GLOSSARY
Articulated trucks
Motor vehicles constructed primarily for load carrying, consisting of a prime mover having no significant load carrying area, but with a turntable device which can be linked to one or more trailers.
Buses
Motor vehicles constructed for the carriage of passengers. This category includes all motor vehicles with 10 or more seats, including the driver's seat.
Campervans
Self-propelled motor vehicles containing an area primarily used for accommodation. This includes motor homes and powered caravans.
Fuel
Type of fuel used to power the vehicle as reported to the registering authority and includes leaded petrol, unleaded petrol, diesel, LPG/other gases, dual fuel and other (which includes electric).
Gross Combination Mass (GCM)
Tare weight (i.e. unladen weight) of the motor vehicle and attached trailers, plus its maximum carrying and towing capacity. GCM is the weight measurement used for vehicles such as articulated trucks used for towing trailers.
Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM)
Tare weight (i.e. unladen weight) of the motor vehicle, plus its maximum carrying capacity excluding trailers.
Heavy rigid trucks
Rigid trucks of GVM greater than 4.5 tonnes (see Rigid trucks below).
Heavy Vehicle Code
The national code representing the different classes of heavy vehicles and heavy trailers that is used as a basis for charging vehicle registration fees. A diagrammatic representation of the heavy vehicle configurations can be accessed via this link.
Light commercial vehicles
Vehicles primarily constructed for the carriage of goods, and which are less than or equal to 3.5 tonnes GVM. This includes utilities, panel vans, cab-chassis and forward-control load carrying vehicles (whether four-wheel drive or not).
Light rigid trucks
Rigid trucks of GVM greater than 3.5 tonnes and less than or equal to 4.5 tonnes (see Rigid trucks below).
Make
The manufacturer of the motor vehicle (e.g. Ford, Holden, Mitsubishi, Toyota).
Model
An identifying description applied by the manufacturer of a motor vehicle to distinguish it from other styles or trim levels from the same manufacturer. Models are described in many different ways by MVRs. The ABS is moving towards grouping models by basic nomenclature and design (e.g. Commodore, Berlina, Calais, SS, Omega, SV6 as variations of the Commodore model from Holden).
Motor cycles
Two and three wheeled motor vehicles constructed primarily for the carriage of one or two persons. This category includes two and three wheeled mopeds, scooters, motor tricycles and motor cycles with sidecars.
Non-freight carrying vehicles
Specialist motor vehicles or motor vehicles fitted with special purpose equipment, and having little or no load carrying capacity (e.g. ambulances, cherry pickers, fire trucks and tow trucks)
Number of axles
The count of axles when viewing a vehicle from the side (e.g. one or more wheels on either side of a vehicle at the same point when measured from the front is classed as one axle).
Passenger vehicles
Motor vehicles constructed primarily for the carriage of persons and containing up to nine seats (including the driver's seat). This category includes cars, station wagons, four-wheel drive passenger vehicles and forward-control passenger vehicles. Campervans are excluded.
Rigid trucks
Motor vehicles of GVM greater than 3.5 tonnes, constructed with a load carrying area. This includes trucks with a tow bar, or fitted to take a draw bar or other non-articulated coupling on the rear of the vehicle.
Rigid trucks are divided into two categories:
- Light rigid trucks of GVM greater than 3.5 tonnes and less than or equal to 4.5 tonnes
- Heavy rigid trucks of GVM greater than 4.5 tonnes.
State/territory
The state or territory of the motor registry at which a vehicle is registered.
Tare
The unloaded weight of a motor vehicle or trailer.
Quality Declaration 
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