NE Code § 60-6,294 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 60 - Motor Vehicles|60-6,294 - Vehicles; weight limit; further restrictions by Department of Transportation, when authorized; axle load; load limit on bridges; overloading; liability.

60-6,294.  Vehicles; weight limit; further restrictions by Department of Transportation, when authorized; axle load; load limit on bridges; overloading; liability.(1) Every vehicle, whether operated singly or in a combination of vehicles, and every combination of vehicles shall comply with subsections (2) and (3) of this section except as provided in sections 60-6,294.01, 60-6,297, and 60-6,383. The limitations imposed by this section shall be supplemental to all other provisions imposing limitations upon the size and weight of vehicles.(2) No wheel of a vehicle or trailer equipped with pneumatic or solid rubber tires shall carry a gross load in excess of ten thousand pounds on any highway nor shall any axle carry a gross load in excess of twenty thousand pounds on any highway. An axle load shall be defined as the total load transmitted to the highway by all wheels the centers of which may be included between two parallel transverse vertical planes forty inches apart extending across the full width of the vehicle.(3) No group of two or more consecutive axles shall carry a load in pounds in excess of the value given in the following table corresponding to the distance in feet between the extreme axles of the group, measured longitudinally to the nearest foot, except that the maximum load carried on any group of two or more axles shall not exceed eighty thousand pounds on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways unless the Director-State Engineer pursuant to section 60-6,295 authorizes a greater weight.  Distance in feet  Maximum load in pounds carried    between the  on any group of two or more   extremes of  consecutive axles   any group of     two or more      consecutive Two Three Four Five Six Seven   axles Axles Axles Axles Axles Axles Axles   4 34,000        5 34,000        6 34,000        7 34,000        8 34,000 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     21  51,500 56,000 61,000     22  52,500 56,500 61,500     23  53,000 57,500 62,500     24  54,000 58,000 63,000     25  54,500 58,500 63,500 69,000    26  55,500 59,500 64,000 69,500    27  56,000 60,000 65,000 70,000    28  57,000 60,500 65,500 71,000    29  57,500 61,500 66,000 71,500    30  58,500 62,000 66,500 72,000    31  59,000 62,500 67,500 72,500    32  60,000 63,500 68,000 73,000    33   64,000 68,500 74,000    34   64,500 69,000 74,500    35   65,500 70,000 75,000    36   66,000 70,500 75,500    37   66,500 71,000 76,000 81,500   38   67,500 72,000 77,000 82,000   39   68,000 72,500 77,500 82,500   40   68,500 73,000 78,000 83,500   41   69,500 73,500 78,500 84,000   42   70,000 74,000 79,000 84,500   43   70,500 75,000 80,000 85,000   44   71,500 75,500 80,500 85,500   45   72,000 76,000 81,000 86,000   46   72,500 76,500 81,500 87,000   47   73,500 77,500 82,000 87,500   48   74,000 78,000 83,000 88,000   49   74,500 78,500 83,500 88,500   50   75,500 79,000 84,000 89,000   51   76,000 80,000 84,500 89,500   52   76,500 80,500 85,000 90,500   53   77,500 81,000 86,000 91,000   54   78,000 81,500 86,500 91,500   55   78,500 82,500 87,000 92,000   56   79,500 83,000 87,500 92,500   57   80,000 83,500 88,000 93,000   58    84,000 89,000 94,000   59    85,000 89,500 94,500   60    85,500 90,000 95,000   (4) The distance between axles shall be measured to the nearest foot. When a fraction is exactly one-half foot, the next larger whole number shall be used, except that:(a) Any group of three axles shall be restricted to a maximum load of thirty-four thousand pounds unless the distance between the extremes of the first and third axles is at least ninety-six inches in fact; and(b) The maximum gross load on any group of two axles, the distance between the extremes of which is more than eight feet but less than eight feet six inches, shall be thirty-eight thousand pounds.(5) The limitations of subsections (2) through (4) of this section shall apply as stated to all main, rural, and intercity highways but shall not be construed as inhibiting heavier axle loads in metropolitan areas, except on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, if such loads are not prohibited by city ordinance.(6) The weight limitations of wheel and axle loads as defined in subsections (2) through (4) of this section shall be restricted to the extent deemed necessary by the Department of Transportation for a reasonable period when road subgrades or pavements are weak or are materially weakened by climatic conditions.(7) Two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of thirty-four thousand pounds each when the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is thirty-six, thirty-seven, or thirty-eight feet except as provided in section 60-6,297. Such vehicles shall be subject to section 60-6,301.(8) If any vehicle crosses a bridge with a total gross load in excess of the posted capacity of such bridge and as a result of such crossing any damage results to the bridge, the owner of such vehicle shall be responsible for all of such damage.(9) Vehicles equipped with a greater number of axles than provided in the table in subsection (3) of this section shall be legal if they do not exceed the maximum load upon any wheel or axle, the maximum load upon any group of two or more consecutive axles, and the total gross weight, or any of such weights as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section.(10) Subsections (1) through (9) of this section shall not apply to a vehicle which has been issued a permit pursuant to section 60-6,299, self-propelled specialized mobile equipment with a fixed load when the requirements of subdivision (2)(i) of section 60-6,288 are met, or an emergency vehicle when the requirements of subdivision (1)(a)(v) of section 60-6,298 are met.(11) Any two consecutive axles the centers of which are more than forty inches and not more than ninety-six inches apart, measured to the nearest inch between any two adjacent axles in the series, shall be defined as tandem axles, and the gross weight transmitted to the road surface through such series shall not exceed thirty-four thousand pounds. No axle of the series shall exceed the maximum weight permitted under this section for a single axle.(12) Dummy axles shall be disregarded in determining the lawful weight of a vehicle or vehicle combination for operation on the highway. Dummy axle shall mean an axle attached to a vehicle or vehicle combination in a manner so that it does not articulate or substantially equalize the load and does not carry at least the lesser of eight thousand pounds or eight percent of the gross weight of the vehicle or vehicle combination.(13) The maximum gross weight limit and the axle weight limit for any vehicle or combination of vehicles equipped with idle reduction technology may be increased by an amount necessary to compensate for the additional weight of the idle reduction technology as provided in 23 U.S.C. 127(a)(12), as such section existed on October 1, 2012. The additional amount of weight allowed by this subsection shall not exceed five hundred fifty pounds and shall not be construed to be in addition to the five-percent-in-excess-of-maximum-load provision of subdivision (1) of section 60-6,301.(14)(a) The maximum gross weight for any vehicle or combination of vehicles (i) operated on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, including adjoining portions of the state highway system for reasonable access to terminals and facilities for food, fuel, repairs, and rest, as designated by the Department of Transportation, and (ii) powered (A) by an engine fueled primarily by natural gas or (B) primarily by means of electric battery power, may exceed the gross weight limitations provided in subsections (2), (3), (4), (7), (9), and (11) of this section in an amount that:(b)(i) Is up to a maximum of two thousand pounds; and(ii) Does not exceed eighty-two thousand pounds.(15) For purposes of this subsection, emergency vehicle means a vehicle designed to be used under emergency conditions to transport personnel and equipment and to support the suppression of fires and mitigation of other hazardous situations. An emergency vehicle may exceed the gross load limitations provided in subsections (2), (3), (4), (7), (9), and (11) of this section on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, including adjoining portions of the state highway system for reasonable access to terminals and facilities for food, fuel, repairs, and rest, as designated by the Department of Transportation, up to a gross vehicle weight of eighty-six thousand pounds, and that does not exceed:(a) Twenty-four thousand pounds on a single steering axle;(b) Thirty-three thousand five hundred pounds on a single drive axle;(c) Sixty-two thousand pounds on a tandem axle; or(d) Fifty-two thousand pounds on a tandem rear drive steer axle.Source   Laws 1933, c. 105, § 4, p. 426;   Laws 1939, c. 50, § 2, p. 218;   C.S.Supp.,1941, § 39-1035;   Laws 1943, c. 133, § 2, p. 446;   R.S.1943, § 39-722;   Laws 1945, c. 91, § 1, p. 312;   Laws 1947, c. 147, § 1, p. 403;   Laws 1953, c. 131, § 9, p. 404;   Laws 1953, c. 134, § 1, p. 416;   Laws 1959, c. 164, § 2, p. 600;   Laws 1969, c. 318, § 1, p. 1150;   R.S.Supp.,1972, § 39-722;   Laws 1980, LB 284, § 4;   Laws 1982, LB 383, § 2;   Laws 1984, LB 726, § 1;   Laws 1985, LB 553, § 6;   Laws 1987, LB 132, § 1;   Laws 1990, LB 369, § 4;   R.S.Supp.,1992, § 39-6,180;   Laws 1993, LB 370, § 390;   Laws 1995, LB 186, § 1;   Laws 1996, LB 1104, § 4;  Laws 2000, LB 1361, § 8;  Laws 2005, LB 82, § 3;  Laws 2008, LB756, § 26;  Laws 2016, LB977, § 25;  Laws 2017, LB339, § 222;  Laws 2018, LB909, § 106;  Laws 2020, LB944, § 70.  Cross References   Special load restrictions, rules and regulations of Department of Transportation, adoption, penalty, see sections 39-102 and 39-103.  Weighing stations, see sections 60-1301 to 60-1309. Annotations  The term "original limitations" as used in section 60-6,298 means the original statutory restrictions listed in this section. State v. Halverstadt, 282 Neb. 736, 809 N.W.2d 480 (2011). Complaint charging violation of this section was within jurisdiction of justice of the peace. Conkling v. DeLany, 167 Neb. 4, 91 N.W.2d 250 (1958). Limitation of weight on group of axles was proper exercise of police power. State v. Luttrell, 159 Neb. 641, 68 N.W.2d 332 (1955). An absolute liability arises when truck in excess of posted weight causes bridge to collapse. Central Neb. Public Power & Irrigation Dist. v. Boettcher, 154 Neb. 815, 49 N.W.2d 690 (1951).