Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) has broadly supported proposed changes to mass and dimension limits under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, while cautioning that the reforms are incremental and may not deliver the productivity gains the industry urgently needs.
In a submission to the National Transport Commission’s review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law Mass, Dimension and Loading regulations, HVIA endorsed increases to allowable mass and length limits as a necessary response to rising freight demand and congestion pressures. However, it warned that the changes are modest and risk being undermined by increased regulatory complexity and inconsistent responses from road managers.
HVIA strongly supports increases to mass and dimension limits to improve productivity and reduce congestion, emissions, and safety risks. The submission argues that without reform, a growing freight task will translate directly into more vehicles on the road, higher costs and worsening safety outcomes.
The NTC proposals include lifting the prescriptive length limit from 19 metres to 20 metres, increasing General Mass Limits to align with existing Concessional Mass Limits, extending Euro VI mass concessions to road train prime movers and adjusting tow mass ratios for tag trailers.
While HVIA supports each of these measures in principle, it says their individual benefits are marginal. The submission questions whether the package is sufficiently ambitious to meet future freight demand, particularly given rising volumes across construction, agriculture and resources supply chains.
HVIA also raised concerns that none of the proposed changes simplify the law. Instead, it argues the reforms add further layers of policy settings, internal dimension controls and conditional access rules that will increase compliance complexity for operators and manufacturers.
The submission highlights several unfavourable policy settings that, if addressed, could unlock additional productivity gains. These include retaining conservative axle group mass limits, constraining gross combination mass, limiting how additional length can be used in truck and trailer combinations, and introducing a new tow mass ratio that may still restrict legitimate operations.
HVIA further cautioned that the success of the reforms will ultimately depend on how state and local road managers respond. Without consistent access outcomes, the changes risk being neutralised by local signage, permit conditions or network restrictions.
Despite these concerns, HVIA urged that the reforms not be delayed, noting the industry needs certainty and momentum. It said further refinements could be addressed through subsequent HVNL reforms rather than postponing the current package.
HVIA said it looks forward to continuing discussions with regulators throughout 2026 to pursue more ambitious, straightforward, simpler, and nationally consistent reforms that genuinely lift productivity while supporting safer, cleaner and more efficient freight movements.