified PBS Vehicle and need to operate under Access Mode 2.

Towed mass ratio limits apply 

When operating under GML, loading and unloading must be managed so that the trailer mass does not exceed the mass of the towing vehicle.

Further information

If one or more of the combinations on the VA have a provision to operate as a Specified PBS Vehicle there will be an information page on the second-to-last page of your VA. This contains relevant information on how to operate.

NHVR PBS contacts

• For questions about PBS Design Approvals, contact our PBS Designs team at pbsdesigns@nhvr.gov.au
• For questions about PBS Vehicle Approvals, contact our PBS Vehicle Approvals team at pbs@nhvr.gov.au
• For questions about access and permits to operate your PBS vehicle on the road, contact us.