AN ACT Relating to vehicle axles; and
reenacting and amending RCW 46.44.041.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1.
RCW 46.44.041 and 1988 c 229 s 1 and 1988 c 6 s 2 are each reenacted and
amended to read as follows:
No vehicle or combination of vehicles shall
operate upon the public highways of this state with a gross load on any single
axle in excess of twenty thousand pounds, or upon any group of axles in excess
of that set forth in the following table, except that two consecutive sets of tandem
axles may carry a gross load of thirty-four thousand pounds each, if the
overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of
tandem axles is thirty-six feet or more.
Dis-
tance
in feet Maximum load in pounds
between carried on any group of 2
the ex- or more consecutive axles
tremes
of any
group
of 2
or more
consecu-
tive 2
3 4 5 6 7
8 9
axles axles axles axles axles axles axles axles axles
4 34,000
5 34,000
6 34,000
7 34,000
8 34,000 42,000
9 39,000 42,500
10 40,000 43,500
11 44,000
12 45,000 50,000
13 45,500 50,500
14 46,500 51,500
15 47,000 52,000
16 48,000 52,500 52,500
17 48,500 53,500 53,500
18 49,500 54,000 54,000
19 50,000 54,500 54,500
20 51,000 55,500 55,500
21 51,500 56,000 56,000
22 52,500 56,500 56,500
23 53,000 57,500 57,500
24 54,000 58,000 58,000
25 54,500 58,500 58,500
26 55,500 59,500 59,500
27 56,000 60,000 60,000
28 57,000 60,500 61,000 61,000
29 57,500 61,500 62,000 62,000
30 58,500 62,000 63,000 63,000
31 59,000 62,500 64,000 64,500
32 60,000 63,500 65,000 65,000
33 64,000 66,000 66,000
34 64,500 67,000 67,000
35 65,500 68,000 68,000
36 66,000 69,500 69,500
37 66,500 70,500 70,500
38 67,500 72,000 72,000
39 68,000 72,500 72,500
40 68,500 73,000 73,000
41 69,500 73,500 73,500
42 70,000 74,000 74,000
43 70,500 75,000 75,000
44 71,500 75,500 75,500
45 72,000 76,000 76,000
46 72,500 76,500 80,000 80,000
47 73,500 77,000 81,000 81,000
48 74,000 78,000 82,000 82,000
49 74,500 78,500 83,000 83,000
50 75,500 79,000 84,000 84,000
51 76,000 80,000 84,500 85,000
52 76,500 80,500 85,000 86,000
53 77,500 81,000 86,000 87,000
54 78,000 81,500 86,500 88,000
91,000 91,000
55 78,500 82,500 87,000 89,000
92,000 92,000
56 79,500 83,000 87,500 90,000
93,000 93,000
57 80,000 83,500 88,000 91,000
94,000 94,000
58 84,000 89,000 92,000
95,000 95,000
59 85,000 89,500 93,500
96,000 96,000
60 85,500 90,000 95,000
97,000 97,000
61 86,000 90,500 95,500
98,000 98,000
62 87,000 91,000 96,000
99,000 99,000
63 87,500 92,000 97,000 100,000 100,000
64 88,000 92,500 97,500 101,000 101,000
65 88,500 93,000 98,000 102,000 102,000
66 89,500 93,500 98,500 103,000 103,000
67 90,000 94,000 99,000 104,000 104,000
68 90,500 95,000 99,500 105,000 105,000
69 91,000 95,500 100,000 105,500 105,500
70 92,000 96,000 101,000 105,500 105,500
When inches are involved: Under six inches take lower,
six inches or over take higher. The maximum load on any axle in any group of
axles shall not exceed the single axle or tandem axle allowance as set forth in
the table above.
The maximum axle and gross weights specified
in this section are subject to the braking requirements set up for the service
brakes upon any motor vehicle or combination of vehicles as provided by law.
It is unlawful to operate upon the public
highways any single unit vehicle, supported upon three axles or more with a
gross weight including load in excess of forty thousand pounds or any
combination of vehicles having a gross weight in excess of eighty thousand pounds
without first obtaining an additional tonnage permit as provided for in RCW
46.44.095: PROVIDED, That when a combination of vehicles has purchased license
tonnage in excess of seventy-two thousand pounds as provided by RCW 46.16.070,
such excess license tonnage may be applied to the power unit subject to
limitations of RCW 46.44.042 and this section when such vehicle is operated
without a trailer.
((It is unlawful to operate any vehicle
upon the public highways equipped with two axles spaced less than seven feet
apart unless the two axles are so constructed and mounted that the difference
in weight between the axles does not exceed three thousand pounds. However,
variable lift axles are exempt from this requirement. For purposes of this
section, a "variable lift axle" is an axle that may be lifted from
the roadway surface, whether by air, hydraulic, mechanical, or any combination
of these means. The weight allowed on the axle is governed by RCW 46.44.042
and this section.))
Loads of not more than eighty thousand pounds
which may be legally hauled in the state bordering this state which also has a
sales tax, are legal in this state when moving to a port district within four
miles of the bordering state except on the interstate system. This provision
does not allow the operation of a vehicle combination consisting of a truck
tractor and three trailers.
Notwithstanding anything contained herein, a
vehicle or combination of vehicles in operation on January 4, 1975, may operate
upon the public highways of this state, including the interstate system within
the meaning of section 127 of Title 23, United States Code, with an overall
gross weight upon a group of two consecutive sets of dual axles which was
lawful in this state under the laws, regulations and procedures in effect in
this state on January 4, 1975.
