Minnesota’s Truck Weight EducationProgram

Minnesota Assn. of TownshipsGreg A. Hayes / Keith Williamson

• A MMinnesota educational project tosafeguard public roadways throughvoluntary vehicle weight compliance

© Greg Hayes. All Rights Reserved.

Educational PartnershipEducational Partnership

Northland Community and Technical CollegeThief River Falls and East Grand Forks in

partnership with Alexandria Technical College

Minnesota Department of Transportation

Minnesota Local Technical Assistance Program

Training Objective

• TTo empower truck owners and operatorsto comply with Minnesota CommercialVehicle Weight Laws through education

Reasons for Compliance

• Increasing truck traffic on local routes.

– Concerns of County, TTownship, and CityEngineers

• More requests for truck weight enforcement.(Larger trucks)

• 40% increase (2.7 million trucks) by 2017

• Weigh in Motion Technology

Highway Miles in Minnesota

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000

Other

Township

Municipal

County

State

Interstate

Damage Factors

• A 20% single axle overload (3600 pounds) doesover two times the damage as a legally loaded18,000 pound single axle

• A 20% tandem overload (6800 pounds) causes2.25 times the damage as a legal tandem of34000 pounds

Weight Violations?

• Gross Weight by 7,000# $600.

• Consecutive axle by 5,900# $400.

• Drive Tandem by 5,800# $400.

• Trailer Tandem by 1,100# $150.

• *Wheel Weight by ?

• *Registration weight by?

Tractor/Semitrailer W/Quad group

Violations?Over maximum table by 7500#Over tridem weight by 14,000#Over tandem by 10,600 #

(revoke license plates)Over wheel weight10-ton limit 3 violations

Registration overage? (unknown)

Fine possibilities?About $2,000. Plus loss ofregistration plates.

Violations?

Over 3 axle weight by 7800#Over tandem axle by 6100#Over steering axle by 200#Over wheel weights

10-ton 3 violationsRegistration unknown

Fines about $1400.

Violations

Over maximum legal 11,500#Over consecutive axle 11,800#Over drive tandem 5,800#Over trailer tandem 6,000#Over wheel weight

#4 left tire low pressure?Registration – unknown?

Fines about? $2000.

Civil Liability for Excess Weight

• CCivil liability extends to:

– OOwner

– LLessee

– SShipper

Up to $610 + .20 per pound over 7,000#

Good Faith Exemption

Road Damage Due to Overweights

• An estimated 330 million dollars of damageis done per year on the trunk highwaysystem from excessively overweighttrucks.

• Source- Minnesota Statewide CommercialVehicle Weight Compliance Strategic PlanJune 30, 2005.

Legislative Changes new in 2009

• SF1876 effective 8-1-09

• Allows 80,000 pounds on all paved routes.

– Must comply with axle weight limits.

• 80,000 pound maximum for gravel nine tonroutes (previously limited to 73,280 on 5 axles)

• All roads and bridges subject to postings asneeded to limit excessive road and bridgedamage

– By County, City, Township road authorities

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Is It Raw or Unprocessed?

• For those agricultural products which maybe questionable commodities which mayor may not be defined as either RAW orUNPROCESSED call for a decision:

• MN/DOT Commercial Vehicle Operations

• 6651-366-3669

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2 A xles 3 A xles 4 A xles 5 A xles 6 A xles 7 A xles 8 A xles

4 34000

5 34000

6 34000

7 34000 37000

8 34000 38500

8 p lus 38000* 42000

9 39000* 43000

10 40000* 43500 49000

11 44500 49500

12 45000 50000

13 46000 51000

14 46500 51500 57000

15 47500 52000 57500

16 48000 53000 58000

17 49000 53500 59000

18 49500 54000 59500

19 50500 55000 60000

20 51000 55500 60500 66000 72000

21 52000 56000 61500 67000 72500

22 52500 57000 62000 67500 73000

23 53500 57500 62500 68000 73500

24 54000 58000 63000 68500 74000

25 55000 59000 64000 69000 75000

26 55500 59500 64500 70000 75500

27 56500 60000 65000 70500 76000

28 57000 61000 65500 71000 76500 82000

29 58000 61500 66500 71500 77000 82500

30 58500 62000 67000 72000 77500 83000

31 59500 63000 67500 73000 78500 83500

32 60000 63500 68000 73500 79000 84500

33 64000 69000 74000 79500 85000

34 65000 69500 74500 80000 85500

35 65500 70000 75000 80500 86000

36 66000 70500 76000 81000 86500

37 67000 71500 76500 81500 87000

38 67500 72000 77000 82000 87500

39 68000 72500 77500 82500 88500

40 69000 73000 78000 83500 89000

41 69500 74000 79000 84000 89500

42 70000 74500 79500 84500 90000

43 71000 75000 80000 85000 90500

44 71500 75500 80500 85500 91000

45 72000 76500 81000 86000 91500

46 72500 77000 81500 87000 92500

47 73500 77500 82000 87500 93000

Minnesota Statute 169.824 Subdivision 1 Effective August 1, 2009 Distance in

Feet between

Axle Centers

8 Plus ind icates a measurement over 8

feet but less than 9

feet

Two consecutive ttandem s

may carry a gross weight o f 34,000 lbs each, and a to tal o f

68,000 lbs together, when the

centers o f the first and last axle o f the group are spaced

36 feet or more .. " Tandem

axles" (in Minnesota) m eans two consecutive axles

whose centers are spaced

m ore than 40 inches and not m ore than 96 inches apart.

(169.822 Sub 5)

No vehicle or combination of

vehicles can be operated upon the highways when the

to tal gross weight on any axle

groups exceed the weightshown on this 110 ton gross

weight chart.

These two Minnesota 7 & 8 foot weights only apply to vehicles manufactured

prior to August 1, 1991

Federal law call these "tandems" and limit their weight to 34,000 pounds.

Weights

possib le only on 10

ton routes

Towed Implements of Husbandry

• Cannot exceed 500 pounds per inch of tirewidth

– Must be pneumatic tires

– Must be a towed implement

• Does not apply to vehicles on tracks

– Because they’re not pneumatic tires

Tracked farm vehicles are exempt from wheel load lawswhich regulate pneumatic tired vehicles.

2008 New Implement Legislation

• Must comply with bridge weight signs and..

• After December 31, 2009

• A person operating or towing an implement ofhusbandry oon a bridge must comply with thegross weight limitations on the gross weightchart.

9 ton and 10 ton weight comparisons:

What’s the difference?The following slides from the MinnesotaTruck Weight Education program showwhere weights differ depending on axle

configurations.

10 Ton Weight limits if paved and un-posted

Gravel roads are 9-ton routes unless postedotherwise. 80,000 pound maximum

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Single Axle Limits9-ton = 18,000 pounds10-ton = 20,000 pounds

Wheel Weight Limits9-ton = 9,000 pounds

10-ton =10,000 pounds

Tandem axle9 ton = 34,000 pounds

10-ton = 34,000 pounds

Tridem Axle 9-ton= 43,000

10-ton = 43,000

3 axle truck with 21 foot spacing & 15” steering tires9-ton = 52,000 pounds

10-ton = 52,000 pounds

4 axle truck with 23 foot spacing & 15 inch steering tires9-ton = 57,500 pounds

10-ton = 57,500 pounds

5 axle mixer truck spaced 31 feet with normal use tires9-ton = 67,500 pounds

10-ton = 67,500 pounds

5 axle straight truck with quad axle with 29 foot spacing9-ton = 66,500 pounds (51,000 pounds on 13 foot quad)

10-ton = 66,500 pounds (51,000 pounds on 13 foot quad)

6 axle semi with 43 foot spacing9-ton gross = 80,000 pounds (34k tandem, 43k tridem limits)

10-ton gross = 80,000 pounds (34k tandem, 43k, tridem limits)

Seven axle, 34 foot straight truck, no axle exceeds 9 ton limits9 ton = 80,000 pounds

10-ton = 80,000 pounds

Example of 11 inch tire size

11 means11 inches

Metric Conversion to inches

Divide mm by25.4 = inches

EXAMPLE

295 divided by25.4 = 11.61inches

Example of Single & dual

One 222 tire = 8.7 inches, (2=17.4”) One 445mm tire = 17.5 inches

Two 222mm tires = 17,400# (at 500#) One 445mm tire = 17,500# (at 500#)

Restricted Road Changes

• Unless restricted otherwise ( by a sign )….

– UUnpaved streets or highways default to 5 tonaxle weights

– PPaved routes remain at 10-ton limits

• Previously all non trunk highways defaultedto 5-ton limits without postings.

THANK YOU!• CContact me GAHayes@gmail.com

• 2218-684-1764

• With Questions, feedback orsuggestions for classes.

www.mnltap.umn.edu/About/Programs/TruckWeight/ (for class registrations)

© Greg Hayes. All Rights Reserved.