Busses.

THe signs posted on the entrances to Mt Boyce checking station at Mt Victoria states that all trucks and buses weighing 4 tonnes tare and higher must enter. After driving thru this weighbridge more n 700 times in the last 3 and a bit years...i reckon the sign would mean any bus that meets those requirements....and coz of that ...would think that you have to maintain a proper logbook as well...coz yu cant legally drive bigger buses on a car licence hey

Cheers Keith

Seen Winnebagos drive past these. With some of these being in excess of 8ton, and needing a rigid licence, wouldn't a check and a log book also apply here?
Or does it come under a different catagory?

I have never seen buses go in the weigh bridge on the Bruce Highway at Burpengary (Queensland) which I go past regularly. In fact when it is open the flashing neon sign says "trucks must enter" or similar words (it doesn't say heavy vehicles). So buses don't need to be weighed as far as I know.

Now this is a good post, and will receive lots of varying answers.

Quite typical that no 2 persons from the RTA will supply the same answer.

I drive a bus/coach, from 16T to 25T for a living, and we are required to use the log book if we are going to be operating outside 100 klm from the depot. It is all to do with the current fatigue management laws.

We are required to go through the checking stations when they are open, whether we are are empty or not. Most checking stations are for vehicles over 8T. I am not familiar with the 4T at Mt Victoria. Then there are the mobile inspectors (Mermaids :-) ) that can pull you up anywhere.

In saying that, I can't ever recall seeing a motorhome/converted bus in a weighbridge.

Surely they are not exempt, as the whole idea of the checking stations is to monitor fatigue management and overloading, as well as obvious unroadworthiness, appropriate licencing and registration.

It is something I have often wondered about myself. Maybe I'll ask the guys at the checking station next time.

Fred

I have seen buses going into the F3 and Marulan checking stations - as well as large "RVs".

Garry

If you read through this RTA Regs Logbooks you will see that motorhomes are exempt from log books, or work diaries as they are now called.

If you drive a motorhome/bus setup, I would be printing off and keeping those Regs to show Mr. Plod should you be put in that predicament.

Checking stations/weigh bridges are a different matter, and all vehicles that come within the weight being called in at that particular checking station must comply.

I just found a similar responce in another forum as well.
Just wondering what the difference is now in regards to a truck/bus travelling along the highway with logbooks, and requiring a rest every now and then, and a converted truck/bus with no longbook and no requirement for a rest, with a driver who has his eyes shut after 5hrs or more of straight driving. Same large heavy vehicle which requires more concentration than a little car.

Well...I just learnt something new from this post re converted buses....and maybe you are right here. However...in the scheme of things ...I was directed to divert to weighbridge one arvo on my way east at Mt Borce ....and pulled up right behind a countrylink bus that was getting a going over ....while driver logbook was being checked....and I remember thinking at the time that anything big and on wheels is fair game here.

Cheers Keith