Interstate System Weight Limits

[g_man1146]

Hi All,

Re axle weights; motorcoaches and RV's are exempt from the
Commercial Truck 20K axle limit in most every (all?) states per
legislation recently extended to 2009. This is due to the
differences between truck "tandem" axles and buses with tag axles.
RV's may be exempt on their own in some states or grouped with over
the road busses in others. Either way, commercial truck regs do not
apply per Fed DOT. The exemption, I'm told, once only applied to
Transit (Municipally owned) busses and RV's but now includes
commercial OTR buses.


The Highway Bill (SAFETEA-LU)

Axle Weight Exemptions

Issue: Over-the-road buses (OTRBs), like traditional transit buses,
have been carrying progressively more weight on each axle due to
government mandates, the latest being the wheelchair lifts required
by the Americans with Disabilities Act and market driven amenities.
As a consequence, fully loaded OTRBs approach, and sometimes may
exceed, the federal axle weight restrictions of 34,000 lbs. on the
tandem axle (with no single axle allowed to carry more than 20,000
lbs.). For example a tandem could be 17,000-17,000, but cannot be
21,000-16,000.

Motorcoaches and trucks should not have the same axle weight limits
due to the fundamental differences in vehicle design, configuration,
and vehicle use. A separate weight limit should be developed for
motorcoaches and other passenger carrying vehicles.

What's In It For You? : The current legislation allows the states to
exempt motorcoaches from axle weight restrictions on the
interstates. Fines are dependent on a number of factors, including
how much overweight they are, etc. and could be in the hundreds of
dollars.

When Does This Start: Congress granted a temporary axle weight
exemption for buses. This is a continuation of language that we
obtained previously, and will continue through 2009.

What's Next: The majority of states are already exempt. Please
notify ABA if you encounter sates that do not exempt motorcoaches.

NOTE: For information on "off-interstate" do a google search for
(22,500 axle weight) find any state you wish and check the
regulations.

As always, states (or towns) may limit weight on a particulay road
just as they limit certain roads for passenger cars only.

Rich D. '99LXi43' CT




--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, David Brady
wrote:
>
> Tom,
>
> From the Federal Highway Administration web site:
> http://vsw.fhwa.dot.gov/qa/qa.jsp?catego...R%20658.17
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the drive/tag axles on an
> LXi qualify as a Tandem axle.
>
> *May States set weight limits on the Interstate
> System at less than the Federal maximum weight limits?*
>
> "No. When Interstate System weight limits were raised to the
current
> levels in
> 1974 (20,000 pounds single axle, 34,000 pounds tandem axle, 80,000
pounds
> overall gross weight limits, plus bridge formula limits), States
were
> not required
> to raise their limits accordingly, although most did. However, six
> contiguous
> States in the Mississippi valley, referred to as the "barrier
States,"
> did not
> and effectively limited the weight for all vehicles moving across
them to
> their own limits. This was changed in 1982 when Congress
established
> Interstate System weight limits as minimums as well as maximums."
>
> *What is the definition of a tandem axle?*
>
> "It is two or more consecutive axles over 40 inches but not over
96 inches
> apart. If there were 3 axles within that distance, they would be
considered
> a tandem axle for the purpose of Interstate weight limits."
>
> Best regards,
> David Brady
> '02 LXi, Smokey, Va
>
> Tom Warner wrote:
>
> >David you are already 2000# over the Federally mandated maximum
for
> >your drive axel of 20,000 # per axel. Hope you are never stopped
and
> >checked. That was one of the problems with the BB...to heavy!
> >
> >Tom Warner
> >1982 FC35
> >Vernon Center,NY
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
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>