SENATE BILL No. 1309

 

 

June 17, 2004, Introduced by Senators ALLEN and GILBERT and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan vehicle code,"                                                    

                                                                                

    by amending section 722 (MCL 257.722), as amended by 2002 PA 41.            

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 722.  (1)  The  Except as provided in subdivision (e),                 

                                                                                

2   the maximum axle load shall not exceed the number of pounds                 

                                                                                

3   designated in the following provisions that prescribe the                   

                                                                                

4   distance between axles:                                                     

                                                                                

5       (a) If the axle spacing is 9 feet or more between axles, the                

                                                                                

6   maximum axle load shall not exceed 18,000 pounds for vehicles               

                                                                                

7   equipped with high pressure pneumatic or balloon tires.                     

                                                                                

8       (b) If the axle spacing is less than 9 feet between 2 axles                 

                                                                                

9   but more than 3-1/2 feet, the maximum axle load shall not exceed            

                                                                                

10  13,000 pounds for high pressure pneumatic or balloon tires.                 

                                                                                

11      (c) If the axles are spaced less than 3-1/2 feet apart, the                 

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   maximum axle load shall not exceed 9,000 pounds per axle.                   

                                                                                

2       (d) Subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) shall be known as the                    

                                                                                

3   normal loading maximum.                                                     

                                                                                

4       (e) A vehicle used for pavement marking may exceed the normal               

                                                                                

5   loading maximum provided by this subsection by not more than                

                                                                                

6   20%.  However, a vehicle used for pavement marking is not exempt            

                                                                                

7   from the seasonal weight restrictions described in subsection               

                                                                                

8   (6).                                                                        

                                                                                

9       (2) When normal loading is in effect, the state                             

                                                                                

10  transportation department, or a local authority with respect to             

                                                                                

11  highways under its jurisdiction, may designate certain highways,            

                                                                                

12  or sections of those highways, where bridges and road surfaces              

                                                                                

13  are adequate for heavier loading, and revise a designation as               

                                                                                

14  needed, on which the maximum tandem axle assembly loading shall             

                                                                                

15  not exceed 16,000 pounds for any axle of the assembly, if there             

                                                                                

16  is no other axle within 9 feet of any axle of the assembly.                 

                                                                                

17      (3) On a legal combination of vehicles, only 1 tandem axle                  

                                                                                

18  assembly shall be permitted on the designated highways at the               

                                                                                

19  gross permissible weight of 16,000 pounds per axle, if there is             

                                                                                

20  no other axle within 9 feet of any axle of the assembly, and if             

                                                                                

21  no other tandem axle assembly in the combination of vehicles                

                                                                                

22  exceeds a gross weight of 13,000 pounds per axle.  On a                     

                                                                                

23  combination of truck tractor and semitrailer having not more than           

                                                                                

24  5 axles, 2 consecutive tandem axle assemblies shall be permitted            

                                                                                

25  on the designated highways at a gross permissible weight of                 

                                                                                

26  16,000 pounds per axle, if there is no other axle within 9 feet             

                                                                                

27  of any axle of the assembly.                                                


                                                                                

1       (4) Notwithstanding subsection (3), on a combination of truck               

                                                                                

2   tractor and semitrailer having not more than 5 axles, 2                     

                                                                                

3   consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross permissible              

                                                                                

4   weight of not to exceed 17,000 pounds on any axle of the tandem             

                                                                                

5   axles if there is no other axle within 9 feet of any axle of the            

                                                                                

6   tandem axles and if the first and last axles of the consecutive             

                                                                                

7   sets of tandem axles are not less than 36 feet apart and the                

                                                                                

8   gross vehicle weight does not exceed 80,000 pounds to pick up and           

                                                                                

9   deliver agricultural commodities between the national truck                 

                                                                                

10  network or special designated highways and any other highway.               

                                                                                

11  This subsection is not subject to the maximum axle loads of                 

                                                                                

12  subsections (1), (2), and (3).  For purposes of this subsection,            

                                                                                

13  a "tandem axle" means 2 axles spaced more than 40 inches but not            

                                                                                

14  more than 96 inches apart or 2 axles spaced more than 3-1/2 feet            

                                                                                

15  but less than 9 feet apart.  This subsection does not apply                 

                                                                                

16  during that period when reduced maximum loads are in effect                 

                                                                                

17  pursuant to  under subsection (7).  This subsection does not               

                                                                                

18  apply after December 31, 2006.                                              

                                                                                

19      (5) The exception to the loading maximums and gross vehicle                 

                                                                                

20  weight requirements of subsection (11) under subsection (7) for a           

                                                                                

21  person hauling agricultural commodities or a public utility                 

                                                                                

22  vehicle applies only if the person who picks up or delivers the             

                                                                                

23  agricultural commodity either from a farm or to a farm or the               

                                                                                

24  public utility notifies the county road commission for roads                

                                                                                

25  under its authority not less than 48 hours before the pickup or             

                                                                                

26  delivery of the time and location of the pickup or delivery.  The           

                                                                                

27  county road commission shall issue a permit to the person or the            


                                                                                

1   public utility and charge a fee that does not exceed the                    

                                                                                

2   administrative costs incurred.  The permit shall contain the                

                                                                                

3   following:                                                                  

                                                                                

4       (a) The designated route or routes of travel for the load.                  

                                                                                

5       (b) The date and time period requested by the person who                    

                                                                                

6   picks up or delivers the agricultural commodities or the public             

                                                                                

7   utility during which the load may be delivered or picked up.                

                                                                                

8       (c) A maximum speed limit of travel, if necessary.                          

                                                                                

9       (d) Any other specific conditions agreed to between the                     

                                                                                

10  parties.                                                                    

                                                                                

11      (6) The normal size of tires shall be the rated size as                     

                                                                                

12  published by the manufacturers, and the maximum wheel load                  

                                                                                

13  permissible for any wheel shall not exceed 700 pounds per inch of           

                                                                                

14  width of tire.                                                              

                                                                                

15      (7) Except as provided in this subsection and subsection (8),               

                                                                                

16  during  the months of  March, April, and May  in  of each year,             

                                                                                

17  the maximum axle load allowable on concrete pavements or                    

                                                                                

18  pavements with a concrete base  shall be  is reduced by 25% from            

                                                                                

19  the maximum axle load as specified in this chapter, and the                 

                                                                                

20  maximum axle loads allowable on all other types of roads during             

                                                                                

21  these months  shall be  is reduced by 35% from the maximum axle             

                                                                                

22  loads as specified.  The maximum wheel load shall not exceed 525            

                                                                                

23  pounds per inch of tire width on concrete and concrete base or              

                                                                                

24  450 pounds per inch of tire width on all other roads during the             

                                                                                

25  period the seasonal road restrictions are in effect.  This                  

                                                                                

26  subsection does not apply to vehicles transporting agricultural             

                                                                                

27  commodities or public utility vehicles on a highway, road, or               


                                                                                

1   street under the jurisdiction of a local road agency.                       

                                                                                

2       (8) The state transportation department for roads under its                 

                                                                                

3   jurisdiction and a county road commission for roads under its               

                                                                                

4   jurisdiction may grant exemptions from seasonal weight                      

                                                                                

5   restrictions for milk on specified routes when requested in                 

                                                                                

6   writing.  Approval or denial of a request for an exemption shall            

                                                                                

7   be given by written notice to the applicant within 30 days after            

                                                                                

8   the date of submission of the application.  If a request is                 

                                                                                

9   denied, the written notice shall state the reason for denial and            

                                                                                

10  alternate routes for which the permit may be issued.  The                   

                                                                                

11  applicant  shall have  has the right to appeal to the state                 

                                                                                

12  transportation commission or the county road commission.  These             

                                                                                

13  exemptions  shall  do not apply on county roads in counties that            

                                                                                

14  have negotiated agreements with milk haulers or haulers of other            

                                                                                

15  commodities during periods of seasonal load limits before April             

                                                                                

16  14, 1993.  This subsection does not limit the ability of these              

                                                                                

17  counties to continue to negotiate  such  those agreements.                  

                                                                                

18      (9) The state transportation department, or a local authority               

                                                                                

19  with respect to highways under its jurisdiction, may  in its                

                                                                                

20  discretion  suspend the restrictions imposed by this section when           

                                                                                

21  and where conditions of the highways or the public health,                  

                                                                                

22  safety, and welfare warrant suspension, and impose the restricted           

                                                                                

23  loading requirements of this section on designated highways at              

                                                                                

24  any other time that the conditions of the highway require.                  

                                                                                

25      (10) For the purpose of  enforcement of  enforcing this act,                

                                                                                

26  the gross vehicle weight of a single vehicle and load or a                  

                                                                                

27  combination of vehicles and loads, shall be determined by                   


                                                                                

1   weighing individual axles or groups of axles, and the total                 

                                                                                

2   weight on all the axles shall be the gross vehicle weight.  In              

                                                                                

3   addition, the gross axle weight shall be determined by weighing             

                                                                                

4   individual axles or by weighing a group of axles and dividing the           

                                                                                

5   gross weight of the group of axles by the number of axles in the            

                                                                                

6   group.  Pursuant to subsection (11), the overall gross weight on            

                                                                                

7   a group of 2 or more axles shall be determined by weighing                  

                                                                                

8   individual axles or several axles, and the total weight of all              

                                                                                

9   the axles in the group shall be the overall gross weight of the             

                                                                                

10  group.                                                                      

                                                                                

11      (11) The loading maximum in this subsection applies to                      

                                                                                

12  interstate highways, and the state transportation department, or            

                                                                                

13  a local authority with respect to highways under its                        

                                                                                

14  jurisdiction, may designate a highway, or a section of a highway,           

                                                                                

15  for the operation of vehicles having a gross vehicle weight of              

                                                                                

16  not more than 80,000 pounds that are subject to the following               

                                                                                

17  load maximums:                                                              

                                                                                

18      (a) Twenty thousand pounds on any 1 axle, including all                     

                                                                                

19  enforcement tolerances.                                                     

                                                                                

20      (b) A tandem axle weight of 34,000 pounds, including all                    

                                                                                

21  enforcement tolerances.                                                     

                                                                                

22      (c) An overall gross weight on a group of 2 or more                         

                                                                                

23  consecutive axles equaling:                                                 

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

24                     W = 500    /LN  + 12N + 36\                              

25                                \N-1           /                              

26  where W = overall gross weight on a group of 2 or more                      

                                                                                

27  consecutive axles to the nearest 500 pounds, L = distance in feet           


                                                                                

1   between the extreme of a group of 2 or more consecutive axles,              

                                                                                

2   and N = number of axles in the group under consideration; except            

                                                                                

3   that 2 consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of           

                                                                                

4   34,000 pounds each if the first and last axles of the consecutive           

                                                                                

5   sets of tandem axles are not less than 36 feet apart.  The gross            

                                                                                

6   vehicle weight shall not exceed 80,000 pounds including all                 

                                                                                

7   enforcement tolerances.  Except for 5 axle truck tractor,                   

                                                                                

8   semitrailer combinations having 2 consecutive sets of tandem                

                                                                                

9   axles, vehicles having a gross weight in excess of 80,000 pounds            

                                                                                

10  or in excess of the vehicle gross weight determined by                      

                                                                                

11  application of the formula in this subsection  shall be  are                

                                                                                

12  subject to the maximum axle loads  of  set forth in subsections             

                                                                                

13  (1), (2), and (3).  As used in this subsection, "tandem axle                

                                                                                

14  weight" means the total weight transmitted to the road by 2 or              

                                                                                

15  more consecutive axles, the centers of which may be included                

                                                                                

16  between parallel transverse vertical planes spaced more than 40             

                                                                                

17  inches but not more than 96 inches apart, extending across the              

                                                                                

18  full width of the vehicle.  Except as otherwise provided in this            

                                                                                

19  section, vehicles transporting agricultural commodities shall               

                                                                                

20  have weight load maximums as defined in this subsection.                    

                                                                                

21      (12) As used in this section, "agricultural commodities"                    

                                                                                

22  means those plants and animals useful to human beings produced by           

                                                                                

23  agriculture and includes, but is not limited to, forages and sod            

                                                                                

24  crops, grains and feed crops, field crops, dairy and dairy                  

                                                                                

25  products, poultry and poultry products, cervidae, livestock,                

                                                                                

26  including breeding and grazing, equine, fish, and other                     

                                                                                

27  aquacultural products, bees and bee products, berries, herbs,               


                                                                                

1   fruits, vegetables, flowers, seeds, grasses, nursery stock,                 

                                                                                

2   mushrooms, fertilizer, livestock bedding, farming equipment, and            

                                                                                

3   fuel for agricultural use.  The term "agricultural commodities"             

                                                                                

4   shall  does not include trees  and  or lumber.