The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1939-05-04

The Montana highway de-
partment sawed many thous-
sands of dollars" in spring
breakup repair costs this year
by imposing motor vehicle load
limit restrictions on weakened
stretches of highway before
road surfaces t1ere ravaged by
warm weather's resultant frost
boilS and snow run-Off water,
and excessive traffic loads,
State Highway Engineer D. A.
McKinnon said recently.
early establishment of the
restrictions and rigid enforce
mend of the load limit regula-
lions also made it possible for
the highway department to
raise restrictions on most main
travelled routes earlier than US
ulal because of the reduced road
damage, McKinnon said. At
present most sections have a
4OO-pound per inch width of
tire load limit, which does not
seriously inconvenience normal
trucking or passenger transpor-
tation, he added.
The engineer pointed out that
frightened spring road damage
not only results in decreased
repair costs, but keeps motor
aanes in better condition for
commercial and private cars,
trucks and buses. In future
years as the highway depart
ment reconstructs old roads and
brings them up to modern traf-
fic specifications the need for
restricted load areas each
spring will be greatly lesSened,
he said.
Beginning right now, hoy
ever" McKinnon said "the
highway department will not
only check against vehicle ov-
erioading in the spring of the
year, but under a law passed by
the last legislature will carr on
a year round drive to prevent
road damage because of over
loaded motor vehicles" He said
the new law is in accord with
uniform traffic regulations ad-
opted by II western states.
The highway department. is
not interested in collecting
fines, although the new Ian
provides stiff penalties for con-
slant load limit violators, but
merely has the protection of
Montana highways as its
watchWord, the engineer added.
Commercial carriers through
out the state will be checked
for overlooking at various
points this year by, mobile
weighing crew operating under
supervision of the highway de-
partment and the highway pa
troll, he explained. The weigh
ing equipment includes a trail
er house built by the highway
department and a full set Of
truck and bus Weighing scales.
The weight checking is done
10y a highway maintenance dl-
vision operator and a highway
patrolman.
McKinnon said the mobile
weighing station will operate
rounced itinerary, checking We
hicle loads on all main thor
oughfares. "It is only through
constant vigilance and effort to
enforce the new law hat we will
prevent vehicle overlooking and
save many thousands of dol
lars in needless damage to our
highways each year." he said.
One general provision of the
new regulating the sizes and
1oads of motor vehicles limits
the gross load, which is the
weight of the vehicle and its
cargo, to 800 pounds for each
inch of tire width. The law al
so provides that not more than
600 pounds gross weight per
trated on one wheel. This would
permit a gross load of 14,400
pounds for a truck with four
supporting tires each six inches
an width providing the load
was equally distributed on the
four wheels and if other terms
of the act did not apply.
Another part of the law pre-
vents more than $4,000 pounds
gross weight on one single axle.
Tandem axleS less than 40 in
,cheS apart are considered as
one axle and a pair of such
axles less than 40 inches apart
can not support more than
5000 pounds gross weight.
Granting tire widths are suf-
ficient, load limits for trucks
can be determined as follows:
IF the distance from the
front axle to the rear axle is
% feet or less. add the figure
40 to the distance in feet
from axle to axle and multiily
by $50. The result will be the
trucks gross load limit in
pounds. The gross load limit
f1r a truck Is feet from axle
to axle would be IS plus 40, or
So. times $50. The sum, 35,750