MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Highways and Transportation

By: Senator(s) Minor

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-5-33, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE TRIAXLE VEHICLES HAULING SAND, GRAVEL, FILL DIRT, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, PRODUCTS FOR RECYCLING OR MATERIALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR OF HIGHWAYS TO HAVE A MAXIMUM OF 65,000 POUNDS ON SUCH AXLES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 63-5-33, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

63-5-33. (1) Subject to the limitations imposed on wheel and axle loads by Section 63-5-27, and to the further limitations hereinafter specified, the total combined weight (vehicles plus load) on any group of axles of a vehicle or a combination of vehicles shall not exceed the value given in the following table (Table III) corresponding to the distance in feet between the extreme axles of the group, measured longitudinally to the nearest foot, on those highways or parts of highways designated by the Mississippi Transportation Commission as being capable of carrying the maximum load limits and, in addition thereto, such other highways or parts of highways found by the commission to be suitable to carry the maximum load limits from an engineering standpoint, and so designated as such by order of the commission entered upon its minutes and published once each week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a daily newspaper published in this state and having a general circulation therein. The maximum total combined weight carried on any group of two (2) or more consecutive axles shall be determined by the formula contained in the Federal Weight Law enacted January 4, 1975, as follows: W=500 (LN/N-12+NP) where W=maximum weight in pounds carried on any group of two (2) or more axles computed to nearest five hundred (500) pounds, L=distance in feet between the extremes of any group of two (2) or more consecutive axles, and N=number of axles in group under consideration.

TABLE III

DISTANCE

IN FEET

BETWEEN THE

EXTREMES OF

ANY GROUP

OF 2 OR MORE

CONSECUTIVE MAXIMUM LOAD IN POUNDS CARRIED ON ANY

AXLES GROUP OF 2 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE AXLES

2 axles 3 axles 4 axles 5 axles 6 axles 7 axles

4 34,000

5 34,000

6 34,000 Axle groups in

7 34,000

8 34,000 34,000 these spacings

9 39,000 42,500

10 40,000 43,500 impractical

11 44,000

12 45,000 50,000

13 45,500 50,500

14 46,500 51,500

15 47,000 52,000

16 48,000 52,500 58,000

17 48,500 53,500 58,500

18 49,500 54,000 59,000

19 50,000 54,500 60,000

20 51,000 55,500 60,500 66,000

21 51,500 56,000 61,000 66,500

22 52,500 56,500 61,500 67,000

23 53,000 57,500 62,500 68,000

24 54,000 58,000 63,000 68,500 74,000

25 54,500 58,500 63,500 69,000 74,500

26 55,500 59,500 64,000 69,500 75,000

27 56,000 60,000 65,000 70,000 75,500

28 57,000 60,500 65,500 71,000 76,500

29 57,500 61,500 66,000 71,500 77,000

30 58,500 62,000 66,500 72,000 77,500

31 59,000 62,500 67,500 72,500 78,000

32 60,000 63,500 68,000 73,000 78,500

33 64,000 68,500 74,000 79,000

34 64,500 69,000 74,500 80,000

35 65,500 70,000 75,000 80,000

36 66,000 70,500 75,500 80,000

37 66,500 71,000 76,000 80,000

38 67,500 71,500 77,000 80,000

39 68,000 72,500 77,500 80,000

40 68,500 73,000 78,000 80,000

41 69,500 73,500 78,500 80,000

42 70,000 74,000 79,000 80,000

43 70,500 75,000 80,000 80,000

44 71,500 75,500 80,000 80,000

45 72,000 76,000 80,000 80,000

46 72,500 76,500 80,000 80,000

47 73,500 77,500 80,000 80,000

48 74,000 78,000 80,000 80,000

49 74,500 78,500 80,000 80,000

50 75,500 79,000 80,000 80,000

51 76,000 80,000 80,000 80,000

52 76,500 80,000 80,000 80,000

53 77,500 80,000 80,000 80,000

54 78,000 80,000 80,000 80,000

55 78,500 80,000 80,000 80,000

56 79,500 80,000 80,000 80,000

57 80,000 80,000 80,000 80,000

(2) Moreover, in addition to the per axle weight limitations specified by Section 63-5-27, two (2) consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of thirty-four thousand (34,000) pounds each, providing that the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is thirty-six (36) feet or more, except that, until September 1, 1989, the axle distance for tank trailers, dump trailers and ocean transport container haulers may be thirty (30) feet or more. Such overall gross weight may not exceed eighty thousand (80,000) pounds, except as provided by this section.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 63-5-27 and/or Section 63-5-29 to the contrary, vehicles hauling products in the manner set forth in this subsection, whether or not such vehicles are operating with a harvest permit, shall be allowed a gross weight of not to exceed forty thousand (40,000) pounds on any tandem or sixty-five thousand (65,000) pounds on any triaxle. Vehicles operating without a harvest permit shall be allowed a tolerance not to exceed five percent (5%) above their authorized gross vehicle weight, tandem or axle weight; except that the maximum gross vehicle weight of any such vehicle shall not exceed eighty thousand (80,000) pounds plus a tolerance thereon of not more than two percent (2%). Vehicles operating with a harvest permit shall be allowed a tolerance not to exceed five percent (5%) above their authorized tandem or axle weight, but the maximum gross vehicle weight of any such vehicle shall not exceed eighty-four thousand (84,000) pounds. However, neither the increased weights in this subsection nor any tolerance shall be allowed on federal interstate highways or on other highways where a tolerance is specifically prohibited by the transportation commission, the county board of supervisors or the municipal governing authorities as provided for in Section 63-5-27. The tolerance allowed by this subsection shall only apply to the operation of vehicles from the point of loading to the point of unloading for processing, and to the operation of vehicles hauling sand, gravel, fill dirt and agricultural products, and products for recycling or materials for the construction or repair of highways. The range of such operation shall not exceed a radius of one hundred (100) miles except where the products are being transported for processing within this state. The tolerance shall not be allowed for vehicles loading at a point of origin having scales available for weighing each individual axle of the vehicle; provided, however, that vehicles loading at a point of origin having scales available for weighing the vehicle shall not be eligible for any tolerance over the gross weight limit of eighty thousand (80,000) pounds.

(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 63-5-27 and/or Section 63-5-29 to the contrary, vehicles hauling prepackaged products, unloaded at a state port or to be loaded at a state port, which are containerized in such a manner as to make subdivision thereof impractical shall be allowed a gross weight of not to exceed forty thousand (40,000) pounds on any tandem, and a tolerance not to exceed five percent (5%) above their authorized gross weight, tandem or axle weight; except that the maximum weight of any vehicle shall not exceed eighty thousand (80,000) pounds plus a tolerance thereon of not more than two percent (2%); however, neither the increased weights in this subsection nor any tolerance shall be allowed on federal interstate highways or on other highways where a tolerance is specifically prohibited by the transportation commission, the county board of supervisors or the municipal governing authorities as provided for in Section 63-5-27.

(5) (a) Vehicles for which a harvest permit has been issued pursuant to Section 27-19-81(4) shall be allowed a gross vehicle weight not to exceed eighty-four thousand (84,000) pounds. However, the board of supervisors of any county and the governing authorities of any municipality may designate the roads, streets and highways under their respective jurisdiction on and along which vehicles for which a harvest permit has been issued may travel. This subsection shall not apply to the federal interstate system.

(b) Any owner or operator who has been issued a harvest permit and who wishes to operate a vehicle on the roads, streets or highways under the jurisdiction of a county or municipality at a gross vehicle weight greater than the weight allowed by law or greater than the maximum weight established for such roads, streets or highways by the board of supervisors or municipal governing authorities, shall notify, in writing, the board of supervisors or the governing authorities, as the case may be, before operating such vehicle on the roads, streets or highways of such county or municipality. In his notice, the permit holder shall identify the routes over which he intends to operate vehicles for which the permit has been issued and the dates or time period during which he will be operating such vehicles. The board of supervisors or the governing authorities, as the case may be, shall have two (2) working days to respond in writing to the permit holder to notify the permit holder of the routes on and along which the permit holder may operate vehicles for which a harvest permit has been issued. Failure of the board of supervisors or the governing authorities timely to notify the permit holder and to designate the routes on and along which the permit holder may operate shall be considered as authorizing the permit holder to operate on any of the roads, streets or highways of the county or municipality in accordance with the authority granted to the permit holder by the harvest permit.

(c) Anytime a timber deed is filed with the chancery clerk, the grantee, at that time, may make a written request of the board of supervisors of the county or the governing authorities of the municipality, as the case may be, for the purpose of providing to the grantee, within three (3) working days of the filing of the request, a designated and approved route over the roads, streets or highways under the jurisdiction of the county or city, as the case may be, that the grantee may travel for the purpose of transporting harvested timber. Upon providing such route designation, the county or city, as the case may be, shall also provide to the grantee a map designating the approved route. An approved route designation provided to a grantee under the provisions of this paragraph shall be valid for a period of six (6) months from its date of issue. The permit authorized to be issued under paragraph (b) of this section shall not be required for any person who obtains a permit issued under this paragraph.

(d) This subsection (5) shall stand repealed from and after July 1, 2000.

(6) Nothing in this section or subsections (1) through (4) of Section 63-5-27 shall be construed to deny the operation of any vehicle or combination of vehicles that could be lawfully operated upon the interstate highway system of this state on January 4, 1975.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1999.