AN ACT Relating to motor vehicles; and amending RCW 46.04.582 and 46.44.041.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. Section 2, chapter 149, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. and RCW 46.04.582 are each amended to read as follows:

"Tandem axle" means any two or more consecutive axles whose centers are ((more than forty-two inches but not more than eighty-four inches apart, and are individually attached to and/or articulated from a common attachment to the vehicle, including a connecting mechanism designed to equalize the load between axles)) less than seven feet apart.

Sec. 2. Section 22, chapter 64, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. as last amended by section 3, chapter 351, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.44.041 are each 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.

@m1@h0@lb!tm7,6,6,6,6,6,7,7,7 !tc

Dis-

!tctance

!tcin!sc ,001feet !tj3!tcMaximum!sc ,001load!sc ,001in!sc ,001pounds

!tcbetween !tj3!tccarried!sc ,001on!sc ,001any!sc ,001group!sc ,001of!sc ,0012

!tcthe!sc ,001ex- !tj3!tcor!sc ,001more!sc ,001consecutive!sc ,001axles

!tctremes

!tcof!sc ,001any

!tcgroup

!tcof!sc ,0012

!tcor!sc ,001more

!tcconsecu- !ss144!w_

!tctive!tc2!tc3!tc4!tc5!tc6!tc7!tc8!tc9

!tcax!ttles!tcaxles!tt!tcaxles!tt!tcaxles!tt!tcaxles!tt!tcaxles!tt!tcaxles!tt!tcaxles!tt!tcaxles!tt

@la@h1 !tc4!tr34,000

!tc5!tr34,000

!tc6!tr34,000

!tc7!tr34,000

!tc8!tr34,000!tr42,000

!tc9!tr39,000!tr42,500

!tc10!tr40,000!tr43,500

!tc11!tj1!tr44,000

!tc12!tj1!tr45,000!tr50,000

!tc13!tj1!tr45,500!tr50,500

!tc14!tj1!tr46,500!tr51,500

!tc15!tj1!tr47,000!tr52,000

!tc16!tj1!tr48,000!tr52,500!tr52,500

!tc17!tj1!tr48,500!tr53,500!tr53,500

!tc18!tj1!tr49,500!tr54,000!tr54,000

!tc19!tj1!tr50,000!tr54,500!tr54,500

!tc20!tj1!tr51,000!tr55,500!tr55,500

!tc21!tj1!tr51,500!tr56,000!tr56,000

!tc22!tj1!tr52,500!tr56,500!tr56,500

!tc23!tj1!tr53,000!tr57,500!tr57,500

!tc24!tj1!tr54,000!tr58,000!tr58,000

!tc25!tj1!tr54,500!tr58,500!tr58,500

!tc26!tj1!tr55,500!tr59,500!tr59,500

!tc27!tj1!tr56,000!tr60,000!tr60,000

!tc28!tj1!tr57,000!tr60,500!tr61,000!tr61,000

!tc29!tj1!tr57,500!tr61,500!tr62,000!tr62,000

!tc30!tj1!tr58,500!tr62,000!tr63,000!tr63,000

!tc31!tj1!tr59,000!tr62,500!tr64,000!tr64,500

!tc32!tj1!tr60,000!tr63,500!tr65,000!tr65,000

!tc33!tj2!tr64,000!tr66,000!tr66,000

!tc34!tj2!tr64,500!tr67,000!tr67,000

!tc35!tj2!tr65,500!tr68,000!tr68,000

!tc36!tj2!tr66,000!tr69,500!tr69,500

!tc37!tj2!tr66,500!tr70,500!tr70,500

!tc38!tj2!tr67,500!tr72,000!tr72,000

!tc39!tj2!tr68,000!tr72,500!tr72,500

!tc40!tj2!tr68,500!tr73,000!tr73,000

!tc41!tj2!tr69,500!tr73,500!tr73,500

!tc42!tj2!tr70,000!tr74,000!tr74,000

!tc43!tj2!tr70,500!tr75,000!tr75,000

!tc44!tj2!tr71,500!tr75,500!tr75,500

!tc45!tj2!tr72,000!tr76,000!tr76,000

!tc46!tj2!tr72,500!tr76,500!tr80,000!tr80,000

!tc47!tj2!tr73,500!tr77,000!tr81,000!tr81,000

!tc48!tj2!tr74,000!tr78,000!tr82,000!tr82,000

!tc49!tj2!tr74,500!tr78,500!tr83,000!tr83,000

!tc50!tj2!tr75,500!tr79,000!tr84,000!tr84,000

!tc51!tj2!tr76,000!tr80,000!tr84,500!tr85,000

!tc52!tj2!tr76,500!tr80,500!tr85,000!tr86,000

!tc53!tj2!tr77,500!tr81,000!tr86,000!tr87,000

!tc54!tj2!tr78,000!tr81,500!tr86,500!tr88,000!tr91,000!tr91,000

!tc55!tj2!tr78,500!tr82,500!tr87,000!tr89,000!tr92,000!tr92,000

!tc56!tj2!tr79,500!tr83,000!tr87,500!tr90,000!tr93,000!tr93,000

!tc57!tj2!tr80,000!tr83,500!tr88,000!tr91,000!tr94,000!tr94,000

!tc58!tj3!tr84,000!tr89,000!tr92,000!tr95,000!tr95,000

!tc59!tj3!tr85,000!tr89,500!tr93,500!tr96,000!tr96,000

!tc60!tj3!tr85,500!tr90,000!tr95,000!tr97,000!tr97,000

!tc61!tj3!tr86,000!tr90,500!tr95,500!tr98,000!tr98,000

!tc62!tj3!tr87,000!tr91,000!tr96,000!tr99,000!tr99,000

!tc63!tj3!tr87,500!tr92,000!tr97,000!tr100,000!tr100,000

!tc64!tj3!tr88,000!tr92,500!tr97,500!tr101,000!tr101,000

!tc65!tj3!tr88,500!tr93,000!tr98,000!tr102,000!tr102,000

!tc66!tj3!tr89,500!tr93,500!tr98,500!tr103,000!tr103,000

!tc67!tj3!tr90,000!tr94,000!tr99,000!tr104,000!tr104,000

!tc68!tj3!tr90,500!tr95,000!tr99,500!tr105,000!tr105,000

!tc69!tj3!tr91,000!tr95,500!tr100,000!tr105,500!tr105,500

!tc70!tj3!tr92,000!tr96,000!tr101,000!tr105,500!tr105,500

!te@h3@m2 !ixWhen 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 1.2 times the load given in the above table divided by the number of axles in that group, and~~)) shall not exceed the single axle or tandem axle allowance as set forth ((~~elsewhere. For considering the number of axles in a group, the front axle of a unit supplying motive power need not be included in the axle group~~)) 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 ((in such a manner as to provide oscillation between the two axles and that either one of the two axles will not at any one time carry more than the maximum gross weight allowed for one axle specified in this section)) 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.

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.