GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1987 SESSION

CHAPTER 392
SENATE BILL 782

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 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 	38000
5 	38000
6 	38000
7 	38000
		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 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.