Appendix C Development of vehicle classification in Australia
This Appendix provides an overview of vehicle classifications in Australia, including the 20 vehicle classification (Thoresen & Ronald, 2002) used in HDM, the Austroads 12 bin classification (Austroads, 2002 and more recently Austroads, 2013b) and the vehicle classifications used in Austroads (2005a).
The Austroads 12 bin classification was developed in 1994 (Austroads, 2002) and then Austroads (2006), with the most recent description of the vehicles in terms of mass and length appearing in Austroads (2013) (column (a) in Table C.1), which also contains references to other vehicle classifications used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and by State and Territory road agencies. The changes in classification of combination vehicles has changed the most, with extensions of these vehicle types also put forward in Austroads (2002). The 20 vehicle classification used in the ATAP parameter values was based on Thoresen and Ronald (2002) and is also used in HDM-4 in Australia(column (b) in Table C.1). Previous updates of unit values for Austroads (Austroads, 2012a) have used the 18 vehicle classification in Austroads (2005a) (column (c) in Table C.1). Designations based on axle numbers have also been used (Austroads, 2005a) (column (e) in Table C.1), while selected vehicle types (8 vehicle classification) have been used in NIMPAC models (Austroads, 2005a)(column (g) in Table C.1).
| From Austroads vehicle classification scheme (circa 1990’s)(Austroads 1994, 2002 & 2013b) | From ARRB report RC2062 (Thoresen & Ronald 2002) for Austroads. Consistent vehicle types adopted for use in HDM-4 in Australia | From Austroads report AP-R264-05 (Austroads 2005a) | HDM-4 vehicles (8) adopted for 2014 update to AP-R264-05 Tables 6 & 7 (Austroads 2005a) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Appendix A – Vehicle nomenclature | NIMPAC vehicle types (8) from Austroads AP-R264-05 Tables 6 & 7 (Austroads 2005a) | |||||
| Vehicle class (a) | Vehicle name (b) |
Vehicle category (also Austroads 2012a) (c) |
Code (d) | Designation (e) |
Vehicle category (f) |
Vehicle name (g) |
| 1 | 01. Small Car | Small Car | C | C1.1 | Cars | |
| 02. Medium Car | Medium Car | C | C1.2 | Medium car | ||
| 03. Large Car | Large Car | C | C1.3 | |||
| 04. Courier Van-Utility | Light commercial (2 axle 4 tyre) | V1.1 | V1.1 | Light commercial (2 axle 4 tyre) | Light commercial (2 axle 4 tyre) | |
| 05. 4WD Mid Size Petrol | 4WD Mid Size SUV Petrol | |||||
| 3 | 06. Light Rigid | Light truck (2 axle 6 tyre) petrol | 11 | L11p | Light truck (2 axle 6 tyre) | Light diesel truck (2 axle 6 tyre) |
| Light truck (2 axle 6 tyre) diesel | 11 | L11d | ||||
| 07. Medium Rigid | Medium truck (2 axle 6 tyre) | 11 | 11 | Medium truck (2 axle 6 tyre) | Medium truck (2 axle 6 tyre) | |
| Small bus | Bu | Bu1 | ||||
| Route bus (includes school bus) | Bu | Bu2 | ||||
| 4 | 09. Heavy Bus | Large bus (coach) | Bu | Bu3 | Large bus | Large bus (3 axle) |
| 08. Heavy Rigid | Large truck (3 axle) | 12 | 12 | Heavy truck (3 axle) | Heavy truck (3 axle) | |
| 6 | Articulated truck (3 axle) | A | 11S1 | Articulated trucks (3,4,5 & 6 axle) | ||
| 7 | 10. Artic 4 Axle | Articulated truck (4 axle) | A | 11S2 | ||
| 8 | 11. Artic 5 Axle | Articulated truck (5 axle) | A | 12S2 | ||
| 9 | 12. Artic 6 Axle | Articulated truck (6 axle) | A | 12S3 | Articulated truck (6 axle) | |
| 10 | 13. Rigid + 5 Axle Dog | Large truck (rigid 3 axle) + 5 axle dog trailer | RT | 12-2S3 | Combination vehicles | |
| 14. B-Double | B-Double (tri-tandem) | B2 | 12S3S2 | B-Double (9 axle) | ||
| B-Double (tri-tri) | B2 | 12(S3)2 | ||||
| Twin steer truck + 4 axle dog trailer | RT | 22-2S2 | ||||
| 15. Twin steer + 5 Axle Dog | Twin steer truck + 5 axle dog trailer | RT | 22-2S3 | |||
| 11 | 16. A-Double | Road train (double) | A2 | 12S3-2S3 | ||
| 17. B Triple | B Triple | B3 | 12(S3)3 | |||
| 18. A B Combination | A B Combination | AB2 | 12S3-2(S3)2 | |||
| 12 | 19. A-Triple | Road train (triple) | A3 | 12s3(-2s3)2 | ||
| 20. Double B-Double | Double B-Double | 2b2 | 12(s3)2-2(s3)2 | |||
Source: ARRB Group Ltd adapted from Austroads