FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 2651

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Background:

No vehicle or combination of vehicles may operate upon the public highways with a gross weight on any single axle in excess of 20,000 pounds, or upon any group of axles in excess of that which is in a table in statute. Two consecutive sets of tandem axles may, however, carry a gross load of 34,000 pounds each if the distance between the first and last axles of the sets of tandem axels is 36 feet or more. Some of the fields in the gross weight table used to establish weight on axles or a combination of axles are blank.

The weight table is based on federal weight limits calculated by using the Bridge Gross Weight Formula, which is 500 ((LN/N-1) + 12N + 36) where W is the maximum weight carried on any group of two or more consecutive axles, L is the distance between the extremes of any group of two or more consecutive axles, and N is the number of axles under consideration. Washington uses these weight limits for all state highways.

Summary:

The maximum gross weights are placed in the fields of the gross weight table that are currently blank. The basis for the table is specified as the federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula.

Votes on Final Passage:

House	98	0
Senate	46	0