2013 Maryland Code
TRANSPORTATION
§ 24-109 - Gross weight of vehicles


MD Transp Code § 24-109 (2013) What's This?

§24-109.

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

(2) “Single axle weight” means the total weight transmitted by all wheels whose centers may be included between 2 parallel transverse vertical planes 40 inches apart extending across the full width of the vehicle.

(3) “Tandem axle weight” means the total weight transmitted to the road by 2 or more consecutive axles whose centers may be included between parallel vertical planes spaced more than 40 inches apart but not more than 96 inches apart extending across the full width of the vehicle.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this title, the overall gross weight on a group of 2 or more consecutive axles may not exceed an amount produced by application of the following formula:

(

LN

)

W = 500

(

--------------

+

12N

+

36

)

(

N - 1

)

where “W” = overall gross weight on any group of 2 or more consecutive axles to the nearest 500 pounds, “L” = distance in feet measured horizontally between the vertical centerlines of the extreme of any group of 2 or more consecutive axles, and “N” = number of axles in group under consideration, except that 2 consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of 34,000 pounds each providing the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is 36 feet or more; provided, that such overall gross weight may not exceed eighty thousand (80,000) pounds, including any enforcement or statutory tolerances.

(c) The following table indicates the permissible overall gross weights based upon the above formula:

Distance in feet between the extremes of any group of 2 or more consecutive axles

2 axles

3 axles

4 axles

5 axles

6 axles

7 axles

4

34,000

5

34,000

6

34,000

7

34,000

8

34,000

34,000

and less

More than

8

38,000

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

58,000

17

48,500

53,500

58,500

18

49,500

54,000

59,000

19

50,000

54,500

60,000

20

51,000

55,500

60,500

66,000

21

51,500

56,000

61,000

66,500

22

52,500

56,500

61,500

67,000

23

53,000

57,500

62,500

68,000

24

54,000

58,000

63,000

68,500

74,000

25

54,500

58,500

63,500

69,000

74,500

26

55,500

59,500

64,000

69,500

75,000

27

56,000

60,000

65,000

70,000

75,500

28

57,000

60,500

65,500

71,000

76,500

29

57,500

61,500

66,000

71,500

77,000

30

58,500

62,000

66,500

72,000

77,500

31

59,000

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

69,000

74,500

80,000

35

65,500

70,000

75,000

36

Exception:

See subsection(b), this section

(66,000)

70,500

75,500

37

(66,500)

71,000

76,000

38

(67,500)

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

74,000

79,000

43

70,500

75,000

80,000

44

71,500

75,500

45

72,000

76,000

46

72,500

76,500

47

73,500

77,500

48

74,000

78,000

49

74,500

78,500

50

75,500

79,000

51

76,000

80,000

52

76,500

53

77,500

54

78,000

55

78,500

56

79,500

57

80,000

(d) The gross weight of any vehicle or combination of vehicles may not exceed the following limits:

Number of
axles

Gross
weight
(in pounds)

Three or less

55,000

Four

66,000

Five as provided for in § 13-916 or § 13-923 of this article


80,000

(e) A trailer with metal tires and a gross weight of more than 6,000 pounds may not be moved on a highway.

(f) (1) Except on interstate highways, a single unit vehicle with 3 axles, or a combination of vehicles with a trailer less than 32 feet long or a semitrailer less than 45 feet long, either registered as a farm vehicle or carrying farm products as defined under § 10-601 of the Agriculture Article that were loaded in fields or other off-highway locations, is permitted an axle load limit tolerance of 5 percent from subsections (b) and (c) of this section, except during harvest time when an axle load limit tolerance of 15 percent from subsections (b) and (c) of this section is permitted for a vehicle carrying the following agricultural products:

(i) Wheat, for the period from June 1 to August 15;

(ii) Corn, for the period from July 1 to December 1;

(iii) Soybeans, for the period from September 1 to December 31; and

(iv) Vegetable crops, for the period from June 1 to October 31.

(2) (i) Except on interstate highways, a single unit vehicle with at least 3 axles or a combination of vehicles with a trailer length of less than 32 feet carrying forest products that have been loaded in forests or other similar off-highway locations is permitted an axle load limit tolerance of 10 percent from subsections (b) and (c) of this section, except for the period from June 1 through September 30 when an axle load limit tolerance of 15 percent from subsections (b) and (c) of this section is permitted.

(ii) Except on interstate highways, a combination of vehicles with a semitrailer length of 45 feet or less carrying forest products that have been loaded in forests or other similar off-highway locations is permitted an axle load limit tolerance of 5 percent from subsections (b) and (c) of this section, except for the period from June 1 through September 30 when an axle load limit tolerance of 15 percent from subsections (b) and (c) of this section is permitted.

(g) (1) Any vehicle that uses an auxiliary power unit or an idle-reduction technology unit in order to promote reduction of fuel use and emissions from engine idling shall be allowed up to an additional 400 pounds total in gross, axle, tandem, or bridge formula weight limits.

(2) To be eligible for the additional weight limit allowed under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the vehicle operator must:

(i) Obtain and make available to law enforcement officers written certification of the weight of the auxiliary power unit or idle-reduction technology unit; and

(ii) By demonstration or certification, prove that the idle-reduction technology unit is fully functional at all times.

(3) The additional weight limit allowed under paragraph (1) of this subsection may not exceed the certified weight of the auxiliary power unit or idle-reduction technology unit.

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