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Land Transport Rule: Heavy Vehicles 2004

This rule sets out requirements and standards for heavy vehicle safety. It applies to vehicles with a gross vehicle mass of more than 3500kg.

Rule versions

  • The ‘Current rule’ will give you the most up-to-date version of the Rule and any amendments made to it. We recommend this as your reference point if you want to read the most current information.
  • The ‘Original rule and amendments’ will give you the very first version of the rule (as it was when it was first created) as well as links to all amendments made to it over time. We recommend this page as your reference page if you want to research the history of the rule.

Note: Both of these pages will also provide links to the consultation material – such as summary of submissions and FAQs (questions and answers) – for each version and amendment.

Questions and answers

Questions and answers are provided to accompany a new rule or amendment when they are signed. These and other consultation documents on this page have not been updated to take into account any later rule amendments and are retained for historic interest only.  

Land Transport Rules - Questions & answers

Questions and answers for Land Transport Rule: Heavy Vehicles (Rule 31002)

1. Why is this rule needed?

The Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) is well-advanced in a programme of converting existing land transport regulations, policy statements, Gazette notices and other similar requirements into Land Transport Rules. Land Transport Rules consolidate and help clarify the existing requirements. They also propose new requirements. Rules are drafted in plain language so that they are readily understandable, thereby improving the ability of people to comply with the requirements.
There are two main safety reasons for making Land Transport Rule: Heavy Vehicles (the Heavy Vehicles Rule):

  • To help reduce the number of road crashes that are caused by defects in heavy vehicles. Police and LTSA data show that vehicle defects cause or contribute to between 6% and 13% of the total number of crashes involving heavy vehicles. Crashes involving a heavy vehicle tend to result in serious and fatal injuries and large financial and social costs to the community.
  • To clarify and update the safety requirements for heavy vehicles, making it easier to understand and to encourage compliance and improve safety.

2. What vehicles will be covered by the rule?

The rule will cover all heavy vehicles. This means all vehicles with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) exceeding 3500 kg, including trucks, trailers, semi-trailers and buses.

3. What does the rule aim to do?

The rule aims to improve safety for road users by requiring that:

  • heavy vehicles be built, modified and repaired correctly, and be maintained in good operating condition according to the manufacturer’s instructions;
  • specialist equipment fitted to a heavy vehicle enables the vehicle to be operated safely under all reasonably-expected operating conditions and does not endanger the safety of the vehicle, its occupants and other roads users;
    only safety equipment that complies with specified standards and other safety requirements may be fitted to, or used with, a heavy vehicle operated on New Zealand roads.

4. What existing general safety requirements for heavy vehicles have been consolidated or clarified?

The rule includes a number of consolidated and clarified requirements. The important ones to note are set out below:

Chassis and body strength, body attachment
The rule requires that the chassis and the body of a heavy vehicle must be strong enough for the operating conditions for which it was constructed. The rule also contains requirements for the body-to-chassis attachment.

Cab-guards
The rule requires that trucks that are constructed to carry timber logs have cab-guards. The requirements for the cabguards and the way they are fitted to trucks are also specified in the rule.

Requirements for various components
The rule requires that components such as axles, suspension systems, transmissions, driveshafts and ballrace turntables are of adequate strength and be fitted according to the specification of their manufacturers.

Containment of the load
The rule requires that a vehicle that is constructed to carry a load, has the proper means to contain the load. In many cases, the vehicle will be required to be fitted with load anchorage points. However, in the case of closed bodies, tipping bodies or tank bodies, which are designed to contain the load, load anchorage points are not required.

Are there any new requirements in the rule?

Yes, there are three new requirements in the Heavy Vehicles Rule that are compulsory for the affected vehicles.

New requirement for all heavy vehicles:

  • Electrical requirements
    The rule specifies safety requirements based on the current industry practice for electrical requirements, such as:
    • accessory equipment that results in wiring being overloaded must not be fitted;
    • the voltages of electrical systems must be appropriate for their designed purpose;
    • electronic or electrical control units of safety-related equipment (such as the electronic control unit of an anti-lock braking system (ABS) brake) must be shielded from electrical interference.

New requirements for some types of heavy vehicles:

  • Equipment locking devices
    From 1997 to 2001, there was one fatal crash, four injury crashes and five minor crashes associated with equipment-lock failure on heavy vehicles. The rule states that to be safe, sliding axle-sets, sliding chassis and the outriggers on swivelling cranes, must have an effective locking device. Benefit-cost analysis supports the requirement that outriggers on swivelling cranes be fitted with an alarm or a signalling device to indicate to the driver if the equipment is not locked properly when an outrigger-locking device can’t be seen from where the outriggers are operated. A continuous audible alarm or visual signal is required to operate until the equipment is fully locked. These warning devices must be fitted to outriggers on swivelling cranes by the date of issue of the first certificate of fitness issued on or after 1 April 2006. For sliding axle sets and sliding chassis, the rule requires that slideway endstops must be fitted to prevent axle-set or chassis separation
  • TTMF-coded drawbeams and drawbars
    Drawbeams and drawbars are subject to fatigue loading, and the longer they are in service the greater the probability that they will have reached the end of their safe life. There has been increasing concern about the safety of drawbeams and drawbars certified for compliance with the Recommended Practice for Towing Connections published by the Truck-Trailer Manufacturers’ Federation (the TTMF code). To reduce the risks to road safety, the rule requires TTMF-coded drawbeams and drawbars to be withdrawn from service by the date of issue of the first certificate of fitness issued on or after 1 April 2006, unless they can be recertified to the New Zealand Standard 5446:1987, Code of Practice for Heavy Motor Vehicle Towing Connections: Drawbar Trailers.

Voluntary alternative requirements for all heavy vehicles

  • Curtain-sided bodies
    The rule requires that curtains fitted to heavy vehicles to contain a load without any lashings must have a proper rating. The rule sets performance limits for curtain-sided bodies, and allows the Director to approve methods for rating curtain-sided bodies. However, if a curtain was not designed to secure a load, (ie, weather protection only) the curtain would not be required to have a rating.
  • Headboards, sideboards and tailboards
    The rule states that the strength of headboards, sideboards and tailboards that are fitted to restrain the load, either with or without lashings, must be specified. However if the headboard, sideboards and tailboard are not fitted to restrain the load, then these requirements do not apply.

5. What does this rule require in respect of certification of heavy vehicles?

Heavy vehicles must meet a range of safety requirements before they can be certified for entry into the fleet and must undergo periodic Certificate of Fitness (CoF) in-service inspections.

The rule also clarifies and consolidates the types of modifications and repairs that require certification by specialist certifiers. Certification is required in connection with:

  • structural modification of the chassis, e.g., chassis lengthening or shortening;
  • addition, removal or relocation of an axle, replacement of an axle or a suspension system with a different type;
  • modifications affecting the engine, transmission or driveshaft;
  • fitting of equipment such as a hoist, or a specialist body, (e.g. a tipping body or log bolsters), which may place a concentrated load on the chassis;
  • fitting of load anchorage points and stockcrate retention devices;
  • fitting of log bolster attachments;
  • fitting of drawbeams, towbars, drawbars, fifth wheels and kingpins;
  • left- to right-hand drive or dual steering conversion;
  • structural repair of chassis frames or monocoque bodies.

6. What impact will the rule have on the warrant of fitness (WoF) and certificate of fitness (CoF) regimes?

The rule will not directly affect the present CoF regime in any appreciable way.

However, another rule, Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002, brings heavy tractors and machines operated on the road at a speed greater than 30 km/h into the warrant of fitness regime. WoF inspections now check equipment such as towing connections on these vehicles.

7. What will happen if my vehicle does not comply with the requirements in the rule?

A vehicle that fails to comply with the requirements in the Heavy Vehicles Rule may be unsafe for the operator or other road users. In addition, a non-complying vehicle will not be issued with a WoF or a CoF at its next inspection. Roadside enforcement officers may also fine the operator of the vehicle and take other measures as necessary, such as ordering the vehicle off the road, if it is found not to comply with this rule because it may not be safe to be operated on the road.

8. Will there be penalties for non-compliance?

The Land Transport Act 1998 does not allow rules to contain penalty and offence provisions. However, penalties and offences for non-compliance with the rule will be included in the Land Transport (Offences and Penalties) Regulations 1999.

9. What vehicle standards will the rule cover?

The rule incorporates by reference all of the present New Zealand standards and codes that are currently contained in legislation. These include:

  • NZS 5413: 1993 Code of practice for the manufacture and use of stockcrates on heavy vehicles;
  • NZS 5444: 1989 Load anchorage points for heavy vehicles;
  • NZS 5446: 1987 Code of practice for heavy motor vehicle towing connections: drawbar trailers;
  • NZS 5450: 1989 Specification for coupling devices for articulated vehicle – fifth wheel assemblies;
  • NZS 5451: 1989 Specification for coupling devices for articulated vehicles – fifth wheel kingpins;
  • NZS 5467: 1993 Code of practice for light trailers.

The rule incorporates by reference the following New Zealand and international standards:

  • AS 1418.1 – 1994: Cranes (including hoists and winches) – General requirements;
  • AS 1418.5 – 1995: Cranes (including hoists and winches) – Mobile and vehicle-loading cranes;
  • NZS 5232: 1993 Specification for Ball-and-Socket Type Trailer Couplings;
  • AS 1773-1996: Articulated Vehicle – Fifth Wheel Assemblies;
  • AS 1771-1996: Installation of Fifth Wheel and Turntables Assemblies;
  • AS 2174-1994: Articulated Vehicles – Mechanical coupling between prime movers and semitrailers – Interchangeability requirements;
  • AS 2175-1995: Articulated Vehicles – Kingpins;
  • AS 4235-1994: Articulated Vehicles – Design Criteria for Fifth Wheel Skid Plates;
  • BS 7608:1993: Code of practice for Fatigue design and assessment
  • AS/NZS 1554: Structural Steel Welding;
  • AS 3990: Mechanical Equipment – Steelwork;
  • Australian Design Rule 62: Mechanical Connections between Vehicles.

The rule includes (as schedules) the following codes of best practice:

  • the Bolster Attachment Code published by the Log Transport Safety Council;
  • the Recommended Practice for Towing Connections published by the New Zealand Truck-Trailer Manufacturers’ Federation.

10. Is there a lead-in period for the new requirements?

The new electrical requirements do not have a lead-in period because they are based on current industry practice and are not subject to certification.

The rule requires TTMF-coded drawbeams and drawbars to be recertified or withdrawn from service and the equipment locking devices to be installed by the first CoF within a year after the rule takes effect. These new requirements, therefore, have a lead-in period of a maximum of 18 months.

11. Have any requirements changed for tractors and agricultural trailers?

Yes, there are alternative requirements for tractor and agricultural trailer towing connections in the rule. These are much simpler than the previous requirements, and are based on submissions received on the LTSA discussion document: On Road Use and Regulation of Agricultural and Contracting Machinery.

12. What are the requirements for tractors and agriculture trailers?

The rule contains a set of requirements for the towing connections of tractors and agricultural trailers that are an alternative to certification to the New Zealand standard, NZS 5446.

  • Heavy tractors must have their towing capacity displayed on or adjacent to the coupling device.
  • Agricultural trailers must have their maximum mass displayed on or adjacent to the coupling device.
  • Either a single or a double safety chain can be used between the vehicles.

However, none of these requirements nor certification to NZS 5446, would apply to two-point and three-point agricultural linkages, because these coupling devices are very robust and have a good safety record.

13. Are there any other vehicle types for which special provisions apply?

Yes. The rule incorporates special requirements for heavy vehicle-recovery-service vehicles (tow trucks). These requirements are updated, simplified and clarified requirements based on the current version of the Ministry of Transport’s Vehicle Recovery Code.

14. How many heavy vehicles will be affected by the new requirements?

The Heavy Vehicle Rule applies to all 125,000 heavy vehicles in the New Zealand fleet. However, the new requirements will only affect a small proportion – approximately 6% – of these vehicles.

It is estimated that less than 4% of the heavy vehicle fleet (less than 4000 vehicles) will have to fit a slideway endstop or an alarm or signalling device. The new requirement for recertification or replacement of TTMF-coded drawbeams will affect approximately 2000 trucks and trailers. Of these, it is estimated that about 200 drawbeams and drawbars could be recertified, while the rest are likely to require replacement because of their condition and the cost of recertification of old components.

15. Are there requirements for heavy vehicles that are not covered by this rule?

Yes, generic vehicle requirements relating to matters such as glazing and mirrors, steering systems, external projections, tyres and wheels, and vehicle dimensions and mass are already covered in other Land Transport Rules.

Heavy vehicles must also meet applicable requirements in transport regulations for brakes, lights and other equipment.

16. What existing law does the Heavy Vehicles Rule replace?

Most of the legal requirements for heavy vehicles previously existed in the Heavy Motor Vehicle Regulations 1974, the Goods Service Vehicle (Constructional) Regulations 1936 and the Traffic Regulations 1976. These regulations and various New Zealand Gazette notices prescribed the requirements that heavy vehicles must comply with before being allowed on the road, and when being operated on the road.

17. Will the new requirements in the rule cost heavy vehicle owners/companies more and if so how much?

The new requirements that have an additional cost apply only to a small number of heavy vehicles.

  • The cost of the requirement to fit a slideway endstop or an alarm or signalling device is estimated at $225 per unit or less. However, it is estimated that this requirement will save $1.43 million in social cost over 15 years.
  • The new electrical requirements apply to all heavy vehicles but are based on existing good industry practice and there will be no extra costs associated with them.
  • The requirement for recertification or replacement of TTMF-coded drawbeams is estimated to cost $3.2 million, at present value, over 10 years. If three injury crashes can be avoided every two years, the proposal would promote ‘safety at reasonable cost’.

18. Do we have more crashes involving heavy vehicles in New Zealand than overseas?

Yes, New Zealand has a significantly higher rate of heavy vehicle crashes compared with countries such as Canada and Australia (see table below). However, our rate of crashes per 100 million heavy- vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) is falling even though the number of heavy vehicles on our roads and the distances they now travel has significantly increased.

CountryCrashes per 100 million VKT
USA 1.7
UK 1.8
Canada 2.1
Germany 2.2
Australia 2.5
France 4.4
New Zealand 5.5

 19. Has anything else been done to improve the safety of road users from heavy-vehicle crashes?

Yes, the following measures aimed at improving the safety of heavy-vehicles are in place or are being developed:

  • a number of standards and codes to be complied with by heavy vehicles were introduced through legislation in 1989. These have contributed towards our declining death rate per 100 million heavy-vehicle kilometres travelled. The Heavy Vehicles Rule is one of the mechanisms for ensuring that these standards and codes continue to apply and are updated to cater for new technologies, so that this trend is maintained
  • the speed limit for heavy vehicles has been standardised at 90km/h.This change will help to reduce speed variations between vehicles and encourage smoother traffic flows, which in turn will help reduce the risks of overtaking between vehicles and lessen driver frustration at being caught behind slower moving vehicles.
  • a Heavy Vehicle Safety Strategy is being developed as part of the Government’s Road Safety to 2010 strategy. To find out more information on the 2010 Road Safety Strategy please visit www.nzta.govt.nz

20. What is the statutory basis for the rule?

The Land Transport Act 1998 provides for the Minister of Transport to make Land Transport Rules that govern the safety and licensing of vehicles.

Section 155(a) and (b) of the Act states that rules may set out standards and requirements concerning vehicles, including their construction, repair, maintenance, modification, and requirements concerning systems, components, devices, fittings, or equipment to be incorporated in the construction of, fitted to, or carried in or on motor vehicles, or to be used by the driver or any other person.

21. Has the rule been consulted on?

Yes. The yellow draft of the Heavy Vehicles Rule was released in December 2002 for public comment. The draft was distributed to more than 500 interested parties and stakeholder groups and was available on the LTSA’s website.

22. How many submissions were received and from what sort of organisations?

There were 33 submissions in total, mainly from industry organisations such as the Road Transport Forum, Federated Farmers, the Automobile Association and the Road Transport Certifying Engineers group.

23. What changes have been made in response to the submissions?

While the overall policy of the rule did not change, the rule was made clearer and easier to understand for the reader. In response to submissions, some requirements were relaxed if the proposed requirement was seen to be too onerous. For example, it was proposed in the consultation draft that cab-guards or headboards would be required to meet an NZS structural steel welding standard. This is no longer required.

24. When will the rule come into force?

The rule will come into force on 1 April 2005.

25. How can I obtain a copy of the rule?

A printed copy of the rule will be available for purchase from selected bookshops throughout New Zealand that sell government legislation. A copy can also be obtained by contacting the printers and distributors (Wickliffe) at freephone 0800 226 440. 

Final rules are available on our website(external link)

26. How can I obtain further information about the rule?

To obtain further information about the rule please phone the LTSA Helpdesk on freephone 0800 699 000.