Axle Limits
|
|
Section 35550.
(a) The gross weight imposed upon the highway by the wheels on any one axle of a vehicle shall not exceed 20,000 pounds and the gross weight upon any one wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle, and resting upon the roadway, shall not exceed 10,500 pounds.
(b) The gross weight limit provided for weight bearing upon any one wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle shall not apply to vehicles the loads of which consist of livestock.
(c) The maximum wheel load is the lesser of the following:
(b) The gross weight limit provided for weight bearing upon any one wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle shall not apply to vehicles the loads of which consist of livestock.
(c) The maximum wheel load is the lesser of the following:
- (1) The load limit established by the tire manufacturer, as molded on at least one sidewall of the tire.
- (2) A load of 620 pounds per lateral inch of tire width, as determined by the manufacturer's rated tire width as molded on at least one sidewall of the tire for all axles except the steering axle, in which case paragraph (1) applies.
Section 35551.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section or Section 35551.5, the total gross weight in pounds imposed on the highway by any group of two or more consecutive axles shall not exceed that given for the respective distance in the following:
Distance in feet between the extremes of any group of 2 or more consecutive axles
(b) In addition to the weights specified in subdivision (a), two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each if the overall distance between the first and last axles of the consecutive sets of tandem axles is 36 feet or more. The gross weight of each set of tandem axles shall not exceed 34,000 pounds and the gross weight of the two consecutive sets of tandem axles shall not exceed 68,000 pounds.
(c) The distance between axles shall be measured to the nearest whole foot. When a fraction is exactly six inches, the next larger whole foot shall be used.
(d) Nothing contained in this section shall affect the right to prohibit the use of any highway or any bridge or other structure thereon in the manner and to the extent specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 35700) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 35750) of this chapter.
(e) The gross weight limits expressed by this section and Section 35550 shall include all enforcement tolerances.
*The bracketed information has been added editorially to meet accessibility requirements and is not part of statute.
Amended Ch. 827, Stats. 1982. Effective January 1, 1983.
Distance in feet between the extremes of any group of 2 or more consecutive axles
(b) In addition to the weights specified in subdivision (a), two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each if the overall distance between the first and last axles of the consecutive sets of tandem axles is 36 feet or more. The gross weight of each set of tandem axles shall not exceed 34,000 pounds and the gross weight of the two consecutive sets of tandem axles shall not exceed 68,000 pounds.
(c) The distance between axles shall be measured to the nearest whole foot. When a fraction is exactly six inches, the next larger whole foot shall be used.
(d) Nothing contained in this section shall affect the right to prohibit the use of any highway or any bridge or other structure thereon in the manner and to the extent specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 35700) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 35750) of this chapter.
(e) The gross weight limits expressed by this section and Section 35550 shall include all enforcement tolerances.
*The bracketed information has been added editorially to meet accessibility requirements and is not part of statute.
Amended Ch. 827, Stats. 1982. Effective January 1, 1983.
Section 35551.5
Alternate Method of Computing Allowable Gross Weight 35551.5. (a) The provisions of this section shall apply only to combinations of vehicles which contain a trailer or semitrailer. Each vehicle in such combination of vehicles, and every such combination of vehicles, shall comply with either Section 35551 or with subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of this section.
(b) The gross weight imposed upon the highway by the wheels on any one axle of a vehicle shall not exceed 18,000 pounds and the gross weight upon any one wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle and resting upon the roadway, shall not exceed 9,500 pounds, except that the gross weight imposed upon the highway by the wheels on any front steering axle of a motor vehicle shall not exceed 12,500 pounds. The gross weight limit provided for weight bearing upon any wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle shall not apply to vehicles the loads of which consist of livestock. The following vehicles are exempt from the front axle weight limits specified in this subdivision:
(b) The gross weight imposed upon the highway by the wheels on any one axle of a vehicle shall not exceed 18,000 pounds and the gross weight upon any one wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle and resting upon the roadway, shall not exceed 9,500 pounds, except that the gross weight imposed upon the highway by the wheels on any front steering axle of a motor vehicle shall not exceed 12,500 pounds. The gross weight limit provided for weight bearing upon any wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle shall not apply to vehicles the loads of which consist of livestock. The following vehicles are exempt from the front axle weight limits specified in this subdivision:
- (1) Trucks transporting vehicles.
- (2) Trucks transporting livestock.
- (3) Dump trucks.
- (4) Cranes
- (5) Buses
- (6) Transit mix concrete or cement trucks, and trucks that mix concrete or cement at, or adjacent to, a jobsite.
- (7) Motor vehicles that are not commercial vehicles.
- (8) Vehicle operated by any public utility furnishing electricity, gas, water, or telephone service.
- (9) Trucks or truck tractors with a front axle at least four feet to the rear of the foremost part of the truck or truck tractor, not including the front bumper.
- (10) Trucks transporting garbage, rubbish, or refuse.
- (11) Trucks equipped with a fifth wheel when towing a semitrailer.
- (12) Tank trucks which have a cargo capacity of at least 1,500 gallons.
- (13) Trucks transporting bulk grains or bulk livestock feed.
d) The total gross weight with load imposed on the highway by any vehicle in such combination of vehicles or of such combination of vehicles where the distance between the first and last axles is more than 18 feet shall not exceed that given for the respective distances in the following table:
(f) The gross weight limits expressed by this section shall include all enforcement tolerances.
(g) Nothing in this section shall affect the right to prohibit the use of any highway or any bridge or other structure thereon in the manner and to the extent specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 35700) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 35750) of Chapter 5 of Division 15.
(h) The Legislature, in enacting this section, does not intend to increase, and this section shall not be construed to allow, statutory weights any greater than existed prior to January 1, 1976.
*The bracketed information has been added editorially to meet accessibility requirements and is not part of statute.
Added Ch. 784, Stats. 1980. Effective January 1, 1981.
(g) Nothing in this section shall affect the right to prohibit the use of any highway or any bridge or other structure thereon in the manner and to the extent specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 35700) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 35750) of Chapter 5 of Division 15.
(h) The Legislature, in enacting this section, does not intend to increase, and this section shall not be construed to allow, statutory weights any greater than existed prior to January 1, 1976.
*The bracketed information has been added editorially to meet accessibility requirements and is not part of statute.
Added Ch. 784, Stats. 1980. Effective January 1, 1981.
Section 35552 EXCEPTION - LOG HAULERS
(a) This section applies only to trucks and vehicle combinations while transporting loads composed solely of logs.
(b) One set of tandem axles of such a truck or vehicle combination shall be deemed to be in compliance with Section 35551 if the total gross weight of 34,000 pounds on such a set that is permitted by Section 35551 is not exceeded by more than 1,500 pounds. In addition, such a truck and vehicle combination that has two consecutive sets of tandem axles shall be deemed to be in compliance with Section 35551 if such consecutive sets of tandem axles do not carry a combined total gross weight of more than 69,000 pounds, if the total gross weight on any one such set does not exceed 35,500 pounds, and if the overall distance between the first and last axle of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is 34 feet or more. All such truck and vehicle combinations shall be subject to all other provisions of Section 35551 or any other provision made applicable to the total gross weight of such a truck or vehicle combination in lieu of Section 35551.
(c) The gross weight limits expressed in this section shall include all enforcement tolerances.
(d) If any total gross weight permitted by this section is exceeded, the allowed weight in pounds set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 35551 shall be the maximum permitted weight for purposes of determining the amount of fine for such violation as specified in the table in Section 42030; except that, whenever the violation is for exceeding the total gross weight for two consecutive sets of tandem axles, and if the overall distance between the first and last axle of such sets is 34 feet or more, the allowed weight on the two consecutive sets shall be 68,000 pounds.
(e) This section shall have no application to highways which are a part of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (as referred to in subdivision (a) of Section 108 of the Federal-aid Highway Act of 1956). This section may be cited as the Christensen-Belotti Act.
(b) One set of tandem axles of such a truck or vehicle combination shall be deemed to be in compliance with Section 35551 if the total gross weight of 34,000 pounds on such a set that is permitted by Section 35551 is not exceeded by more than 1,500 pounds. In addition, such a truck and vehicle combination that has two consecutive sets of tandem axles shall be deemed to be in compliance with Section 35551 if such consecutive sets of tandem axles do not carry a combined total gross weight of more than 69,000 pounds, if the total gross weight on any one such set does not exceed 35,500 pounds, and if the overall distance between the first and last axle of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is 34 feet or more. All such truck and vehicle combinations shall be subject to all other provisions of Section 35551 or any other provision made applicable to the total gross weight of such a truck or vehicle combination in lieu of Section 35551.
(c) The gross weight limits expressed in this section shall include all enforcement tolerances.
(d) If any total gross weight permitted by this section is exceeded, the allowed weight in pounds set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 35551 shall be the maximum permitted weight for purposes of determining the amount of fine for such violation as specified in the table in Section 42030; except that, whenever the violation is for exceeding the total gross weight for two consecutive sets of tandem axles, and if the overall distance between the first and last axle of such sets is 34 feet or more, the allowed weight on the two consecutive sets shall be 68,000 pounds.
(e) This section shall have no application to highways which are a part of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (as referred to in subdivision (a) of Section 108 of the Federal-aid Highway Act of 1956). This section may be cited as the Christensen-Belotti Act.
Section 35553 EXCEPTION - LOADING & UNLOADING
The provisions of this article shall not apply to any vehicle in the immediate vicinity of an unloading or loading area while actually preparing for or in the process of unloading or loading, provided any overload is incidental to and necessitated by such action; and provided that such action does not occur on a bridge or highway structure. This section shall have no application to highways which are a part of the national system of interstate and defense highways (as referred to in subdivision (a) of Section 108 of the Federal-aid Highway Act of 1956).
Section 35554 EXCEPTION - BUSES & MOTORHOMES
Notwithstanding Section 35550, the gross weight on any one axle of a bus shall not exceed 20,500 pounds.
Section 35555 EXCEPTION - COTTON MODULE MOVERS
(a) During the period commencing September 15 of each year and ending March 15 of the following year, the weight limitations of Section 35551 do not apply to any cotton module mover or any truck tractor pulling a semitrailer that is a cotton module mover, when operated as follows:
(b) A cotton module mover may be operated upon a state highway within the counties and during the period set forth in subdivision (a) if all of the following are met:
(c) This section does not apply to those highways designated by the United States Department of Transportation as national network routes.
- (1) Laterally across a state highway at grade of the state highway.
- (2) Upon any county highway within the Counties of Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Yolo, and Yuba, except as prohibited or limited on county highways or portions thereof by resolution of the county board of supervisors having jurisdiction.
(b) A cotton module mover may be operated upon a state highway within the counties and during the period set forth in subdivision (a) if all of the following are met:
- (1) The operator is in possession of a driver's license of the class required for operation of the mover.
- (2) The mover is operated in compliance with Sections 24002 and 24012; Article 1 (commencing with Section 24250) of, Article 3 (commencing with Section 24600) of, Article 4 (commencing with Section 24800) of, Article 5 (commencing with Section 24950) of, Article 6 (commencing with 25100) of, Article 9 (commencing with 25350) of, Article 11 (commencing with 25450) of, Chapter 2 of Division 12; and Article 2 (commencing with 26450) and Article 3 (commencing with 26502) of Chapter 3 of Division 12.
- (3) The mover does not exceed the maximum allowable gross axle weight for tandem axles set forth in Section 35551 by more than 6,000 pounds.
- (4) The operator of a mover that exceeds the maximum allowable gross axle weight for tandem axle vehicles as set forth in Section 35551 shall possess a commercial driver's license as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 15210.
(c) This section does not apply to those highways designated by the United States Department of Transportation as national network routes.
Section 35557 LEGAL USE OF WEIGHT CERTIFICATES
(a) Only upon request to, and approval by, and in accordance with regulations adopted by, the Director of Food and Agriculture, all of the following are available for inspection by district attorneys and are subject to legal process for admission in any criminal or civil proceeding arising out of a violation of this chapter:
(b) All certificates, records, and copies thereof, issued before January 1, 1984, shall not be available for inspection and are not admissible in any criminal or civil proceedings arising out of a violation of this chapter.
- (1) Vehicle weight certificates issued on or after January 1, 1984, pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 12700), Chapter 7.3 (commencing with Section 12740), and Chapter 7.7 (commencing with Section 12770) of Division 5 of the Business and Professions Code.
- (2) Other records of vehicle weight relating to those certificates.
- (3) Copies of those certificates and records.
(b) All certificates, records, and copies thereof, issued before January 1, 1984, shall not be available for inspection and are not admissible in any criminal or civil proceedings arising out of a violation of this chapter.
Section 35558 SCALES AT FACILITY
Any person or business which has an axle weight scale at its loading facilities shall, upon the request of the driver, weigh any load being transported for that person or business before the vehicle leaves the loading facility. In a port facility, this requirement only applies if the scale is located in outbound lanes. The request to weigh shall be based upon a reasonable assumption that the load is overweight.
