HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2762

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                       Transportation

Title:  An act relating to tires on vehicles over ten thousand pounds.

Brief Description:  Revising tire load limits.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives R. Fisher, Betrozoff, Zellinsky, Jones and McLean; by request of Department of Transportation.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, February 6, 1992, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 25 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; R. Meyers, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Minority Member; Basich; Brough; Cantwell; Cooper; Day; G. Fisher; Forner; Haugen; Heavey; Horn; P. Johnson; R. Johnson; Jones; Kremen; Mitchell; Nelson; Orr; Prentice; Schmidt; Wilson; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Minority Report: Do not pass.  Signed by 2 members:  Representatives Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; and Prince.

Staff:  Mary McLaughlin (786-7309).

Background:  "Super single radials" - wider tires - allow a vehicle to carry more weight on a single tire.  As a result of this advanced technology, the axle configurations on many trucks and truck/trailer combinations are being converted from four tires per axle to two tires per axle.  This conversion intensifies pavement rutting, thereby reducing the service life of highway pavements by 10 to 25 percent.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Any axle manufactured after July 31, 1992, and carrying more than 10,000 pounds must be equipped with four tires.

Effective January 1, 1997, any axle carrying more than 10,000 pounds must have four tires, regardless of date of manufacture.  In lieu of the four-tire-per-axle requirement, an axle may be equipped with two tires limited to 450 pounds per inch width, or in the case of a tag axle on a cement truck, 600 pounds per inch width.

The axle provisions do not apply to a nonliftable steering axle on the power unit, a tiller axle on a fire truck, or a nonreducible load operating under a Department of Transportation oversize/overweight permit.

The Department of Transportation with respect to state highways, and local authorities with respect to highways within their jurisdictions, may extend the statutory weight table from 105,500 to 115,000 pounds provided that the extension is in compliance with federal law and the 1997 axle and tire requirements.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The requirement that each tire must have at least 10 inches of tire width and the 1993 deadline for conversion to the original configuration are removed.  Extension of the legal weight table is added.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Limiting the use of single tires will significantly reduce pavement wear.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  John Conrad, Department of Transportation; Marty Sangster, Washington Trucking Association; Vern Wagar, County Road Administration Board; Russ Esses, Grays Harbor County; and Mark Triplett, Washington Agricultural Chemical Association.