Free mass management plan template

What is a mass management plan template?

A mass management plan is the documented system a heavy vehicle operator uses to keep every load within its legal mass limits and to meet the standards of the Mass Management module of the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme. NHVAS, administered by the NHVR, lets an accredited operator manage its own mass compliance and, where approved, access concessional or higher mass limits in return for a documented and audited system. The plan records the mass limits that apply to each vehicle and combination, how loads are weighed or estimated, how those weights are verified, the records that are kept, which vehicles are nominated under the accreditation, and how non-conformances are found and corrected. It turns the legal duty not to overload into a repeatable process that a loader, driver or scheduler can follow on every dispatch.

For the business, a mass management plan matters because overloading is both a safety risk and an offence under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, and the duty to prevent it is shared across the chain through Chain of Responsibility. An accredited and audited system is how an operator demonstrates control, retains access to higher mass limits where those apply, and avoids the penalties and reputational cost of a mass breach. Kept with the asset register, vehicle records and weighing evidence, the plan gives a clear, auditable trail that each load was managed against its limit. It also supports better operational decisions, because consistent mass records show how loads are distributed across the fleet and where capacity is genuinely available.

Learn more about compliance and inspections in MapTrack.

Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack

When you move your plans from paper to MapTrack, you get:

• Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
• Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
• Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
• Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
• Ability to share forms digitally.
• Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
• Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
• Electronic signatures.
• Edit forms later without reprinting.
• Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
• Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
• Set recurring audit schedules with automatic reminders and escalation.
• Produce regulator-ready PDF compliance packs in one click.
• Track corrective actions from finding to close-out with full audit trail.

Book a demo to see how MapTrack handles plans.

What to include in a mass management plan template

This mass management plan template covers 9 key areas:

• Scope and accreditation details: the operator, the NHVAS module, the accreditation number where held, and the sites covered
• Mass limits: the general, concessional or higher mass limits that apply to each vehicle, axle group and combination
• Nominated vehicles: the register of vehicles operating under the accreditation, with identifiers and any conditions
• Weighing and verification: how loads are weighed or estimated, the equipment used, and how readings are verified and cross-checked
• Weighing equipment control: calibration, accuracy checks and maintenance of weighbridges, on-board scales or other devices
• Records: the mass records kept for each trip, how long they are retained, and where they are stored for audit
• Roles and responsibilities: the duties of the loader, driver, scheduler and nominated manager for mass compliance
• Non-conformance and corrective action: how an overload or system failure is identified, reported, recorded and corrected
• Internal review and audit: the schedule of internal reviews and external NHVAS audits, and how findings are closed out

How often should you complete this plan?

Mass compliance is a per load activity. Every relevant trip is weighed or verified and recorded against its limit before dispatch, so the system runs continuously rather than on a periodic cycle. Weighing equipment is calibrated and accuracy checked on a set schedule so the readings the system depends on stay reliable.

The plan itself is reviewed internally on a regular cycle, commonly at least annually, and is externally audited under the NHVAS rules to maintain accreditation. Note that the NHVAS and the HVNL it sits under do not cover Western Australia or the Northern Territory, which administer their own heavy vehicle accreditation and laws, so operators there should follow their local scheme. Review the plan sooner whenever something changes that affects mass, such as a new vehicle, a change to the loads carried, a move to or from higher mass limits, a mass breach, or a change to the law or the accreditation standards. The day to day weighing keeps loads legal; the review and audit cycle keeps the system itself fit for purpose.

Applicable regulatory standards

This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:

• Heavy Vehicle National Law - mass requirements (compliance with general mass limits and any concessional or higher mass limit conditions)
• National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) - Mass Management module and its business rules and standards
• National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) - Mass Management accreditation guidance and audit requirements
• Heavy Vehicle National Law - Chain of Responsibility duty as it applies to loading and mass
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 - primary duty of care for safe transport activities

Related resources

More compliance templates and guides:

• Chain of responsibility policy template
• Load restraint checklist
• Chain of responsibility checklist
• NHVR heavy vehicle inspection
• Fleet management plan template
• Driver work diary (NHVR)
• Asset tracking
• Pricing