PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 664 PRINTER'S NO. 1746
No. 613 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY MR. DININNI, MARCH 7, 1979
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 14, 1979
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, changing CERTAIN truck and truck tractor <--
3 registration fees, FUTHER PROVIDING FOR THE WEIGHTS OF <--
4 VEHICLES, AND CHANGING CERTAIN PENALTIES.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Section 1916, SECTIONS 1916, 4902(E), 4941, 4943, <--
8 4945(A) AND 4981(C) act of November 25, 1970 (P.L.707, No.230),
9 known as the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, is ARE amended <--
10 to read:
11 § 1916. Trucks and truck tractors.
12 The annual fee for registration of a truck or truck tractor
13 shall be determined by its registered gross weight or
14 combination weight in pounds according to the following table:
15 Class Registered Fee
16 Gross or Combination
17 Weight in Pounds
18 1 5,000 or less [$ 39] $ 45 <--
1 2 5,001 - 7,000 [52] 61 <--
2 3 7,001 - 9,000 [84] 100
3 4 9,001 - 11,000 [108] 130
4 5 11,001 - 14,000 [132] 160
5 6 14,001 - 17,000 [156] 190
6 7 17,001 - 21,000 [192] 236
7 8 21,001 - 26,000 [216] 268
8 9 26,001 - 30,000 [252] 315
9 10 30,001 - 33,000 [300] 378
10 11 33,001 - 36,000 [324] 412
11 12 36,001 - 40,000 [342] 438
12 13 40,001 - 44,000 [360] 465
13 14 44,001 - 48,000 [384] 500
14 15 48,001 - 52,000 [420] 550
15 16 52,001 - 56,000 [444] 586
16 17 56,001 - 60,000 [501] 666
17 18 60,001 - 64,000 [552] 740
18 19 64,001 - 68,000 [576] 775
19 20 68,001 - 73,280 [606] 819
20 21 73,281 - 76,000 864 <--
21 22 76,001 - 78,000 888
22 23 78,001 - 78,500 900
23 24 78,501 - 79,000 912
24 25 79,001 - 80,000 924
25 § 4902. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES.
26 * * *
27 (E) PENALTY.--(1) ANY PERSON OPERATING A VEHICLE OR
28 COMBINATION UPON A HIGHWAY OR BRIDGE IN VIOLATION OF A
29 PROHIBITION OR RESTRICTION IMPOSED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) IS
30 GUILTY OF A SUMMARY OFFENSE AND SHALL, UPON CONVICTION, BE
19790H0613B1746 - 2 -
1 SENTENCED TO PAY A FINE OF [$75] $150 PLUS $150 FOR EACH 500
2 POUNDS, OR PART THEREOF, IN EXCESS OF 3,000 POUNDS OVER THE
3 MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE WEIGHT.
4 (2) ANY PERSON OPERATING A VEHICLE OR COMBINATION IN
5 VIOLATION OF A PROHIBITION OR RESTRICTION IMPOSED UNDER
6 SUBSECTION (C) IS GUILTY OF A SUMMARY OFFENSE AND SHALL, UPON
7 CONVICTION, BE SENTENCED TO PAY A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN $75.
8 § 4941. MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT OF VEHICLES.
9 (A) GENERAL RULE.--NO VEHICLE [OR COMBINATION SHALL, WHEN
10 OPERATED] DRIVEN UPON A HIGHWAY[,] SHALL HAVE A GROSS WEIGHT
11 EXCEEDING [73,280] 70,000 POUNDS, AND NO COMBINATION DRIVEN UPON
12 A HIGHWAY SHALL HAVE A GROSS WEIGHT EXCEEDING THE LESSER OF
13 80,000 POUNDS, INCLUDING ALL ENFORCEMENT TOLERANCES OR THE
14 APPLICABLE AMOUNT SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION (B).
15 (B) [COMBINATION OF VEHICLES] COMBINATIONS.--NO COMBINATION
16 [SHALL, WHEN OPERATED] DRIVEN UPON A HIGHWAY[,] SHALL HAVE A
17 GROSS WEIGHT EXCEEDING THE FOLLOWING:
18 MAXIMUM
19 COMBINATION OF VEHICLES GROSS WEIGHT
20 IN POUNDS
21 TWO-AXLE TRUCK TRACTOR & SINGLE-AXLE SEMITRAILER 50,000
22 TWO-AXLE TRUCK TRACTOR & TWO-AXLE SEMITRAILER 60,000
23 THREE-AXLE TRUCK TRACTOR & SINGLE-AXLE SEMITRAILER 60,000
24 TWO-AXLE TRUCK & TWO-AXLE FULL TRAILER 62,000
25 § 4943. MAXIMUM AXLE WEIGHT OF VEHICLES.
26 (A) GENERAL RULE.--[NO MOTOR] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN
27 SUBSECTION (B), NO VEHICLE OR COMBINATION [SHALL, WHEN OPERATED]
28 DRIVEN UPON A HIGHWAY[,] SHALL HAVE A WEIGHT UPON [EACH OF TWO
19790H0613B1746 - 3 -
1 ADJACENT AXLES] ANY AXLE IN EXCESS OF THE LESSER OF THE
2 MANUFACTURER'S RATED AXLE CAPACITY OR THE FOLLOWING APPLICABLE
3 WEIGHT:
4 MAXIMUM AXLE WEIGHT IN POUNDS UPON:
5 IF THE CENTER-TO CENTER
6 DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO ONE OF TWO OTHER OF TWO
7 ADJACENT AXLES IS: ADJACENT AXLES ADJACENT AXLES
8 UNDER 6 FEET 18,000 18,000
9 6 TO 8 FEET 18,000 22,400
10 OVER 8 FEET 22,400 22,400
11 (B) VEHICLES AND COMBINATIONS WITH FIVE OR MORE AXLES.--NO
12 VEHICLE OR COMBINATION WITH FIVE OR MORE AXLES DRIVEN ON A
13 HIGHWAY SHALL HAVE A WEIGHT UPON ANY AXLE IN EXCESS OF THE
14 MANUFACTURER'S RATED AXLE CAPACITY, NOR SHALL THE OVERALL GROSS
15 WEIGHT ON ANY GROUP OF TWO OR MORE CONSECUTIVE AXLES EXCEED THAT
16 PRODUCED BY APPLICATION OF THE FOLLOWING FORMULA:
17 W = 500 ( LN + 12N + 36)
18 ---
19 N-1
20 WHERE W = OVERALL GROSS WEIGHT ON ANY GROUP OF TWO OR MORE
21 CONSECUTIVE AXLES TO THE NEAREST 500 POUNDS, L = DISTANCE IN
22 FEET BETWEEN THE EXTREME OF ANY GROUP OF TWO OR MORE CONSECUTIVE
23 AXLES AND N = NUMBER OF AXLES IN GROUP UNDER CONSIDERATION,
24 EXCEPT THAT TWO CONSECUTIVE PAIRS OF AXLES MAY CARRY A GROSS
25 LOAD OF 34,000 POUNDS EACH, PROVIDED THE OVERALL DISTANCE
26 BETWEEN THE FIRST AND LAST AXLES OF SUCH CONSECUTIVE PAIRS OF
27 AXLES IS 36 FEET OR MORE.
19790H0613B1746 - 4 -
1 (C) GROSS WEIGHT.--NO VEHICLE OR COMBINATION SHALL BE DRIVEN
2 WITH A GROSS WEIGHT IN EXCESS OF THE SUM OF THE ALLOWABLE AXLE
3 WEIGHTS AS SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION, NOR SHALL ANY VEHICLE OR
4 COMBINATION BE DRIVEN WITH A GROSS WEIGHT IN EXCESS OF THE SUM
5 OF THE MANUFACTURER'S RATED AXLE CAPACITIES.
6 (D) RETRACTABLE OR LIFT AXLES.--EVERY RETRACTABLE OR LIFT
7 AXLE ON A TRUCK SHALL HAVE A CONTROL VALVE FOR ACTUATION OF THE
8 RETRACTABLE OR LIFT AXLE AND A PRESSURE REGULATOR, EITHER AS
9 SEPARATE CONTROLS OR AS A SINGLE UNIT. THE PRESSURE REGULATOR
10 SHALL BE CAPABLE OF BEING LOCKED SO AS TO MAINTAIN A SET
11 PRESSURE ON THE RETRACTABLE OR LIFT AXLE. BOTH THE CONTROL VALVE
12 AND THE PRESSURE REGULATOR SHALL BE POSITIONED SO AS TO BE
13 INACCESSIBLE TO THE DRIVER WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.
14 [(B)] (E) LOCATION OF FRONT AXLE OF SEMITRAILER.--NO
15 SEMITRAILER, ORIGINALLY IN THIS COMMONWEALTH ON OR AFTER
16 SEPTEMBER 1, [1973] 1963, AND HAVING TWO OR MORE AXLES, SHALL BE
17 OPERATED UPON A HIGHWAY UNLESS THE FOREMOST AXLE OF THE
18 SEMITRAILER IS AT LEAST 12 FEET FROM THE REARMOST AXLE OF THE
19 TOWING VEHICLE.
20 § 4945. PENALTIES FOR EXCEEDING MAXIMUM WEIGHTS.
21 (A) GROSS WEIGHT VIOLATIONS.--
22 (1) ANY PERSON [OPERATING] DRIVING A VEHICLE OR
23 COMBINATION UPON A HIGHWAY EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT
24 ALLOWED BY SECTION 4941 (RELATING TO MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT OF
25 VEHICLES) OR THE REGISTERED GROSS WEIGHT ALLOWED BY SECTION
26 4942 (RELATING TO REGISTERED GROSS WEIGHT), WHICHEVER IS
27 LESS, IS GUILTY OF A SUMMARY OFFENSE AND SHALL, UPON
28 CONVICTION, BE SENTENCED TO PAY A FINE OF $75 PLUS $75 FOR
29 EACH 500 POUNDS, OR PART THEREOF, IN EXCESS OF 3,000 POUNDS
30 OVER THE MAXIMUM [OR] GROSS WEIGHT OR THE REGISTERED GROSS
19790H0613B1746 - 5 -
1 WEIGHT [ALLOWED].
2 (2) IF THE GROSS WEIGHT OF ANY VEHICLE OR COMBINATION
3 EXCEEDS [73,280 POUNDS] THE APPLICABLE GROSS WEIGHT ALLOWED
4 UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OR (B), THE FINE IMPOSED UNDER UNDER
5 THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE [DOUBLE THE AMOUNT FOR OTHER WEIGHT
6 VIOLATIONS] DOUBLED.
7 * * *
8 § 4981. WEIGHING AND MEASUREMENT OF VEHICLES.
9 * * *
10 (C) WEIGHING OF WHEELS OR AXLES.--IF A VEHICLE IS WEIGHED IN
11 MULTIPLE DRAFTS, OR IF ONLY A SINGLE WHEEL OR AXLE OR PAIR OF
12 AXLES IS WEIGHED, A TOLERANCE OF [1%] 3% SHALL BE ALLOWED.
13 * * *
14 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1979, EXCEPT <--
15 THAT SECTION 4943(D) SHALL TAKE EFFECT 120 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF
16 FINAL ENACTMENT OF THIS AMENDATORY ACT.
C6L61ARLC/19790H0613B1746 - 6 -