Road and traffic guidelines

RTS 18

New Zealand on-road tracking

curves for heavy motor vehicles

August 2007

© 2007, Land Transport New Zealand, www.landtransport.govt.nz

ISSN 1170-5337

ISBN 978-0-478-30910-2
Land Transport New Zealand
PO Box 2840
Wellington 6140
New Zealand

General enquiries: 0800 699 000

© Land Transport New Zealand

This publication is the copyright of Land Transport New Zealand. Material in it may be
directly reproduced without formal permission or charge, provided suitable
acknowledgement is made to this publication and Land Transport New Zealand as the
source.

Land Transport New Zealand accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of paper based or
electronic material copied from this document or downloaded from the Land Transport New
Zealand internet website that has been subsequently altered without the approval of Land
Transport New Zealand.

Disclaimer: Land Transport NZ has endeavoured to ensure the material in this document
is technically accurate and reflects legal requirements. However, the document does not
override governing legislation. Land Transport NZ does not accept liability for any
consequences arising from the use of this document. If the user of this document is unsure
whether the material is correct, they should make direct reference to the relevant
legislation and contact Land Transport NZ.

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Contents

A guideline for using New Zealand on-road tracking curves ........................ 4

The design vehicles .............................................................................. 6

Other vehicles.................................................................................... 11

Tracking curve selection ...................................................................... 12

Using the tracking curves .................................................................... 13

Clearances ........................................................................................ 14

Radii................................................................................................. 15

Scale ................................................................................................ 16

Additional information ......................................................................... 17

Acknowledgements............................................................................. 18

Tracking curve diagrams ..................................................................... 19

Road and traffic guideline publications .................................................. 20

RTS 18: NZ on-road tracking curves 2007 3

A guideline for using New Zealand on-road
tracking curves

This publication has been prepared for road controlling authorities and engineers involved in the
geometric design of roads and intersections, and replaces a similar document published in October
1995.

The guideline has been prepared for Land Transport New Zealand by Traffic Engineering and
Management Ltd with input from Transit New Zealand and the New Zealand Road Transport Forum.

In keeping with the earlier document, this publication is divided into two sections, with the first section
providing a general guide for the types of vehicles that should be used, useful information on
alternative vehicle configurations, and the design vehicles that should be used to accommodate these
alternative configurations.

The second section of the publication includes a suite of tracking curves for the design vehicles
executing a range of turns at different radii.

These tracking curves can be printed to obtain paper copies or downloaded to incorporate into design
drawings from the electronic versions in PDF and JPEG format at the Land Transport NZ website at:
www.landtransport.govt.nz/roads/rts/index.html.

A group of vehicles, representative of New Zealand’s vehicle fleet, has been identified to produce these
tracking curves for on-road design. This will allow designers to tailor the geometric characteristics of
their design to the operational requirements of an appropriate vehicle.

Care should be exercised to ensure that this 2007 suite of design vehicles is not confused with the
earlier suite of vehicles and associated tracking curves contained in the October 1995 publication.
Whilst several vehicles have remained or may appear to have remained unchanged, others have
updated internal dimensional characteristics or overall lengths to reflect changes that have been made
to the regulations controlling these vehicles.

Examples of these differences include:

• the semi-trailer design vehicle is now 1 metre longer and has more demanding off-tracking1 as a
result of a recently approved axle set on the trailer

• the large rigid truck is now longer than the 1995 design vehicle of the same name.

Intersections, roundabouts and other on-road facilities should be designed using the 2007 suite of
tracking curves. This is to ensure that vehicles that can operate legally on New Zealand’s roads are able
to turn safely without damaging other vehicles or road facilities.

It is therefore recommended that this new publication be used as the sole reference for on-road
tracking curves and older out-of-date material be discarded. Potentially significant outcomes could arise
if outdated tracking curves or curves sourced from overseas are used.

1
Off-tracking is a performance measure that defines the extent to which the rear of a vehicle tracks inside the path
followed by the front of the vehicle as it executes a horizontal turn.

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Using the current tracking curves will ensure the designs are suitable for New Zealand’s roads and
transport infrastructure and reflect:

• the controlling dimensional regulations for New Zealand vehicles (Land Transport Rule: Vehicle
Dimensions and Mass 2002, Rule 41001)

• the size and weight configurations for different vehicles

• the axle spacing and locational requirements that have been formulated to protect New Zealand’s
roads and bridges

• the characteristics of the New Zealand heavy vehicle fleet.

In using these tracking curves it is important to remember that they only apply to the specified vehicle
executing the specified turn. Should the details of the turn, the manner in which it is executed, and/or
the dimensional characteristics of the vehicle be different, the tracking curve will also be different.

It is important to also note that these curves have assumed that the vehicle enters and leaves the turn
in the manner shown. In the event that the design being considered requires a compound or complex
manoeuvre (where the position and/or orientation of the vehicle through one turn has been influenced
by its behaviour through a previous turn), the tracking curve through the entire manoeuvre will be
different – with an accurate construction of the actual tracking curve using the curves contained in this
document being exceptionally difficult to achieve.

In these situations, it is recommended that the designer seeks advice from a professional traffic
engineer, as specialised computer models are available to simulate alternative vehicle dimensions and
complex manoeuvres.

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The design vehicles

The following notes briefly describe each of the commercial vehicles that have been identified as design
vehicles and gives an indication of their likely use. Pictures of the vehicles have been included to assist
with the identification of the vehicles where there may be some uncertainty, and key dimensions have
been provided. This will allow comparisons to be made with a specific vehicle the designer may be
considering.

The following is a summary of each vehicle’s characteristics.

Medium rigid truck

The medium rigid truck is 8 metres in length, typically has two axles and is larger than the vans and
small light trucks used by courier companies for urban deliveries.

Medium rigid trucks are used to transport small- to medium-sized consignments in local areas and are
similar in length to a rubbish truck, moderate sized furniture moving truck, typical fire appliance and
those trucks that generally service convenience stores.

All dimensions are in millimetres. Vehicle width is 2500 mm.

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Large rigid truck
The large rigid truck is 11.5 metres in length, typically has three or four axles, and is the largest rigid
truck that can tow a trailer on New Zealand’s roads. It also has the potential to carry larger and heavier
loads than the medium rigid truck.

These trucks tend to service large commercial, industrial and retail operations.

Flat deck versions can usually accommodate a standard 20 foot International Standards Organisation
(ISO) shipping container.

All dimensions are in millimetres. Vehicle width is 2500 mm.

Rigid trucks up to 12.6 metres are also possible, however, with these not being able to tow a trailer,
they tend to be designed for special purposes (eg furniture removal or as transporters for light
contracting equipment such as rollers). Should a specific design anticipate the presence of these longer
trucks, the tour coach tracking curve should be used to represent the 12.6 metre long rigid truck.

It should be noted that these large rigid trucks may have one or two steering axles at the front of the
vehicle. For the radii being considered in this document, the presence of the second axle in a twin-steer
axle group at the front of the vehicle will not significantly affect the off-tracking characteristics of the
vehicle.

However, the designer should be aware that the presence of the second axle may affect the ability for
these twin-steer vehicles to execute turns as tight as those possible by single-steer axle vehicles of a
comparable size.

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Semi-trailer
The semi-trailer is 18 metres in length, the maximum permitted for this type of vehicle. This vehicle
can also be referred to as an articulated truck and tends to be used to transport large consignments,
including indivisible loads, over medium to long distances.

It is also the only vehicle combination that can carry a standard 40 or 45 foot shipping container.
Shipping containers larger than these lengths can be transported by semi-trailers, but only under
special conditions.

All dimensions are in millimetres. Vehicle width is 2500 mm.

It should be noted that:

• the ‘tractor’ (prime-mover) component of this combination may have one or two steering axles at
the front, and generally has two axles at the rear (although single-axle or triple-axle combinations
are also possible)

• the trailer has an axle set located towards the rear, which generally comprises three or four axles,
although some trailers may only have one or two axles.

From an off-tracking point of view, the combination of axles on the tractor does not have a significant
effect on the vehicle at the radii of the published curves.

However, at tighter radii, the axle combinations of some tractors may be more restrictive in their ability
to turn than other combinations.

Trailers with a quad-axle set will generally have more demanding spatial needs than those
combinations with fewer axles due to the dynamic behaviour of the quad-axle.

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It is for this reason that the semi-trailer combination with a quad-axle set fitted to the trailer has now
replaced other vehicles as the most critical long combination in terms of its swept path.

Specifically, the distance between the trailer's rear axis and kingpin has been increased to 9.4 metres2
for the preparation of the tracking curves, which is 0.9 metre longer than the maximum legal length. A
corresponding reduction has been made in the vehicle’s theoretical rear overhang.

Whilst technically illegal, the use of these dimensions in the preparation of the tracking curves allows
the vehicle’s actual performance to be better represented and, as discussed above, has resulted in this
vehicle now being the most critical long combination in terms of its swept path.

It should be noted that the 9.4 metre distance is only appropriate when the vehicle is travelling in a
forward direction.

Should this vehicle be simulated executing a reverse manoeuvre, the 9.4 metre distance and associated
rear overhang are inappropriate and must be amended to reflect the operational behaviour of the
actual axle set during the reversing.

2
Land Transport NZ Rule 41001 specifies a distance of 8.5 metres as the legal design limit for the distance between
the trailer’s rear axis and kingpin.

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Tour coach
The tour coach3 can have an overall length of 12.6 metres. This vehicle is regularly used for the
transportation of tourists around the country and is more likely to be used at the luxury end of the
market.

All dimensions are in millimetres. Vehicle width is 2500 mm.

Given the dimensional permutations possible for tour coaches longer than 12.6 metres, it is
recommended that any geometric layouts that are expected to be used by these longer tour coaches
are the subject of a specific design for the anticipated vehicle dimensions.

3
Land Transport NZ has allowed (by way of exemption from Rule 41001) some tour coaches to have an overall
length of 13.5 metres, provided they have a rear steering axle. Roading engineers may need to allow for the
additional 0.9 metre stall length when designing parking for these coaches. The extra length of this vehicle is likely
to be found in the rear overhang of the vehicle (the distance between the rear axles and the rear of the vehicle), and
therefore these vehicles may well have more tailswing than the tour coach design vehicle on entering a tight
manoeuvre.

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Other vehicles

The B-train (a tractor unit towing two semi-trailers) has an overall length of 20 metres, the maximum
length of any vehicle without a special permit. In most situations this vehicle will be used to transport
general goods or bulk liquids (wine, chemicals etc) on long-haul routes. It therefore plays an integral
role in the country’s heavy vehicle fleet.

In the past, the B-train has generally been regarded as the design vehicle that should be used for the
design of most roading projects.

However, with the introduction of four-axle semi-trailers, the tracking curve of the semi-trailer is now
the reference vehicle for such designs.

Truck and drawbar trailer combinations are typically in the order of 19 to 20 metres long and tend
to be used for the transportation of bulk freight, stock, aggregate and products requiring refrigeration.

For the on-road situation, the truck and trailer combinations will track within the path of the 18 metre
long four-axle semi-trailer, and a separate tracking curve has therefore not been provided for the truck
and trailer combination.

The use of A-train combinations (a short semi-trailer towing a drawbar trailer) throughout New
Zealand is not great due to the weight restrictions imposed on them and their potential instability, and
tend to be confined to the dairy industry, where they are used extensively for the collection and
transportation of bulk milk from farms to processing companies.

For the on-road situation, the A-train vehicle tracks within the path of the four-axle semi-trailer, and a
separate tracking curve has therefore not been provided for the A-train.

The urban city bus is generally about 11.3 metres long and is typical of the two axle buses frequently
used in urban areas on timetabled routes. Its dimensions are similar to those of the large rigid truck
design vehicle. Due to this similarity, the tracking curves prepared for the large rigid truck should be
used for the urban city bus.

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Tracking curve selection

This publication contains tracking curves for the following design vehicles:

• trucks:

− medium rigid truck (8 metres in length)

− large rigid truck (11.5 metres in length)

− semi-trailer (18 metres in length)

• buses

− tour coach.

Because a number of maximum-sized vehicle combinations have similar tracking curves through a
simple turn, the following tracking curves should be used for the other vehicle combinations:

For these vehicle combinations Use this tracking curve

Urban city bus Large rigid truck

Truck and trailer Semi-trailer

A-train Semi-trailer

B-train Semi-trailer

Rigid trucks longer than 11.5 metres Tour coach

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Using the tracking curves

A total of 17 tracking curve diagrams have been prepared for the identified design vehicles, with these
produced at a scale of 1:250 and covering a range of radii.

All of the curves have been prepared using the software programme AutoTrack, with the following
assumptions:

• The off-tracking is not reduced by high speed effects. Therefore these curves are appropriate for
slow-speed4 situations.

• The forward-most part of the vehicle’s body controls the direction of the vehicle throughout the
turn, with the vehicle’s steering wheels responding as required to achieve this performance.

These curves are available electronically from www.landtransport.govt.nz/roads/rts/index.html, in pdf

and jpeg formats, to assist CAD-based designs, should vehicle simulation software not be available.

In using these curves, consideration should also be given to any additional design requirements that
may be needed to accommodate overdimension or overweight loads. This is particularly important on,
or close to, routes identified by Transit New Zealand or local road controlling authorities for these
purposes, together with those close to major transportation hubs such as ports and wharves where
special arrangements may be necessary.

In these situations, consultation with local heavy haulage operators or Land Transport NZ staff
responsible for overdimension permits is strongly recommended. Additional useful information can be
obtained from guidelines published by the New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association. This document is
listed in the additional reading section of this publication.

This will enable the designer to gain an understanding of the type, size and operational requirements of
these particular vehicles.

4
Low-speed situations are those where the lateral forces experienced by a vehicle as it executes a turn at a specific
speed are very low and have no appreciable effect on neutralising the vehicle’s low-speed off-tracking. The effects of
these lateral forces are generally not significant at speeds less than 20 km/h.

RTS 18: NZ on-road tracking curves 2007 13

Clearances

The tracking curves show the paths followed by the outermost parts of the vehicle’s body.

The curves therefore define the physical space necessary for the vehicle to execute the intended
manoeuvre and do not include any clearances.

Additional clearances should therefore be added to each side of the tracking curve to allow for:

• variations introduced by driver unfamiliarity

• steering/judgement errors

• differences between the design vehicle and an actual vehicle

• any potential out-swing of the front or rear of a trailer as it enters or leaves a turn.

Additional clearances also help to act as a buffer to protect adjacent vehicles and pedestrians, street
signs and other street furniture.

The recommended minimum clearance to be added to each side of the tracking curve is 0.5 metre
(500 mm), with greater clearances being desirable whenever possible.

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Radii

Table 1 provides a summary of the tracking curves, and their radii, that have been prepared for the
design vehicles.

Table 1: Turn radii and tracking curve sheet numbers for the design vehicles at various radii.

Vehicle Radius of turn

10 m 12.5 m 15 m 20 m 25 m

8 m rigid truck 1 2 3 4 5

11.5 m rigid truck 6 7 8 9

Semi-trailer* 10 11 12 13

Tour coach 14 15 16 17

*As noted in the text above, the semi-trailer combination with a quad-axle set fitted to the trailer has
now replaced other vehicles as the most critical long combination in terms of its swept path.

It should be noted that all vehicles have a legal requirement to be able to execute a 12.5 metre radius
turn. However, some vehicles are able to turn in a radius less than this at slow speeds without affecting
their dynamic stability.

Where this is possible and considered reasonable, tracking curves have been prepared for the
appropriate radii. Care must be exercised when using these curves to ensure that the radius is
appropriate for the anticipated traffic conditions, speed environment and classification of the road.

As mentioned above, consideration should also be given to any additional design requirements that
may be needed to accommodate overdimension or overweight loads. This is particularly important on,
or close to, routes identified by Transit New Zealand or local road controlling authorities for these
purposes, together with those close to major transportation hubs such as ports and wharves where
special arrangements may be necessary.

In these situations, consultation with the local heavy haulage operators or Land Transport NZ staff
responsible for overdimension permits is strongly recommended. This will enable the designer to gain
an understanding of the type, size and operational requirements of these particular vehicles.

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Scale

All of the tracking curves in this publication have been prepared at a scale of 1:250. Alternative scales
can be easily obtained with the aid of the enlargement and reduction facilities of modern photocopiers.

If alternative scales are needed, it is strongly recommended that the radius (as drawn on the curve)
and both the horizontal and vertical axes are checked for accuracy. If they do not scale correctly after
the enlargement or reduction, distortions have been introduced during the copying process and the
diagrams will no longer be accurate.

As a general guide, the theoretical scaling factors in table 2 should be used for single pass
enlargements and reductions:

Table 2: Theoretical scale factors for single-pass enlargement and reductions.

Original scale Desired scale Scale factor Enlargement (E) or reduction (R)

1:250 1:100 2.500 E

1:200 1.250 E

1:300 0.833 R

1:400 0.625 R

1:500 0.500 R

Note: Designs based on a scale smaller than 1:500 are not recommended.

As an alternative, specialist CAD-based programmes5 are available that allow these vehicles to be
simulated in CAD environments such as AutoCAD6 and MicroStation7.

More details about these software packages can be obtained from CAD retailers or professional traffic
engineers.

5
AutoTrack produced by Savoy Computing Services Ltd (www.savoy.co.uk). AutoTurn produced by Transoft
Solutions Inc (www.transoftsolutions.com). AutoTurn is a registered trademark of Transoft Solutions Inc.

6
AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk Inc.

7
MicroStation is a registered trademark of Bentley Systems Incorporated.

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Additional information

It is recommended that designers refer to the following documents when designing roads, intersections
or other facilities for heavy vehicles.

Austroads (2005). Traffic Engineering Practice Series, Guide to traffic engineering practice, Part 5:
Intersections at grade. June 2005.

Land Transport New Zealand (2002). Land Transport Rule 41001, Vehicle dimensions and mass. May
2002.

Land Transport New Zealand (2005). Factsheets 13 series, Vehicle dimensions and mass. February to
September 2005.

Land Transport New Zealand (2005). Factsheet 53, Overdimension vehicles and loads. July 2005.

Land Transport New Zealand (2006). Road and Traffic Standards RTS16, Guide to heavy vehicle
management. June 2006.

New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association (2006). Road design specifications for overdimension loads.
(August 2006).

Transit New Zealand (1991). State highway geometric design manual. (Draft 2000). October 2003.

Off-road tracking curves

The design of off-road facilities for vehicles should generally be done in accordance with the
requirements of the relevant city or district council, particularly the district plan for the area and related
relevant engineering design documents.

General guideline documents containing tracking curves are available for the design of facilities for both
light and heavy vehicles in on-site situations where vehicle speeds are expected to be low and
manoeuvring can be carried out with a tighter steering lock than at most road intersections. These
documents should be referred to in conjunction with the city or district council requirements. Note that
New Zealand design vehicles can be different from those used in Australia and so these documents
should be used with care.

For light vehicle design (cars and vans etc) Standards New Zealand has available:

• AS/NZS 2890.1:2004 Parking facilities – Off-street car parking.

For heavy vehicle design, Standards Australia has available:

• AS 2890.2: 2002 Parking facilities – Off street commercial vehicle facilities.

Reference could also be made to Transit New Zealand Research Report no 32, Site design for heavy
vehicle facilities, (1994) by Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd and Traffic Planning Consultants Ltd (but
please note that some New Zealand design vehicles are now larger than those allowed in 1994). .

Further information about these documents can be obtained from appropriate websites, regional Land
Transport NZ offices or a professional traffic engineer.

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Acknowledgements

The guideline was prepared by Traffic Engineering & Management Ltd, Auckland which gratefully
acknowledges the assistance of:

Chris Carr Carr & Haslam Ltd

Mike Tibbs Halls Refrigerated Transport Ltd

Don Hutchinson Land Transport New Zealand

Michael Doole Land Transport New Zealand

John Graham Mainfreight Ltd

Stephen de Kriek MaxiTrans Industries (NZ) Pty Ltd

Kerry Arnold NZ Road Transport Forum

Iain Fletcher Titan Plant Services Ltd

Jamie Bell Titan Plant Services Ltd

Lynn Sleath Transit New Zealand

John de Pont Transport Engineering Research New Zealand (TERNZ)

Derek Wilson Analytico Pty Ltd (Australia)

RTS 18: NZ on-road tracking curves 2007 18

Tracking curve diagrams

The second section of this publication includes a set of 17 tracking curve diagrams. These vehicles, radii
and their corresponding tracking curve sheet numbers are listed below.

Vehicle Radii Sheet number

8 m rigid truck 10 m radius 1

12.5 m radius 2

15 m radius 3

20 m radius 4

25 m radius 5

11.5 m rigid truck 12.5m radius 6

15 m radius 7

20 m radius 8

25 m radius 9

Semi-trailer 12.5 m radius 10

15 m radius 11

20 m radius 12

25 m radius 13

Tour coach 12.5 m radius 14

15 m radius 15

20 m radius 16

25 m radius 17

RTS 18: NZ on-road tracking curves 2007 19

Road and traffic guideline publications
The following other Road and traffic guidelines are available:

RTS 1 Guidelines for the implementation of traffic controls at crossroads (1990)

RTS 2 Guidelines for street name signs (1990)

RTS 3 Guidelines for establishing rural selling places (1992)

RTS 4 Guidelines for flush medians (1991)

RTS 5 Guidelines for rural road marking and delineation (1992)

RTS 6 Guidelines for visibility at driveways (1993)

RTS 7 Advertising signs and road safety: design and location guidelines (1993)

RTS 8 Guidelines for safe kerbline protection (1993)

RTS 9 Guidelines for the signing and layout of slip lanes (1993)

RTS 10 Road signs and markings for railway level crossings (2000)

RTS 11 Urban roadside barriers and alternative treatments (1995)

RTS 13 Guidelines for service stations (1995)

RTS 14 Guidelines for facilities for blind and vision-impaired pedestrians (2003)

RTS 15 Guidelines for urban-rural speed thresholds (2002)

RTS 16 Guide to heavy vehicle management (2006).

Electronic copies of the Road and traffic guideline series can be downloaded from
www.landtransport.govt.nz/roads/rts/index.html

For printed copies of the Road and traffic guideline series forward your request
with a payment of $10.00 per copy to:

Publications, Land Transport New Zealand, PO Box 2840, Wellington.

RTS 18: NZ on-road tracking curves 2007 20