Livestock Loading Scheme

The NSW Livestock Loading Scheme (NSWLLS) was developed in consultation with meat and livestock industry stakeholders, Local Government NSW and Transport for NSW.

The Scheme provides increased mass limits for livestock loads, and includes measures to minimise road pavement wear, protect vulnerable bridges, and reduce the incidence of livestock vehicle rollovers.

The Scheme operates under the NSW Class 3 Livestock Transportation Exemption Notice 2021 (the Notice).

Eligible vehicles must be enrolled under the NSWLLS and comply with the conditions of the NSWLLS including any additional conditions to routes approved for access by combinations operating under the NSWLLS.

Drivers must have undertaken the NSWLLS Driver Course and carry their NSWLLS Driver Card to operate an enrolled eligible vehicle under the NSWLLS.

Enrolment requirements

Operators may enrol vehicles in the scheme by lodging a printed application form (PDF, 413.3 KB) with Transport for NSW. Interstate registered vehicles are eligible to enrol in the NSWLLS.

Scheme enrolment is not subject to periodic renewal, but operators must advise Transport for NSW of changes to vehicle ownership or registration.

All enrolled vehicles will be issued with a NSWLLS label which must be displayed on the prime mover.

Eligible vehicles

The following types of combinations are eligible to participate in the scheme:

  • Single articulated combinations with deck length for carrying livestock up to 12.5m
  • 19m B-doubles with a combined total deck length up to 15m
  • 25/26m B-doubles with a combined total deck length up to 18.8m
  • Road trains with a combined total deck length up to 25m
  • B-triples (including modular B-triples) with a combined total deck length up to 28.2m
  • AB-triples with a combined total deck length up to 28.2m

Eligible vehicle conditions

Conditions apply to both the NSWLLS eligible vehicle, and to the eligible vehicle depending on the NSWLLS approved route. It is important to check both the conditions of the Notice and the conditions on the roads approved for access:

Telematics

Transport for NSW has made amendment to the New South Wales Class 3 Livestock Transportation Exemption Notice (the Notice) to provide a more flexible approach to telematics requirements for the NSWLLS.

B-triples and AB-triples operating in the NSWLLS now have the option to enrol in the Telematics Monitoring Application (TMA) with Transport Certification Australia (TCA) or they can elect to remain enrolled in the Intelligent Access Program (IAP).

Telematics conditions have been added to the Notice to enable the requirement for all eligible vehicles operating in the NSWLLS to be enrolled in either IAP or TMA providing greater visibility of the heavy vehicle network usage.

All eligible vehicles in the NSWLLS will be required to participate in the telematics application once implemented. Implementation date of the telematics conditions will be determined after further consultation with industry

For more information on enrolment in IAP or TMA please visit the Transport Certification Australia (TCA) website or contact Janelle Shotton at JanelleS@tca.gov.au or phone (03) 8601 4600.

Scheme mass limits

Axle mass limits

Axle group

Mass limit

Single steer axle

6 tonnes^

Tandem axle group - no RFS

16.5 tonnes

Tandem axle group - with RFS

17 tonnes

Tri-axle group – no RFS (for road train converter dolly only)

16.5 tonnes

Tri-axle group - with RFS

22.5 tonnes

Note: Increase mass limits by 0.5t for a Complying Steer Axle Vehicle as defined by section 3 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation

Total combination mass limit

The total combination mass must not exceed the lowest of the following:

  • The sum of the axle mass limits, or
  • The GCM for the prime mover, or
  • The sum of GVMs of the prime mover and all trailers and dollies.

Total combination mass limits for combinations with certified RFS fitted to all non-steer axles are as follows:

Combination

Total Combination Mass

Single combination

45.5 tonnes

B-doubles up to 19m

57 tonnes

B-doubles up to 26m

68 tonnes

Type 1 road trains with tandem axle dollies

85 tonnes

Type 1 road trains with tri-axle dollies

90.5 tonnes

B-triples (including modular B-triples)

90.5 tonnes

AB-triples

113 tonnes

Increase mass limits by 0.5t for a Complying Steer Axel Vehicle as defined by section 3 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension, and Loading) National Regulation.

Floating tri-axel mass concession: the mass on a tri-axel group of a semitrailer may exceed the limit set out in the table above by up to 0.5 tonne, as long as the total mass of the combination does not exceed the total mass limit (GCM) specified in section 11 of the NSW Class 3 Livestock Transportation Exemption Notice 2021.

Approved routes

Scheme vehicles may use:

  • Routes approved for HML vehicles
  • All other Transport for NSW managed state roads
  • Local and regional roads approved by local councils for scheme vehicles and
  • Restricted bridges on approved routes which have signage to indicate maximum loads.

NSWLLS route map

A map indicating approved routes for scheme vehicles is available:


 

 

 

The NSWLLS route map is updated with additional local and regional roads, subject to council approval and the completion of load limit sign-posting to protect vulnerable bridges. Please refer to these lists for updates to access routes in the NSWLLS since the last publication of the map:

Livestock Loading Calculator (LLC)

The LLC was developed to assist operators and their customers to comply with animal loading densities and vehicle mass limits.

The calculator also assists operators and their customers to comply with their chain of responsibility obligations.

Please carefully read the instructions on the use of the calculator on the introduction page of each LLC.

Currently, LLCs are available for 6-axle single trailer combinations and 9-axle B-double combinations for carrying cattle or sheep.

Loads are subject to maximum loading densities specified in animal welfare standards.

Calculators

Documents to be carried in vehicles

For vehicles enrolled in the Scheme, the driver must carry a copy of their NSWLLS Driver Card and, for vehicles enrolled in the livestock loading scheme of another State or Territory, evidence of the vehicle’s enrolment in that scheme must also be carried.

Business rules

The Livestock Loading Scheme Business Rules provide a framework for the administration of the New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme. View or download the business rules.

Driver learning and assessment

Vehicle rollover crashes are more prevalent in livestock vehicles compared to other vehicles. The Scheme includes free online learning to ensure drivers are educated on the risk of rollover crashes for livestock vehicles and how to minimise that risk.

NSWLLS Driver Course

The NSWLLS Driver Learning and Assessment commenced 5 March 2021 and all new drivers and current NSWLLS Drivers are required to be assessed under the new accreditation to drive livestock under the NSWLLS.

The objectives of the Driver Learning and Assessment are to ensure that drivers participating in the Scheme:

  • understand and comply with Scheme vehicle standards, mass limits and route restrictions
  • can safely operate 4.6m high livestock vehicles at increased mass limits, and apply techniques to minimise the risk of rollover.

Drivers are encouraged to complete the online learning and are required to complete the practical assessment with a NSWLLS Assessor to operate NSWLLS enrolled vehicles at higher mass limits permitted by the NSWLLS. View the NSWLLS Driver Learning and Assessment page to become accredited as a NSWLLS Driver.

Changes to the display of NSWLLS labels

Transport for NSW, in consultation with livestock industry stakeholders, has changed the requirements for the display of the NSWLLS labels and enrolment of livestock vehicles.

Operators enrolling eligible vehicles in the NSWLLS are now only required to enrol the prime mover.

Trailers are no longer required to be enrolled under the NSWLLS, however the vehicle combination in operation under the NSWLLS must still comply with the requirements of the NSWLLS.

These changes reduce customer administration of vehicles enrolled under the NSWLLS and the number of labels required to be displayed on the vehicle combination.

NSWLLS labels must be displayed on the prime mover. The NSWLLS label must be placed so that it can be read from the outside of the vehicle and is not wholly or partly obscured, defaced or otherwise not legible.

Penalties may apply to both the operator and driver. The required position is adjacent to the driver’s side door (at eye level).

Changes to transfer of registration and labels

Transport for NSW has changed the process of transferring livestock vehicles between NSWLLS operators.

An NSWLLS operator that acquires a livestock vehicle from another NSWLLS operator can now complete and send either an online application or paper NSWLLS Details Amendment Form without waiting for the vendor to notify Transport for NSW. The registration details will be verified by Transport for NSW to confirm the transfer of the vehicle.

This will improve processing times for the enrolment of vehicles between NSWLLS operators by allowing applications to be processed without having to wait for notification by the disposing operator of the vehicle.

This process change will also allow a livestock vehicle that is transferred from one NSWLLS operator to another NSWLLS operator to keep the labels on the vehicle.

It is expected this will further streamline the transfer of enrolment for a livestock vehicle between NSWLLS operators as this will reduce the requirement for an NSWLLS operator to wait for the receipt of NSWLLS labels.

NSWLLS operators will still have the ability to apply for new labels, if the labels are disposed of by the previous owner or the labels are damaged, by ticking the label box on the Details Amendment form.

The labels include a unique identification number which is linked to the vehicle on the Transport for NSW registration database to enable enforcement officers to verify Scheme enrolment.

Interstate livestock loading schemes

Vehicles registered in another state or territory, and enrolled in the livestock loading scheme of that state or territory, are not required to enrol in the NSWLLS. However, they must comply with NSWLLS vehicle standards, mass limits and operating conditions when operating in NSW.

Operating livestock vehicles not at NSWLLS limits

For information on operating a road train transporting livestock at mass limits other than NSWLLS mass limits please refer to the Road Trains webpage.

Livestock Tri-axle mass transfer allowance when operating under General Mass Limits only

A Heavy Vehicle is permitted to exceed the regulated mass limits on a tri-axle group by up to one tonne when transporting livestock under General Mass Limits, to take into account the movement of livestock within pens during transport.

Please refer to:

More information

For more information about the NSWLLS please call 13 22 13 or email: livestockscheme@transport.nsw.gov.au

Documents and forms

Application for Enrolment form

General Information

This application is for operators seeking enrolment in the NSW Livestock Loading Scheme (NSWLLS).

For information about NSWLLS refer to the Transport for NSW website.

Please allow 14 days for processing.

Completed forms should be forwarded to Transport for NSW by email, fax or mail - see contact details at the bottom of the page.

Details Amendment form

General Information

This form is for operators seeking to change their details relating to the NSW Livestock Loading Scheme (NSWLLS).

Please allow 14 days for processing.

Completed forms should be forwarded to Transport for NSW by email, fax or mail - see contact details at the bottom of the page.