Inspection and certification of unclassified vehicles: Warrant of fitness requirements

This section specifies the requirements that are applicable to the inspection and certification of unclassified vehicles for the purpose of issuing a warrant of fitness (WoF).

Unclassified vehicles are light and heavy vehicles (including trailers) of the following types:

a) vehicles propelled and supported solely by self-laying tracks

b) motor vehicles exclusively designed and used on a road for driving, carrying or propelling any of the following, which must be permanently attached to the vehicle:

i. aerodrome runway sweepers

ii. electrical substations

iii. filters for transformer oil

iv. log haulers that are stationary when hauling logs

v. aero engine test benches

c) mobile or movable huts, galleys or similar vehicles that are used on a road solely in connection with the construction or maintenance of roads

d) aerodrome crash fire tenders that are used on a road only in emergencies

e) trailers while being drawn by a vehicle as stated in b) to d) above

f) motor vehicles used exclusively in connection with the embarking and disembarking of ships’ passengers or for loading and unloading ships’ mail, cargo and passengers’ baggage, and used on a public highway only when proceeding unladen from one wharf to another wharf or from its usual place of storage to a wharf and returning to that place of storage

g) cable jinkers

h) front-end loaders

i) log skidders

j) tractor cranes

k) rough-terrain cranes

l) mobile crushing and screening plant machines which are mounted on trailers

m) motor graders

n) motor scrapers

o) trailer scrapers

p) plant for servicing oil-filled cables

q) post debarkers

r) saw bench apparatus

s) forestry chippers

t) tree feller bunchers

u) trench diggers and excavators

v) vehicles that are always used unladen on the road and that are designed exclusively for carrying earth or other bulk materials

w) mobile concrete mixers that are mounted on tractors

x) a vehicle that is similar in design, construction or purpose to a vehicle listed above that cannot be categorised by vehicle class

y) all-terrain vehicles (Note 1).

• Tractors for any use and self-propelled machines used solely in agricultural, land management or roading operations are covered in the Tractors section. Forklifts are covered in the Forklifts section.

General requirements

1. An unclassified vehicle that is operated on the road (ie that is registered) requires a WoF. Therefore, the vehicle inspector may inspect the vehicle only if it has a registration plate attached to it.

2. Unclassified vehicles are required to comply with WoF requirements only as far as is practicable for their design and type. The requirements in this section are what the NZTA considers to be practicable in relation to the inspection and certification of specialist vehicles.

3. Due to the large variety of vehicles covered in this section, some requirements have been kept general, and the vehicle inspector is expected to make a judgement call in line with the general requirements.

4. Modifications that affect a safety requirement do not require low volume vehicle (LVV) or heavy vehicle specialist (HVS) certification. However, if the vehicle inspector has concerns about the modification, he or she must obtain additional information from a relevant person before passing the vehicle for WoF.

5. An unclassified vehicle is not required to have a permanent vehicle identifier. However, if the vehicle has a permanent vehicle identifier, such as the manufacturer’s serial number, it must be recorded on the checksheet and on the NZTA computer system.

6. This section applies to both light and heavy unclassified vehicles. Heavy vehicles, that is those with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) greater than 3500kg, may be inspected and certified for WoF only if the inspecting organisation and the vehicle inspector have current ‘Heavy Vehicle, Exempt from CoF’ authorisation.

7. For the purposes of this section, the GVM can generally be determined by adding the unladen weight of the vehicle (including fuel in the fuel system and any equipment and accessories necessary to operate the vehicle or equipment), crew and any carrying or lifting capacity the vehicle may have.

8. As this section applies to both self-propelled vehicles and trailers, separate requirements have been indicated where appropriate.