Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.344 Ratification Number:405 Act Number:373 Introducing Body:Senate Subject:Relating to lengths and widths of vehicles and combinations of vehicles
(A373, R405, S344)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 56-5-4030, 56-5-4070, AND 56-5-4140, ALL AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO LENGTHS AND WIDTHS OF VEHICLES AND COMBINATIONS OF VEHICLES, SO AS TO ALLOW VEHICLE WIDTHS OF ONE HUNDRED TWO INCHES ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AND OTHER ROADS TO BE DESIGNATED, TO PERMIT AND REGULATE THE USE OF TWO AND THREE UNIT COMBINATIONS OF VEHICLES ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM AND OTHER ROADS TO BE DESIGNATED, AND TO INCLUDE THE FEDERAL BRIDGE FORMULA FOR ALLOWABLE VEHICLE WEIGHTS ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM; AND TO AMEND THE 1976 CODE BY ADDING SECTION 56-5-4075 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO ESTABLISH REGULATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Width
SECTION 1. Section 56-5-4030 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 36 of 1977, is further amended to read:
"Section 56-5-4030. The total outside width of any vehicle or the load thereon may not exceed ninety-six inches exclusive of safety devices approved by the Department; except that the total outside width of any vehicle or the load thereon on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, on any other federal-aid highways as designated by the United States Secretary of Transportation, and on any other highways as designated by the Department in accordance with Section 56-5-4075 and the regulations thereunder, may be one hundred two inches exclusive of safety devices approved by the United States Secretary of Transportation, except buses of a total outside width, exclusive of safety equipment, not to exceed one hundred two inches may operate on all four-lane highways and on other streets and highways as may be necessary for buses to have access to their passenger bus terminals and garages from four-lane highways and except as otherwise provided in this article."
Unit vehicle combinations
SECTION 2. Section 56-5-4070 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 500 of 1980, is further amended to read:
"Section 56-5-4070. (1) Two or three unit vehicle combinations may be operated on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, on those qualifying federal-aid highways so designated by the United States Secretary of Transportation, and other highways as designated by the Department in accordance with Section 56-5-4075. The Department may require warning devices which may be necessary to protect public safety.
When in use on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways and 'other qualifying highways':
(a) a trailer or semitrailer, operating in a two unit truck tractor-trailer or truck tractor-semitrailer combination, may not exceed a length of forty-eight feet, inclusive of the load carried thereon;
(b) a trailer or semitrailer, operating in a three unit combination, may not exceed a length of twenty-eight and one-half feet, inclusive of the load carried thereon;
(c) auto transporters may not have an overall length in excess of sixty-five feet, exclusive of front and rear overhang, however front overhang must not exceed three feet and rear overhang must not exceed four feet;
(d) saddle mounts and full mounts may not have an overall length in excess of sixty-five feet.
(2) No motor vehicle, exclusive of truck tractors being used in two or three unit combinations on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, on those qualifying federal-aid highways so designated by the United States Secretary of Transportation and other highways as designated by the Department in accordance with Section 56-5-4075, may exceed a length of forty feet extreme overall dimension, inclusive of front and rear bumpers and load carried thereon, and any motor vehicle in excess of thirty-five feet shall have not less than three axles, except buses with two axles approved by the Department.
(3) A combination of vehicles coupled together or especially constructed to transport motor vehicles in a truckaway or driveaway service may tow up to three saddle mounts. No other combination of vehicles coupled together may consist of more than two units, except as permitted by subsection 1 of this section. Unless specially permitted by the Department or operating in accordance with subsection 1 of this section, no combination of vehicles shall exceed a length of sixty feet, inclusive of front and rear bumpers and load carried thereon. Any specially permitted combination of vehicles and load greater than sixty feet in length may only be moved on highways during daylight hours.
(4) Except as permitted by subsection 1 of this section, trailers or semitrailers used within combinations may not exceed a length of forty-eight feet and auto transporters are excluded from trailer length limitations. Auto transporters may be allowed an upper level overhang not to exceed three feet on the front and four feet on the rear and any auto transporter over sixty feet in length may have access to points of loading and unloading over routes approved by the Department. A single twenty-eight and one-half foot trailer, one hundred two inches wide, may move to points of loading and unloading. Any truck-trailer equipment manufactured on or before June 11, 1980, and operating legally on South Carolina highways may continue to operate within the fifty-five foot limit for the life of the equipment.
(5) Appropriate safety and energy conservation devices and compressors and fuel saving equipment on the front or loading devices on the rear of trailers or semitrailers may not be considered when determining their length for purposes of this section if the overall length limitations of combinations of vehicles is not exceeded. Any trailer which exceeds the limits of this section which was licensed in South Carolina and lawfully in use on June 11, 1980, may be used for the life of the equipment if ownership is not changed and the overall length limitations of combinations of vehicles is not exceeded.
(6) Trailers or semitrailers of such dimensions as those dimensions which were in actual and lawful use in this State on December 1, 1982, may be used on Interstate Highways and 'other qualifying highways' designated by the United States Secretary of Transportation."
Maximum permissible gross weight
SECTION 3. Subitem (2) of Section 56-5-4140, as last amended by subsection (B) of Section 28 of Part II of Act 151 of 1983, is further amended to read:
"(2) (a) Except as permitted in (b) of this subitem, the maximum permissible gross weight which may be imposed upon any highway or section of highway in the Interstate System is prescribed by this section. The overall maximum gross weight of a vehicle or combination of vehicles may not exceed:
(a) Single-unit vehicle
w/ two axles 35,000 lbs.
(b) Single-unit vehicle w/
three axles 46,000 lbs.
(c) Single-unit vehicle w/ four
or more axles 63,500 lbs.
(d) Combination of vehicles
w/ three axles 50,000 lbs.
(e) Combination of vehicles
w/ four axles 65,000 lbs.
(f) Combination of vehicles
w/ five or more axles 73,280 lbs.
The overall maximum gross weight of single unit vehicles with four or more axles may not exceed the following:
Distance between the
extremes of the front
and rear axles measured
to the nearest foot Maximum
Gross Weight
At least 12 feet 50,000
At least 13 feet 50,500
At least 14 feet 51,500
At least 15 feet 52,000
At least 16 feet 52,500
At least 17 feet 53,500
At least 18 feet 54,000
At least 19 feet 54,500
At least 20 feet 55,500
At least 21 feet 56,000
At least 22 feet 56,500
At least 23 feet 57,500
At least 24 feet 58,000
At least 25 feet 58,500
At least 26 feet 59,500
At least 27 feet 60,000
At least 28 feet 60,500
At least 29 feet 61,500
At least 30 feet 62,000
At least 31 feet 62,500
At least 32 feet 63,500
The ten percent enforcement tolerance specified in Section 56-5-4160 applies to the vehicle weight limits specified in this subsection except, the gross weight on a single axle may not exceed 20,000 pounds, including all enforcement tolerances; the gross weight on a tandem axle may not exceed 35,200 pounds, including all enforcement tolerances; and the overall gross weight may not exceed 75,185 pounds, including all enforcement tolerances.
(b) Vehicles with an overall maximum gross weight in excess of 75,185 pounds may operate upon any highway or section of highway in the Interstate System in accordance with the following:
The weight imposed upon the highway by any group of two or more consecutive axles may not, unless specially permitted by the Department, exceed an overall gross weight produced by application of the following federal bridge formula:
W=500 (LN/N-1 + 12N + 36)
In the formula W equals overall gross weight on any group of two or more consecutive axles to the nearest 500 pounds, L equals distance in feet between the extreme of any group of two or more consecutive axles, and N equals number of axles in the group under consideration.
As an exception, two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of 68,000 pounds if the overall distance between the first and last axles of the consecutive sets of tandem axles is 36 feet or more. Additionally, the gross weight imposed upon the highway by any one axle of a vehicle may not exceed 20,000 pounds, and the gross weight imposed upon the highway by any group of two or more axles spaced not less than forty nor more than ninety-six inches apart (tandem axle) may not exceed 34,000 pounds, and the overall maximum gross weight except for those vehicles which have been issued special permits by the Department, may not exceed 80,000 pounds. The formula is expressed by the following table:
Distance in feet
between the extremes Maximum load in pounds
of any group of 2 or carried on any group of 2
more consecutive axles or more consecutive axles
2 3 4 5 6 7
axles axles axles axles axles axles
4 34,000
5 34,000
6 34,000
7 34,000
8 and less 34,000 34,000
more than 8 38,000 42,000
9 39,000 43,000
10 40,000 43,500
11 44,500
12 45,000 50,000
13 46,000 50,500
14 46,500 51,500
15 47,500 52,000
16 48,000 52,500 58,000
17 49,000 53,500 58,500
18 49,500 54,000 59,500
19 50,500 54,500 60,000
Distance in feet
between the extremes Maximum load in pounds
of any group of 2 or carried on any group of 2
more consecutive axles or more consecutive axles
2 3 4 5 6 7
axles axles axles axles axles axles
20 51,000 55,500 60,500 66,000
21 52,000 56,000 61,000 66,500
22 52,500 56,500 62,000 67,000
23 53,500 57,500 62,500 68,000
24 54,000 58,000 63,000 68,500 74,000
25 55,000 58,500 63,500 69,000 74,500
26 55,500 59,500 64,500 69,500 75,000
27 56,500 60,000 65,000 70,000 75,500
28 57,000 60,500 65,500 71,000 76,500
29 58,000 61,500 66,000 71,500 77,000
30 58,500 62,000 67,000 72,000 77,500
31 59,500 62,500 67,500 72,500 78,000
32 60,000 63,500 68,000 73,000 78,500
33 64,000 68,500 74,000 79,000
34 64,500 69,500 74,500 80,000
35 65,500 70,000 75,000
36 68,000 70,500 75,500
Distance in feet
between the extremes Maximum load in pounds
of any group of 2 or carried on any group of 2
more consecutive axles or more consecutive axles
2 3 4 5 6 7
axles axles axles axles axles axles
37 68,000 71,000 76,000
38 68,000 72,000 77,000
39 68,000 72,500 77,500
40 68,500 73,000 78,000
41 69,500 73,500 78,500
42 70,000 74,500 79,000
43 70,500 75,000 80,000
44 71,500 75,500
45 72,000 76,000
46 72,500 77,000
47 73,500 77,500
48 74,000 78,000
49 74,500 78,500
50 75,500 79,500
51 76,000 80,000
52 76,500
53 77,500
Distance in feet
between the extremes Maximum load in pounds
of any group of 2 or carried on any group of 2
more consecutive axles or more consecutive axles
2 3 4 5 6 7
axles axles axles axles axles axles
54 78,000
55 78,500
56 79,500
57 80,000
Enforcement tolerances allowed in Section 56-5-4160 do not apply to vehicles with an overall gross weight in excess of 75,185 pounds.
(c) Until September 1, 1988, there is a moratorium on enforcement of the 34,000 pound tandem axle limit for vehicles operating on the Interstate System in South Carolina within a gross weight of 75,185 and 80,000 pounds to the extent that the vehicles may carry up to 35,200 pounds on a tandem axle or on each tandem axle within a series of tandem axles. As of September 1, 1988, the moratorium on enforcement referred to in this paragraph shall lapse.
Until September 1, 1988, the federal bridge formula may not be enforced so as to reduce the 35,200 pound tandem axle limit permitted pursuant to paragraph 1 of this item (c) of subsection (2).
Until September 1, 1988, for the five categories of carriers set forth in this paragraph which are operating within a gross vehicle weight of 75,185 and 80,000 pounds on Interstate Highways within South Carolina, there is a moratorium on enforcement of inner bridge measurements under the federal bridge formula. The five categories of carriers are:
(a) five axle vehicles or combinations of vehicles designed solely for transportation of liquids or tankers designed for bulk hauling;
(b) five axle dump trucks with a tandem axle configuration;
(c) five axle vehicles engaged in the transportation of construction materials;
(d) vehicles transporting raw or unprocessed agricultural or forest products;
(e) any intermodal ocean containers.
This moratorium shall lapse on September 1, 1988. After September 1, 1988, both the 34,000 pound tandem axle limit and the federal bridge formula established by 23 U.S.C. Section 127 must be enforced in their entirety for all vehicles operating on Interstate Highways within South Carolina within a gross vehicle weight of 75,185 and 80,000 pounds. Any moratorium on enforcement granted by this stipulation shall lapse as of September 1, 1988."
Regulations may be promulgated
SECTION 4. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 56-5-4075. The Department may promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of this article. The Department may also promulgate regulations to make designations as are necessary to provide for those vehicles which operate on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways and 'other qualifying highways' pursuant to Sections 56-5-4030 and 56-5-4070 reasonable access to:
(a) terminals, facilities for food, fuel, repairs and rest;
(b) points of loading and unloading for household goods carriers, auto transporters and for any truck-tractor semitrailer combination in which the semitrailer has a length not to exceed twenty-eight and one-half feet and which generally operates as part of a vehicle combination described in Sections 56-5-4030 and 56-5-4070; and
(c) specific industrial, commercial, warehousing, and similar sites, only after consulting with and considering the views of the local governments through whose jurisdictions such specific site access would pass. If no other acceptable alternative route exists as access for equipment using the forty-eight foot by one hundred two inch wide trailer, a route permit must be obtained from the Department, after approval by the local jurisdiction, for operation on routes that have single lane widths of less than ten feet.
The Department may cooperate with the United States Government by providing information to accomplish uniformity in designating 'other qualifying highways'. The information may only be provided after safety and operational requirements of the citizens of this State have been studied by the Department. Any proposals by the Department to add highways, other than those provided for in (a), (b), and (c) of this section, to the network of 'qualifying highways' designated by the U. S. Secretary of Transportation must be approved by the General Assembly before they become effective.
The Governor may petition the Secretary of Transportation of the United States to remove any highway federally designated under the act, as amended by Congress, and not considered safe."
Corresponding amendments may be repealed
SECTION 5. In the event that the changes required by Sections 411, 412, and 416 of the Surface Transportation Act of 1982 and the Tandem Truck Safety Act of 1984 relating to width, length, and combination of vehicles are repealed, in whole or in part, the corresponding amendments to Sections 56-5-4030, 56-5-4070, and 56-5-4075 found in this act are likewise repealed.
Evidence of payment
SECTION 6. After September 30, 1984, the Department shall require evidence of the payment of the use tax imposed by Section 4481 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 prior to issuing vehicle registration and plate for those vehicles to which the taxes are required.
Weights applicable
SECTION 7. The weights stated in this act are applicable to all roads and bridges as designated except the Grace Memorial Bridge in Charleston County on which trucks of no greater weight than ten tons are allowed.
Grace Memorial Bridge not designated route
SECTION 8. The Grace Memorial Bridge (U. S. Route 17 over the Cooper River in Charleston County) is not a designated route in accordance with the provisions of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982. Vehicles being operated or used on such segment of highway may not exceed a width of ninety-six inches nor exceed the gross weight limit as posted by the Department of Highways and Public Transportation, except during emergency conditions as determined by the Department. Vehicle combinations of a truck-tractor, trailer or a truck-tractor, semitrailer or a truck-tractor, semitrailer, trailer or a truck-tractor, trailer-trailer are prohibited from being operated or used on this segment of highway.
Department directed to negotiate
SECTION 9. Because the State is concerned that the federal bridge law weight requirements may seriously hamper transportation movement on the interstate highway system in South Carolina, the Department is directed to negotiate with the Federal Highway Administration for a continuation of the moratorium of the permissible tandem axle weight limits which terminate August 31, 1988.
Time effective
SECTION 10. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.