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?
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
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
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
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.
4 axle truck with 23 foot spacing & 15 inch steering tires9-ton = 57,500 pounds
10-ton = 57,500 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
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 [email protected]
• 2218-684-1764
• With Questions, feedback orsuggestions for classes.
www.mnltap.umn.edu/About/Programs/TruckWeight/ (for class registrations)
© Greg Hayes. All Rights Reserved.