46.44.041 - Maximum gross weights -- Wheelbase and axle factors.

Maximum gross weights — Wheelbase and axle factors.

No vehicle or combination of vehicles shall operate upon the public highways of this state with a gross load on any single axle in excess of twenty thousand pounds, or upon any group of axles in excess of that set forth in the following table, except that two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of thirty-four thousand pounds each, if the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is thirty-six feet or more.



Distance in feet between the extremes of any group of 2 or more consecutive axles   Maximum load in pounds carried on any group of 2 or more consecutive axles     2 3 4 5   6   7   8   9 axles axles axles axles   axles   axles   axles   axles                     4 34,000                 5 34,000                 6 34,000                 7 34,000                 8 & less 34,000 34,000               more than 8 38,000 42,000               9 39,000 42,500               10 40,000 43,500               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 82,000     29   57,500 61,500 66,000 71,500 77,000 82,500     30   58,500 62,000 66,500 72,000 77,500 83,000     31   59,000 62,500 67,500 72,500 78,000 83,500     32   60,000 63,500 68,000 73,000 78,500 84,500 90,000   33     64,000 68,500 74,000 79,000 85,000 90,500   34     64,500 69,000 74,500 80,000 85,500 91,000   35     65,500 70,000 75,000 80,500 86,000 91,500   36     66,000 70,500 75,500 81,000 86,500 92,000   37     66,500 71,000 76,000 81,500 87,000 93,000   38     67,500 71,500 77,000 82,000 87,500 93,500   39     68,000 72,500 77,500 82,500 88,500 94,000   40     68,500 73,000 78,000 83,500 89,000 94,500   41     69,500 73,500 78,500 84,000 89,500 95,000   42     70,000 74,000 79,000 84,500 90,000 95,500   43     70,500 75,000 80,000 85,000 90,500 96,000   44     71,500 75,500 80,500 85,500 91,000 96,500   45     72,000 76,000 81,000 86,000 91,500 97,500   46     72,500 76,500 81,500 87,000 92,500 98,000   47     73,500 77,500 82,000 87,500 93,000 98,500   48     74,000 78,000 83,000 88,000 93,500 99,000   49     74,500 78,500 83,500 88,500 94,000 99,500   50     75,500 79,000 84,000 89,000 94,500 100,000   51     76,000 80,000 84,500 89,500 95,000 100,500   52     76,500 80,500 85,000 90,500 95,500 101,000   53     77,500 81,000 86,000 91,000 96,500 102,000   54     78,000 81,500 86,500 91,500 97,000 102,500   55     78,500 82,500 87,000 92,000 97,500 103,000   56     79,500 83,000 87,500 92,500 98,000 103,500   57     80,000 83,500 88,000 93,000 98,500 104,000   58       84,000 89,000 94,000 99,000 104,500   59       85,000 89,500 94,500 99,500 105,500   60       85,500 90,000 95,000 100,500 105,500   61       86,000 90,500 95,500 101,000 105,500   62       86,500 91,000 96,000 101,500 105,500   63       87,500 92,000 96,500 102,000 105,500   64       88,000 92,500 97,500 102,500 105,500   65       88,500 93,000 98,000 103,000 105,500   66       89,000 93,500 98,500 103,500 105,500   67       90,000 94,000 99,000 104,500 105,500   68       90,500 95,000 99,500 105,000 105,500   69       91,000 95,500 100,000 105,500 105,500   70       91,500 96,000 101,000 105,500 105,500   71       92,500 96,500 101,500 105,500 105,500   72       93,000 97,000 102,000 105,500 105,500   73       93,500 98,000 102,500 105,500 105,500   74       94,000 98,500 103,000 105,500 105,500   75       95,000 99,000 103,500 105,500 105,500   76       95,500 99,500 104,500 105,500 105,500   77       96,000 100,000 105,000 105,500 105,500   78       96,500 101,000 105,500 105,500 105,500   79       97,500 101,500 105,500 105,500 105,500   80       98,000 102,000 105,500 105,500 105,500   81       98,500 102,500 105,500 105,500 105,500   82       99,000 103,000 105,500 105,500 105,500   83       100,000 104,000 105,500 105,500 105,500   84         104,500 105,500 105,500 105,500   85         105,000 105,500 105,500 105,500   86 or more         105,500 105,500 105,500 105,500
When inches are involved: Under six inches take lower, six inches or over take higher. The maximum load on any axle in any group of axles shall not exceed the single axle or tandem axle allowance as set forth in the table above.

     The maximum axle and gross weights specified in this section are subject to the braking requirements set up for the service brakes upon any motor vehicle or combination of vehicles as provided by law.

     Loads of not more than eighty thousand pounds which may be legally hauled in the state bordering this state which also has a sales tax, are legal in this state when moving to a port district within four miles of the bordering state except on the interstate system. This provision does not allow the operation of a vehicle combination consisting of a truck tractor and three trailers.

     Notwithstanding anything contained herein, a vehicle or combination of vehicles in operation on January 4, 1975, may operate upon the public highways of this state, including the interstate system within the meaning of section 127 of Title 23, United States Code, with an overall gross weight upon a group of two consecutive sets of dual axles which was lawful in this state under the laws, regulations, and procedures in effect in this state on January 4, 1975.

[1997 c 198 § 1; 1995 c 171 § 1. Prior: 1993 c 246 § 1; 1993 c 102 § 3; prior: 1988 c 229 § 1; 1988 c 6 § 2; 1985 c 351 § 3; 1977 c 81 § 2; 1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 64 § 22.]

Notes: Effective date of 1993 c 102 and c 123 -- 1993 sp.s. c 23: See note following RCW 46.16A.455.

Effective dates -- Severability -- 1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 64: See notes following RCW 46.16A.455.