WEST virginia legislature

2018 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 616

By Senators Boso and Cline

[Introduced February 19, 2018; Referred
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; and then to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend and reenact §17C-17-9a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to establishing the maximum gross weight for wood-bearing trucks equipped with six axles and two additional brakes at 94,000 pounds.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 17. SIZE, WEIGHT, AND LOAD.

§17C-17-9a. Gross weight of vehicles and loads.

(a) It is unlawful for any owner, lessee, or borrower of a vehicle or combination of vehicles to operate on any highway other than the national system of interstate and defense highways that vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross weight in excess of the gross weight for which such vehicle or combination of vehicles is registered or in excess of any weight limitation set forth in this chapter, whether such limitation be specifically stated in this chapter or set by express authority granted this chapter: Provided, That if any vehicle is operated within the tolerances established in this section for the gross weight of that vehicle, then that vehicle shall be deemed considered for all purposes to be operating at the gross weight for which it is registered and the registered weight is deemed considered to include the 10 percent tolerance associated with it under this section.

(b) Subject to the limit upon the weight imposed upon the highway through any one axle as set forth in §17C-17-8 of this code, the total gross weight on vehicles or combination of vehicles operated on any highway other than the national system of interstate and defense highways shall be as follows:

(1) A single unit truck having one steering axle and two axles in tandem shall be limited to a maximum gross weight of 60,000 pounds with a tolerance of 10 percent.

(2) A single unit truck having one steering axle and three axles in tridem arrangement shall be limited to a maximum gross weight of 75,000 pounds with a tolerance of 10 percent.

(3) A single unit truck having one steering axle and four axles in quadem arrangement shall be limited to a maximum gross weight of 73,000 pounds with a tolerance of 10 percent.

(4) A tractor-semitrailer combination with five axles, a tractor-semitrailer combination with six or more axles, a single unit truck having one steering axle and two axles in tandem in combination with a trailer with two axles, and a single unit truck having one steering axle and three axles in tridem in combination with a trailer with two axles, shall be limited to a maximum gross weight of 80,000 pounds with a tolerance of 10 percent.

(5) A tractor-semi-trailer combination with six axles, each axle equipped with brakes, carrying logs, wood-chips, timber, other natural raw-wood, lumber, paper, wood-veneer, wood pellets, or any other wood products of the forest, craft or manufacturing, shall be limited to a maximun gross weight of 94,000 pounds on roads with a maximum gross vehicular weight of 80,000 pounds with a tolerance of 10 percent.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish the maximum weight for wood-bearing trucks equipped with six axles and two additional brakes at 94,000 pounds.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.