A special purpose vehicle is a motor vehicle built for a purpose other than carrying a load. Examples of special purpose vehicles include mobile cranes, travel towers, drilling rigs, concrete pumps and fire trucks. It does not include tow trucks or agricultural vehicles.
Details of the mass and dimension limits and operating conditions are described in Schedule 1 of the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 1999.
Oversize or Overmass Special Purpose Vehicles such as mobile cranes are classified as Class 1 vehicles in the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 1999. These vehicles are further categorised as Category 1, 2 and 3 according to their mass.
The following information bulletin sets out the mass and dimension limits for the Category 1 special purpose vehicles travelling on Victoria’s road network.
Oversize and Overmass Special Purpose Vehicles [PDF, 4,976 KB, 16pp]
Details of the access arrangements for two and three-axle cranes that do not comply with the mass or dimension limits set out in the information bulletin are described in the following document.
Access Arrangements for Two and Three-Axle Cranes [PDF, 32KB, 3 pages]
The areas of operation for Category 1 cranes are detailed in the Victoria Government Gazette - Special No. S245 - 25 September 2007.
The following information bulletin describes the three categories of cranes and also summarises the operating conditions of Category 2 and 3 cranes, which operate under individual permits.
Mobile Cranes [PDF, 231KB]