ATA calls for 4.6 metre high trucks

Under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, the general access height limit for trucks is 4.3 metres.

Munro said allowing the higher trucks would increase the industry’s productivity and remove the need for operators to apply for more than 1100 permits a year.

“National Transport Commission analysis shows it would save the industry $95,000 per year in permit fees and deliver time savings worth $91,000 per year,” Munro said.

“It would also deliver a productivity boost for operators that transport bulky products like retail and refrigerated goods.”

Munro said the risk of trucks hitting overhead infrastructure could be managed through signage, enforcement and targeted awareness campaigns.

"Our 4.3 metre high trucks must already navigate the many road structures that are less than 4.3 metres high. Plus, there are already standard vehicles such as car carriers, livestock trucks and some containers that routinely move around the network at 4.6 metres in height,” he said.

“The low prevalence of strikes across the tens of thousands of truck movements every single day demonstrates that operators can manage this risk safely.

“In higher risk or higher consequence situations, targeted awareness campaigns are very effective.

"For example, strong collaboration between Road Freight NSW, the NHVR, Transport for NSW, police and the TWU achieved a dramatic fall in incidents involving overheight trucks in the Sydney tunnel network. There were only four overheight incidents in November 2023, compared to 25 in November 2022,” he said.

The governments that use the HVNL must agree unanimously to any amendments. Mathew urged governments to agree to the reform, even if they then decide not to apply it in their own state.

“We ask very government using the HVNL to agree to the reform so Australia and the trucking industry can benefit, even if they decide to derogate from the law in their own state,” he said.

The HVNL applies in every state except Western Australia and the Northern Territory.