BP BHEAD INT H

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.