The Manufacturers Council is currently working on a proposal to go to Queensland Transport in response to their recent decision not to register new prime movers at higher Gross Combination Mass (GCM) levels.

The problem occurs when the manufacturer issues a rating letter to lift the GCM rating of the vehicle to a level above that stated on the vehicle plate.

This operation is carried out for many reasons and is a method preferred by industry rather than re-plating with a modification plate.

The rating letter can be made conditional for speed, gradients and other specific operational parameters that can not be recorded on a plate. The rating letter is also specific to the owner of the vehicle and is not transferable where the mod plate is fitted for the entire service life of the vehicle.

This topic will be discussed at the next QLD Liaison Group Meeting in Nov 2009.