HB-6604, As Passed House, November 13, 2008

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 6604

(As amended, December 4, 2008)

     A bill to amend 1964 PA 283, entitled

"Weights and measures act,"

(MCL 290.601 to 290.634) by adding section 28d.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

     Sec. 28d. <<(1) Notwithstanding any requirements adopted under

section 28c, the gross weight of a vehicle shall be determined by

weighing the vehicle in a single measurement for a vehicle that is not

a tractor-trailer combination and not by adding the results of multiple

measurements taken at opposite ends of the vehicle. The gross weight of

any tractor-trailer combination shall be determined by the method

described in subsection (2).

     (2) The gross weight combination of a truck tractor with multiple

trailers shall be determined without uncoupling and by using a method of

split weighing and combining the measurements, if necessary, under the

following conditions:>>

     (a) The brakes on the tractor and trailers shall be released.

     (b) There shall be no tension on the draw bar.

     (c) The approaches to the scale shall be straight and on the

same level as the scale.

     (d) The approaches to the scale shall be of sufficient width

and length to ensure level positioning of the coupled vehicles

during weighing.

     (3) A scale used to weigh vehicles under subsection (2) shall

be tested at least annually by weighing a coupled tractor with

multiple trailers as a single unit and comparing that weight with

the combined weight of each vehicle weighed separately. If the

weights determined by this method vary by more than 0.2%, the scale

shall not be used to determine the gross weight of vehicles while

they are coupled until the scales are corrected to properly measure

within the 0.2% range.

     (4) If a scale cannot be used to weigh vehicles under

subsection (2) while they are coupled, the vehicles shall be

weighed individually and the weights totaled to obtain the gross

weight of the vehicle combination.

     (5) This section does not apply to the enforcement of vehicle

weight under the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.1 to

257.923.