GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1987 SESSION
CHAPTER 392
AN ACT TO INCREASE THE ALLOWABLE AXLE WEIGHTS FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. G.S. 20-118(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b) The following weight limitations shall apply to vehicles operating on the highways of the State:
(1) The single-axle weight of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed 20,000 pounds.
(2) The tandem-axle weight
of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed 34,000 38,000
pounds.
(3) The gross weight imposed upon the highway by any axle group of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed the maximum weight given for the respective distance between the first and last axle of the group of axles measured longitudinally to the nearest foot as set forth in the following table:
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Maximum Weight in Pounds for any Group of Two
Distance or More Consecutive Axles Including
Between all Tolerances
Axles* 2 Axles 3 Axles 4 Axles 5 Axles 6 Axles 7 Axles
4 34000 38000
5 34000 38000
6 34000 38000
7 34000 38000
8 34000
34000
8 or less 38000 38000
more than 8 38000 42000
9 39000 42500
10 40000 43500
11 44000
12 45000 50000
13 45500 50500
14 46500 51500
15 47000 52000
16 48000 52500 58000
17 48500 53500 58500
18 49500 54000 59000
19 50000 54500 60000
20 51000 55500 60500 66000
21 51500 56000 61000 66500
22 52500 56500 61500 67000
23 53000 57500 62500 68000
24 54000 58000 63000 68500 74000
25 54500 58500 63500 69000 74500
26 55500 59500 64000 69500 75000
27 56000 60000 65000 70000 75500
28 57000 60500 65500 71000 76500
29 57500 61500 66000 71500 77000
30 58500 62000 66500 72000 77500
31 59000 62500 67500 72500 78000
32 60000 63500 68000 73000 78500
33 64000 68500 74000 79000
34 64500 69000 74500 80000
35 65500 70000 75000
36 66000** 70500 75500
37 66500** 71000 76000
38 67500** 72000 77000
39 68000 72500 77500
40 68500 73000 78000
41 69500 73500 78500
42 70000 74000 79000
43 70500 75000 80000
44 71500 75500
45 72000 76000
46 72500 76500
47 73500 77500
48 74000 78000
49 74500 78500
50 75500 79000
51 76000 80000
52 76500
53 77500
54 78000
55 78500
56 79500
57 80000
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*Distance in Feet Between the Extremes of any Group of Two or More Consecutive Axles.
**See exception in G.S. 20-118(c)(1).
(4) The Department of Transportation may establish light- traffic roads and further restrict the axle weight limit on such light-traffic roads lower than the statutory limits. The Department of Transportation shall have authority to designate any highway on the State Highway System, excluding routes designated by I, U.S. and N.C., as a light-traffic road when in the opinion of the Department of Transportation, such road is inadequate to carry and will be injuriously affected by vehicles using the said road carrying the maximum axle weight. All such roads so designated shall be conspicuously posted as light-traffic roads and the maximum axle weight authorized shall be displayed on proper signs erected thereon."
Sec. 2. G.S. 20-118(c)(2) reads as rewritten:
"(2) When a vehicle is operated in violation of G.S. 20-118(b)(1), 20-118(b)(2), or 20-118(b)(3), but the gross weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles does not exceed that permitted by G.S. 20-118(b)(3), the owner of the vehicle shall be permitted to shift the load within the vehicle, without penalty, from one axle to another to comply with the weight limits in the following cases:
a. Where the single-axle load exceeds the statutory limits, but does not exceed 21,000 pounds.
b. Where the
vehicle or combination of vehicles has tandem axles, but the tandem-axle weight
does not exceed 36,000 40,000 pounds."
Sec. 3. G.S. 20-118(j) is repealed.
Sec. 4. The table entitled "Maximum Weight in Pounds for any Group of Two or More Consecutive Axles Including all Tolerances" set out in G.S. 20-118(b)(3) is amended by placing "**" in the fourth column entitled "4 Axles" after the following numbers:
62000
62500
63500
64000
64500
65500.
Sec. 5. G.S. 20-118(c)(1) is amended by adding after the existing sentence, the following:
"Tank trailers, dump trailers, and ocean going transport containers on two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each without penalty provided the overall distance between the second and the fifth axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is 30 feet or more. The exception for tank trailers, dump trailers, and ocean transport containers shall expire August 31, 1988."
Sec. 6. This act is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 18th day of June, 1987.