Operating Goods Vehicles in Abu Dhabi A guide to applying for a Department of Transport Non Objection Certificate

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DoT

NOC Application Guide

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This publication entitled “Operating Goods Vehicles in Abu Dhabi - A guide to applying for a Department of Transport Non Objection Certificate” was prepared by the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport. Every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this document is accurate, however this does not guarantee the accuracy, or the completeness and usefulness of the information. Additionally the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport cannot accept liability for any loss or damages of any kind resulting from use of the information or guidance in this document. DOT-ST-FRT-G-14-014-EN

Contents Introduction 2 Section 1: Your company details 3 Section 2: Your vehicles 4 Section 3: Maintaining your vehicles 7 Section 4: Your drivers 11 Section 5: Documents and record keeping 14 Section 6: Declaration 14 What happens next? 16 The importance of maintaining these requirements 16 Further information 16 Appendix A: Definitions 17

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NOC Application Guide

This document is designed to help you complete your application and should be read alongside the application form.

Introduction This document accompanies the ‘Abu Dhabi Department of Transport Application Form – Non Objection Certificate (NOC) for a Commercial Licence to Operate Goods Vehicles with an Unladen Weight of over 2.5 tonnes’ (DOT-ST-FRT-F-14-012-EN).

Does this Application Apply to Me? You must complete the application if you wish to be granted a NOC by the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport for operating goods vehicles with an unladen weight of more than 2.5 tonnes.

Definitions A list of definitions used in the application can be found in Appendix A.

Further Questions If you have any further questions about filling in the application, or a general query regarding the minimum standards for operating goods vehicles over 2.5 tonnes unladen weight, please call the Department of Transport Customer Care Center on 800 88 888 or email [email protected]. The remainder of the document provides helpful guidance on each section of the application. 2

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NOC Application Guide

Section 1: Your Company Details This section asks you to enter your company details including contact details, number of vehicles operated and Traffic Code Number in relation to this application. Contact details are required to enable the DoT to communicate with applicants throughout the process and to update them on any regulatory changes which may occur in the future. Information on how many goods vehicles are operated and associated Traffic Code Number (T.C. No.) will be used for data collection and enforcement purposes.

1a) Please enter your company name in the box provided in the application form.

1b) A commercial licence is issued by the Department of Economic Development through their Business Centre. Any existing business will have a commercial licence. If you already hold a commercial licence, please enter the licence number here. 1c) If you already operate goods vehicles with an unladen weight of over 2.5 tonnes you need to provide your Traffic Code Number (T.C. No.). This can be found on your company’s vehicle registration cards. See Figure 1.

Having your Traffic Code Number will enable us to cross check your application with your registered vehicle fleet.

Figure 1: Vehicle Registration Card – highlighting Traffic Code Number



1d) Please enter the type of commercial licence you are applying for or renewing.

1e) Provide the full contact details for the person applying for the commercial licence as well as their position in the company.

This should NOT be an administrative contact, for example, a Public Relations Officer.



The named person in this section will be used as the senior point of contact in your company. These details will be used by the Department of Transport to communicate any future changes or developments. It is therefore in your interest to provide accurate information.

1f) The contact details in this part of the application are for the person within your company who is responsible for the practical management of your company’s goods vehicles.

The details can be the same as provided in section 1e, but the named person must be able to demonstrate practical control of the company’s goods vehicle operations in relation to the commercial licence applied for.

This person requires no formal qualifications. However, the person needs to have a level of competence such that the person is able to effectively oversee the delivery of the requirements committed to in this application.

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1g) By ticking you are confirming you will comply with the declarations outlined in Section 1 of the application. Failure to agree to these declarations will result in your application for a DoT NOC being unsuccessful.

Additionally, failure to abide by these requirements could lead to the restriction, suspension or cancellation of your commercial licence.



Section 2: Your Vehicles 2a) In this section it is important that you accurately provide the number of goods vehicles over 2.5 tonnes unladen weight that you currently operate.

You must also indicate the maximum number of additional goods vehicles you wish to be authorised to operate under this licence over the next 12 months, if any. All documentation you provide must account for this maximum number.

The vehicle registration card for each of your goods vehicles will tell you if the goods vehicle is over 2.5 tonnes unladen weight. The unladen weight (shown as ‘empty weight’ on vehicle registration cards) is recorded in kilograms. Therefore, goods vehicles over 2500 kilograms should be indicated. This is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: Vehicle Registration Card – highlighting unladen weight

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Table 1 outlines examples of goods vehicles within each category. Identify your vehicles within the category that appears most suitable to your vehicle. Vehicle Type

Definition

Examples

A heavy goods vehicle with its body fixed to the chassis and cab. It’s primary role is to transport goods

• Pickup • Tipper • Box • Refrigerated • Curtainsider • Water tanker (Drinking or non-drinking) • Fuel tanker • Cement Mixer • Waste collection • Vehicle transporter

Articulated

A heavy goods vehicle consisting of a separate trailer head and trailer, connected via a single pivot or ‘pin’. It’s primary role is to transport goods (Maximum of 6 axles)

• Flatbed • Tipper • Box • Curtainsider • Refrigerated Trailer • Water tanker (drinking or non-drinking) • Fuel tanker • Vehicle transporter

Other Truck

Any heavy goods vehicle, not included in the Rigid or Articulated Category and • Drawbar is used for the transport • Recovery Truck of goods (Maximum of 6 axles)

Rigid

Abnormal loads

A heavy goods vehicle used to carry loads outside typical weights and dimensions

• Low loader • Lift transporter • Modular trailers

Table 1: Examples of vehicle types within each category

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Table 2 provides an example of how to fill out the application and what it means.

Vehicle Type

Rigid

Definition

Current number of vehicles

Maximum additional vehicles

A heavy goods vehicle with it’s body fixed to the chassis and cab. It’s primary role is to transport goods

85

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Table 2 – Example of how to fill in the application and what it means



In the example in Table 2 the applicant only operates rigid vehicles.

The company currently operates 85 rigid goods vehicles and wishes to be authorised to use an additional 5 in the next 12 months. Therefore this application accounts for a total number of 90 vehicles. 2b)

Any applicant operating goods vehicles over 2.5 tonnes unladen weight must have sufficient capacity to keep the maximum number of vehicles stated in 2a (current number + maximum additional), in an authorised off road position at an operating centre (see definitions), when they are not in operation. This capacity can be a single location or a number of locations. However evidence must be provided for all locations used. Evidence can include:



•

Land plans with identified parking areas

And / Or



•

Photographic evidence of parking area as well as address/GPS coordinates of the site

With (1 or more of these)



• • •

Written permission to park your declared vehicles on the respective plot Accompanying Lease contract Land ownership documents

The designated location(s) should be where vehicles are normally kept when they are not in use. This is commonly described as at home base and does not refer to when a vehicle is stopping overnight away from base as part of a delivery schedule.

2c) By ticking the box in the application form you are confirming you will comply with the declarations outlined in Section 2 of the application. Failure to abide by these requirements could lead to the restriction, suspension or cancellation of your commercial licence.

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Section 3: Maintaining Your Vehicles If a goods vehicle is poorly maintained it is more likely to cause or be involved in an accident. Vehicle operators must also comply with Article (173) in the Vehicle Technical Conditions section of Federal Law No. (21) of 1995 concerning Traffic and Executive Regulations which states: ‘The vehicle must be designed and manufactured according to the good industry practices; all its parts shall be in a perfect condition, durable, completely and firmly installed. In addition, the vehicle must always be in a condition valid for use and driving, and must meet security and durability requirements stipulated herein or in any other law, so that the same shall not make the driver, passengers, road users susceptible to danger, or inflict damage upon public or private roads or properties’. Therefore, you must provide evidence that your company has a Truck Inspection and Maintenance System in place.

Information on how to do this can be found in the DoT publication ‘Better Truck Maintenance’, available from www.freight2030.ae.

The rest of this section provides guidance on how to fill in Section 3 of the application. 3a) You need to upload details of your Truck Safety Inspection and Maintenance Management System for the vehicles operated under the commercial licence that you are applying for or renewing. The Truck Safety Inspection and Maintenance Management System for your fleet of vehicles needs to detail how you will practically implement the recommendations contained in the ‘Better Truck Maintenance’ guidance publication in terms of your own specific operations, vehicles and personnel.

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The Truck Safety Inspection and Maintenance Management System must as a minimum cover the following elements:

Roles and Responsibilities • Responsibilities of people affected by the system including: – Drivers – Mechanics Driver Defect Reporting • Form for conducting the daily truck inspection OR explanation of the Daily Truck Inspection System (further guidance on this is provided in the subsequent section)

• Process and criteria for conducting walk-around vehicle inspections

• Details of what actions are taken in terms of reporting and correcting vehicle defects including: – When no defects are found – When defects are found: > At home base > Away from home base – Vehicle recovery arrangements (if applicable) • Arrangements for the collection and keeping or records including: – How long will they be kept for and where? Safety Inspections

• Who will conduct the inspections?

• Where will the inspections be conducted including: – Details of staff/maintenance contractor, qualifications/competence and facilities

• On what basis will vehicles will be scheduled for inspection?



• Specify time/distance intervals

• Arrangements for the collection and keeping or records including: – How long will they be kept for and where? Effective Repairs

• Who will conduct maintenance?

• Assessment of defects including: – Who will assess?

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– Actions on each defect category including: > A list of steps to be taken with a list of who is responsible for each step and when each step will be undertaken and completed. • Routine Maintenance Planning Procedures including: – Process for planning maintenance > Time/distance/condition based • Arrangements for the collection and keeping of records including: – How long will they be kept for and where? Internal Review • Outline how you intend to monitor the quality of inspections, maintenance and record keeping including: – Style and time interval – Include your maintenance system checklist Training

• Who will be trained?



• What training will be given?



• How much training and how often?

•

Training should address the following: – Daily Vehicle Checks – Safety Inspections – Maintenance Requirements and Planning – Record Keeping

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Daily truck inspection form or explanation of the Daily Truck Inspection System As part of this requirement you must provide evidence that daily truck safety inspections are conducted and recorded for the total number of vehicles stated in part 2a (current + maximum additional) of the application. To satisfy this part of the requirement you must provide one of the following:

• •

Daily Truck Inspection Form Daily Truck Inspection System

An example of satisfactory evidence is the DoT exemplar ‘Daily Truck Inspection Form’.  This form is available for download at www.freight2030.ae

If your company already has a form in use or would like to develop one specifically designed for your company then this can be also used as evidence. Alternatively you may develop a Daily Truck Inspection System that does not require the use of a Daily Truck Inspection Form. If this is the case then you must provide a detailed explanation of the system used to ensure that daily truck inspections take place and are recorded. The daily truck inspection aims to identify any obvious defects with a vehicle. It should cover the external condition, ensuring in particular that the lights, tyres, wheel fixings, bodywork and trailer coupling are safe and in good working condition. Further information on how to conduct on daily truck inspections can be found in Section 1A and 1B of the DoT publication ‘Better Truck Maintenance’. 3b) In this section you need to indicate who will conduct the safety inspections and maintenance of your vehicles.

If you are only using appropriately qualified or experienced staff in your company please fill in the contact details in 3c.



If you are only using a reputable Commercial Vehicle Maintenance Contractor please fill in the contact details in 3d.

If you are using both your staff and a Commercial Vehicle Maintenance Contractor then please fill in 3c and 3d. 3c) If applicable the contact details of the employee with practical responsibility for managing the maintenance process should be provided here. 3d) If applicable the contact details for the Commercial Vehicle Maintenance Contractor should be provided here. 3e) By ticking this part you are confirming you will comply with the declarations outlined in Section 3 of the application. Failure to abide by these requirements could lead to the restriction, suspension or cancellation of your commercial licence.

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Section 4: Your Drivers Drivers form a key part of any transport operation. It is therefore very important that they are carefully monitored and managed to ensure they are operating safely and are complying with the appropriate laws and regulations. A common cause of truck accidents is driver fatigue as a result of prolonged driving with insufficient breaks or adequate rest. Additionally, UAE Federal Labour Law states you must ensure your drivers are not working excessive hours or placed at risk of driving whilst tired. Therefore, all companies applying for a commercial licence must have a Driver Fatigue Management Plan. A Driver Fatigue Management Plan is a written document that sets out the requirements and procedures relating to how a company will schedule trips; roster drivers; establish a driver’s fitness to work; educate drivers in fatigue management; manage incidents on or relating to commercial vehicles; and establish and maintain appropriate workplace conditions.

Detailed guidance on this can be found in the DoT publication ‘Stop Sleepy Drivers’, available from www.freight2030.ae.

4a) In this section it is important that you accurately provide the number of goods vehicle drivers’ that you currently employ and the maximum additional number you wish to be authorised to employ, over the next 12 months. Table 3 provides an example of how to fill out the application.

No. of goods vehicle drivers Current:

25

Additional

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Table 3 – Example of how to fill in the application.



In the example in Table 3 the applicant currently employs 25 goods vehicle drivers and wished to be authorised to employ an additional 5 in the next 12 months. Therefore this application accounts for a total number of 30 goods vehicle drivers.

4b)

You must submit details of your company’s Driver Fatigue Management Plan along with an example of a completed driver schedule. If your company already has a document outlining how it manages driver fatigue then this can be submitted, but it is recommended that you review it once you have read the relevant guidance documents.

The Driver Fatigue Management Plan must detail how you will practically implement the recommendations contained in the ‘Stop Sleepy Drivers’ guidance publication, in terms of your own specific operations and personnel.

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It must cover the following elements as a minimum: Roles and Responsibilities •

Responsibilities of people affected by the system including: – Drivers – Transport Managers – Company Owner – Transport Buyers

Driving and Working Time Rest Limits • Systems and Methods in which duty and driving time is limited to prevent fatigue including: – Driving time limits in place – Principles and practices governing the development of the driver schedule – Provision of facilities to reduce risk of driver fatigue whilst away from home base •

Medical checks undertaken on personnel to ensure they are fit to perform their duties including: – What will be checked? – Frequency of checks undertaken

Monitoring and Record Keeping

• What Records you intend to keep?



• What form the records will take?



• How long they will be kept for?



• Who is responsible for them?



• Where they will be kept?

Incidents and Improvements

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• Describe what procedures are in place to monitor and reduce incidents/accidents

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NOC Application Guide

• Declare to whom incidents will be reported to and how quickly depending on their severity • Describe what happens should an accident/incident occur and how it will affect the Driver Fatigue Management Plan Employer Provided Accommodation • What accommodation is provided if any and in what circumstances will accommodation be made available?

• Does the accommodation comply with the Abu Dhabi regulation?

• Is there suitable provision for night shift drivers to ensure adequate rest during daylight hours Training, Instruction and Communication • What systems will be put in place to allow personnel to recognise and report fatigue in themselves and others?

• What form will the training take and level of assessment required?



• How often will training take place?

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4c) You need to provide the contact details for the person within your company who is responsible for managing goods vehicle drivers and the systems described in the Driver Fatigue Management Plan. 4d) By ticking this part you are confirming you will comply with the declarations outlined in Section 4 of the application. Failure to abide by these requirements could lead to the restriction, suspension or cancellation of your commercial licence.

Section 5: Documents and Record Keeping Maintaining documents and records relating to your operation is an important part of running a transport company. It allows you to monitor and manage drivers and vehicles effectively, as well as serving as evidence of company systems and processes. 5a) You are committing to keeping records for at least 3 years and making them available for inspection by the Department of Transport, as required. More information on effective record keeping can be found in the DoT publications ‘Better Truck Maintenance’ and ‘Stop Sleepy Drivers’, available from www.freight2030.ae.

By ticking this part you are confirming you will comply with the declarations outlined in Section 5 of the application.



Failure to abide by these requirements could lead to the restriction, suspension or cancellation of your commercial licence.

Section 6: Declaration You should take the time to carefully read all the statements included in ‘Section 6: Declaration’ of the application. Your company will be held accountable against these statements if it is found that you are not meeting the requirements as set out in this section. If there is any declaration that you do not understand please contact [email protected] for further guidance.

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Further explanations for each of the declarations as set out in Section 6 are provided below: i.

Compliance with these laws however, does not exempt of absolve you of needing to comply with legislation that has not been referred to such as traffic law or regulations from the Police. You must agree to continue to abide by those.

ii. All vehicles have a design weight set by the manufacturer. This is the maximum weight that the vehicle can operate safely on the roads. The maximum design weight includes the weight of vehicle, driver, fuel, equipment and load. Operating a vehicle over its maximum design weight is dangerous and leads to accelerated vehicle wear and tear. The weight of each vehicle for each trip must therefore be accurately calculated to ensure that the maximum design weight is not exceeded. iii.

During the 12 month life of this licence you are allowed to apply to operate more goods vehicles than you currently own so long as you have sufficient capacity to be able to keep and manage them according to the requirements in this application. You must use the Applying for Change Form (DOT-ST-FRT-F-14-016-EN) and provide the appropriate evidence to gain authorisation.

iv.

You are able to add new operating centres during the 12 month life of this licence. To do this you will need to complete the Applying for Change Form (DOT-ST-FRT-F-14-016-EN). You will be required to once again meet the standards in this application.

v. If requested by the Department of Transport you must provide access to all company records that are not deemed confidential by any other regulations. Providing access to only a sample is not acceptable. Records can be made available through providing hard copies or by using electronic files. vi.

If requested by the Department of Transport the applicant must provide access to company premises and goods vehicles. Providing access to only a part of your premises or a sample of your goods vehicles is not acceptable.

vii. A judicial court judgement is when you are prosecuted for committing a criminal offence. It does not need to be related to driving. Examples of a judicial court judgements are: • Dangerous driving • Theft • Fraud

This applies to all those named in 1e, 1f, 3c, 3d and 4c. The Department of Transport want to be sure that the people in these positions are law abiding, have integrity and a good repute.

viii. Unless an ‘Applying for Change Form (DOT-ST-FRT-F-14-016-EN)’ has been submitted and approved by the Department of Transport you are not permitted to operate any more vehicles than stated in 2a. ix.

Any changes need to be reported to the Department of Transport within 28 calendar days using the ‘Applying for Change Form (DOT-ST-FRT-F-14-016-EN)’. If you are unsure if a change you have made requires reporting please contact [email protected]. If changes are not reported then you risk invalidating your commercial licence.

6a) By ticking this part you are confirming you will comply with the declarations outlined Section 6 of the application. Failure to agree to these declarations will result in your application for a DoT NOC being unsuccessful.

Additionally, failure to abide by these requirements could lead to your commercial licence being restricted, suspended or revoked.

6b) By ticking this declaration you are confirming that all information provided in this application and the supporting evidence supplied is truthful and accurate.

You must also provide the full name and valid Emirates ID number of the person identified in 1e.

The date in which the application was submitted must also be stated. DoT

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What Happens Next? If the DoT considers the application complete and the supplementary evidence satisfactory, a DoT NOC for the commercial licence stated in 1d of the application will be granted. If not, further information will be required before the DoT is able to issue an NOC. The DoT will notify the applicant of the outcome of the applicant’s submission by using the contact details as supplied in 1e of the application.

The Importance of Maintaining These Requirements Once a DoT NOC is received, it is important that you fulfil your commitment to comply with the requirements outlined in the application at all times. By completing the application and ticking the declarations you are authorising DoT auditors to access your company premises and audit against the requirements. If a DoT auditor is unsatisfied with your operation or finds that your operation is inconsistent with the details on your application, your company may face disciplinary action and your commercial licence may be revoked. The DoT will also be conducting road side checks to inspect road worthiness of vehicles and identify unauthorised parking. If a vehicle you operate is found to be unroadworthy, your company facilities and processes as declared in ‘Section 3: Maintaining Your Vehicles’ will be audited. If a goods vehicle you operate is kept overnight in an unauthorised location while not in operation, your company facilities and processes as declared in ‘Section 2: Your Vehicles’, specifically 2b could be audited. Vehicles can be parked overnight in an authorised location away from base as part of a collection or delivery schedule.

Further Information The application and all associated guidance documents are available for download from the Department of Transport’s Freight 2030 website (www.freight2030.ae). Additionally if you have any questions please call the Department of Transport Customer Care Centre on 800 88 888 or email [email protected].

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Term

Definition

Abnormal loads

A heavy goods vehicle used to carry loads outside typical weights and dimensions.

Articulated Vehicle

A heavy goods vehicle consisting of a separate trailer head and trailer, connected via a single pivot or ‘pin’. It’s primary role is to transport goods (Maximum of 6 axles).

Commercial licence or licence

Your commercial licence giving you authorisation to conduct the business operations declared on your application.

Competent/Qualified person

A person that through qualification from an appropriate body is deemed suitable to undertake the described role, can demonstrate a minimum of 12 months experience in the described role, without incident. e.g. court judgement.

Department

Abu Dhabi Department of Transport.

Driver Fatigue Management Plan

A written document that sets out the requirements and procedures relating to how a company will schedule trips; roster drivers; establish a driver’s fitness to work; educate drivers in fatigue management; manage incidents on or relating to commercial vehicles; and establish and maintain appropriate workplace conditions.

Driving time

The total time a goods vehicle driver spends driving on any particular shift.

Duty time

A continuous period of time during which tasks are performed by an employee for their employer. Duty time starts when an employee first reports for work and finishes when they leave.

Forms

Paper or electronic forms issued by the Authority.

Heavy Goods Vehicle

A motorised platform for transporting goods on the road with an unladen weight of more than 2.5 tonnes.

Maintenance

Ensuring a vehicles continued adherence to the minimum standards set out by the relevant authority and in Federal legislation through a system of repair and component replacement.

Maintenance Contractor

A qualified individual or organisation that offers to perform maintenance of vehicles owned by other individuals/organisations in return for an appropriate fee.

Non Objection Certificate (NOC)

Document from the authority to state their acknowledgement of the operator’s adherence to minimum safety standards as set out in the Abu Dhabi Freight Master Plan.

Off Road

Not within the boundaries of the highway, including but not limited to carriageway, pavements, and verges.

Operating Centre

Designated base(s) / centre(s) where vehicles are normally kept when they are not in use.

Operator

Any person or organisation practicing land transport activity of goods.

Other Vehicle

Any heavy goods vehicle, not included in the Rigid or Articulated Category and is used for the transport of goods (Maximum of 6 axles).

Rigid Vehicle

A heavy goods vehicle with it’s body fixed to the chassis and cab. It’s primary role is to transport goods.

Safety Inspection

An examination carried out by a qualified person to determine if a vehicle falls bellow minimum standards set out by the relevant authority and in Federal legislation.

Truck

A Heavy Vehicle with an unladen weight of over 2.5 tonnes.

Vehicle defect

A problem with a vehicle causing it to perform below minimum standards set out by the relevant authority and in Federal legislation.

Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance System

A plan of action supported by documented procedures to inspect and maintain trucks to at least the minimum safety standard required by law.

Vehicle unladen weight

The unladen weight of a vehicle as recorded on the vehicle registration card.

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