Factsheet 13c - September 2005

Pole trailers

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A pole trailer is a trailer attached to a towing vehicle by a telescoping or sliding pole, and designed to support a common long load spanning between the trailer and the towing vehicle.

The maximum overall length for a pole trailer is 11.5 metres (drawbar fully extended, but excluding the load). The maximum overall length for a rigid vehicle and pole trailer combination (including load, but excluding collapsible mirrors) is 20.0 metres.

Front overhang, for pole trailers, means the distance from the centre of the turntable on the towing vehicle to the foremost point of the load. The maximum is 2.04 metres radius arc ahead of the turntable centre on the towing vehicle (ie, the load on the trailer may hang forward of the turntable centre on the towing vehicle by this distance).

The maximum gross mass of a rigid vehicle and pole trailer combination is 39 tonnes unless the towing vehicle has at least two motor-driven axles in its rear axle set.

Pole trailers with one axle set

If a heavy pole trailer has one axle set, this must consist of either:

• a single axle set, or
• a tandem axle set, or
• a tri-axle set.

For a pole trailer with one axle set, forward distance means the distance (excluding load) from the rear axis of the trailer to the to the centre of the point of attachment to the towing vehicle. The maximum is 8.5 metres, measured with the drawbar at full extension.

Rear overhang means the distance from the rear axis to the rear of the vehicle or its load, whichever is greater. The maximum rear overhang for a heavy pole trailer with one axle set is the lesser of 4.0 metres or 50 percent of the forward distance of that trailer. The maximum for a light pole trailer with one axle set is 4.0 metres.

Pole trailers with two axle sets

A heavy pole trailer with two axle sets must have a front axle set consisting of either:

• a single axle set, or
• a tandem axle set.

A heavy pole trailer with two axle sets must have a rear axle set consisting of either:

• a single axle set, or
• a tandem axle set, or
• a tri-axle set (which is only permitted if the front axle set is a tandem axle set).

For a pole trailer with two axle sets, forward distance means the distance (excluding load) from the front axis of the trailer to the to the centre of the point of attachment to the towing vehicle. The maximum is 8.5 metres, measured with the drawbar at full extension.

Rear overhang means the distance from the rear axis to the rear of the vehicle or its load, whichever is greater. The maximum for a heavy pole trailer with two axle sets is the lesser of 4.0 metres or 50 percent of the wheelbase of the trailer, where the wheelbase is measured from the rear axis to the centre point of the front axle set. The maximum for a light pole trailer with two axle sets is 4.0 metres.