2023 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).