2017 Maryland Code
Transportation
Title 24 - Vehicle Laws -- Size, Weight, and Load; Highway Preservation
Subtitle 1 - Size, Weight, and Load
§ 24-109. Gross weight of vehicles

• (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.

• (1) Is exempt from tandem axle weight limits provided in this section; but

• (2) Shall comply with the vehicle and combination of vehicles weight limits provided in this section that are not tandem axle weight limits.

( 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.

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

and less34,000 34,000

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

(c), this (66,000) 70,500 75,500

section

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

Number of Gross

axles weight

(in pounds)

Three or less 55,000

Four 66,000

Five as provided for in § 80,000

13-916 or § 13-923 of this

article

• (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 (c) and (d) of this section, except during harvest time when an axle load limit tolerance of 15 percent from subsections (c) and (d) 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 (c) and (d) of this section, except for the period from June 1 through September 30 when an axle load limit tolerance of 15 percent from subsections (c) and (d) 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 (c) and (d) of this section, except for the period from June 1 through September 30 when an axle load limit tolerance of 15 percent from subsections (c) and (d) of this section is permitted.

• (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 550 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.