1. An axle may be divided into two or more parts, except that all parts in the same vertical transverse plane shall be considered as one axle.
2. The gross weight on any one axle of a vehicle, or of a combination of vehicles, operated on the highways of this state, shall not exceed twenty thousand pounds on an axle equipped with pneumatic tires, and shall not exceed fourteen thousand pounds on an axle equipped with solid rubber tires. The gross weight on any tandem axle of a vehicle, or any combination of vehicles, shall not exceed thirty-four thousand pounds on an axle equipped with pneumatic tires. This subsection does not apply to implements of husbandry.
3. Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter to the contrary, indivisible loads operating under the permit requirements of sections 321E.7, 321E.8, 321E.9, and 321E.29A shall be allowed a maximum of twenty thousand pounds per axle.
4. a. Self-propelled implements of husbandry used exclusively for the application of organic or inorganic plant food materials, agricultural limestone, or agricultural chemicals shall be operated in compliance with this section.
b. Fence-line feeders, grain carts, and tank wagons manufactured on or after July 1, 2001, shall be operated in compliance with this section. The year of manufacture of the fence-line feeder, grain cart, or tank wagon shall be permanently made a part of the identification plate on the vehicle. An attempt to fraudulently alter or deface the year of manufacture or other product identification number on a fence-line feeder, grain cart, or tank wagon is a violation of section 321.92. Commencing July 1, 2005, all fence-line feeders, grain carts, and tank wagons shall be operated in compliance with this section. However, the weight on any single axle or any particular group of axles or the overall gross weight of the vehicle may exceed the maximum weight otherwise allowed by this chapter by twenty percent. If the vehicle exceeds the twenty percent tolerance allowed by this paragraph, the fine to be assessed for the violation shall be computed on the difference between the actual weight and the tolerance weight allowed under this chapter.
5. a. The maximum gross weight allowed to be carried on a vehicle or combination of vehicles on highways which are part of the interstate system is as follows:
MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT TABLE INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS
Distance in feet 2 Axles 3 Axles 4 Axles 5 Axles 6 Axles 7 Axles
4 34,000 5 34,000 6 34,000 7 34,000 34,000 8 34,000 34,000 8'1" 38,000 42,000 9 39,000 42,500 10 40,000 43,500 48,500 11 44,000 49,500 12 45,000 50,000 13 45,500 50,500 56,000 14 46,500 51,500 57,000 15 47,000 52,000 57,500 16 48,000 52,500 58,000 17 48,500 53,500 58,500 64,000 18 49,500 54,000 59,000 65,000 19 50,000 54,500 60,000 65,500 20 51,000 55,500 60,500 66,000 71,500 21 51,500 56,000 61,000 66,500 72,500 22 52,500 56,500 61,500 67,000 73,000 23 53,000 57,500 62,500 68,000 73,500 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 76,000 28 57,000 60,500 65,500 71,000 76,500 29 57,500 61,500 66,000 71,500 77,000 30 58,500 62,000 66,500 72,000 77,500 31 59,000 62,500 67,500 72,500 78,000 32 60,000 63,500 68,000 73,000 78,500 33 64,000 68,500 74,000 79,500 34 64,500 69,500 74,500 80,000 35 65,500 70,000 75,000 36 68,000 70,500 75,500 37 68,000 71,000 76,000 38 68,000 72,000 77,000 39 68,000 72,500 77,500 40 68,500 73,000 78,000 41 69,500 73,500 78,500 42 70,000 74,000 79,000 43 70,500 75,000 80,000 44 71,500 75,500 45 72,000 76,000 46 72,500 76,500 47 73,500 77,500 48 74,000 78,000 49 74,500 78,500 50 75,500 79,000 51 76,000 80,000 52 76,500 53 77,500 54 78,000 55 78,500 56 79,500 57 80,000
b. The maximum gross weight allowed to be carried on a vehicle or combination of vehicles on noninterstate highways is as follows:
NONINTERSTATE HIGHWAYS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT TABLE
Distance in feet 2 Axles 3 Axles 4 Axles 5 Axles 6 Axles 7 Axles
4 34,000 5 34,000 6 34,000 7 34,000 34,000 8 34,000 34,000 8'1" 38,000 42,000 9 39,000 42,500 10 40,000 43,500 45,000 11 44,000 46,000 12 45,000 47,000 13 45,500 48,000 48,500 14 46,500 49,000 49,500 15 47,000 50,000 50,500 16 48,000 51,000 51,500 17 48,500 52,000 52,500 54,000 18 49,500 53,000 53,500 55,000 19 50,000 54,500 54,500 56,000 20 51,000 55,500 55,500 57,000 21 51,500 56,000 56,500 58,000 22 52,500 56,500 57,500 59,000 23 53,000 57,500 58,500 60,000 24 54,000 58,000 59,500 61,000 25 54,500 58,500 60,500 62,000 26 55,500 59,500 61,500 63,000 27 56,000 60,000 62,500 64,000 28 57,000 60,500 63,500 65,000 29 57,500 61,500 64,500 66,000 30 58,500 62,000 65,500 67,000 31 59,000 62,500 66,500 68,000 32 60,000 63,500 67,500 69,000 33 64,000 68,500 70,000 34 64,500 69,500 71,000 35 65,500 70,000 72,000 36 68,000 70,500 73,000 37 68,000 71,000 74,000 38 68,000 72,000 75,000 39 68,000 72,500 76,000 40 68,500 73,000 77,000 41 69,500 73,500 78,000 78,000 42 70,000 74,000 79,000 79,000 43 70,500 75,000 80,000 80,000 44 71,500 75,500 45 72,000 76,000 46 72,500 76,500 47 73,500 77,500 48 74,000 78,000 49 74,500 78,500 50 75,500 79,000 51 76,000 80,000 52 76,500 53 77,500 54 78,000 55 78,500 56 79,500 57 80,000
c. The maximum gross weight allowed to be carried on a livestock or construction vehicle on noninterstate highways is as follows:
NONINTERSTATE HIGHWAYS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT TABLE LIVESTOCK OR CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE
Distance in feet 6 Axles 7 Axles
44 80,500 80,500 45 81,000 81,500 46 81,500 82,500 47 82,000 83,500 48 83,000 84,000 49 83,500 85,000 50 84,000 86,000 51 84,500 87,000 52 85,000 88,000 53 86,000 88,500 54 86,500 89,500 55 87,000 90,500 56 87,500 91,500 57 88,000 92,000 58 89,000 93,000 59 89,500 94,000 60 90,000 95,000 61 95,500 62 96,000
d. For the purposes of the maximum gross weight tables in paragraphs "a", "b", and "c", distance in feet is the measured distance in feet between the centers of the extreme axles of any group of axles, rounded to the nearest whole foot.
6. The weight on any one axle, including a tandem axle, of a vehicle which is transporting livestock on highways not part of the interstate system may exceed the legal maximum weight given in this chapter providing that the gross weight on any particular group of axles on such vehicle does not exceed the gross weight allowable under this chapter for such groups of axles.
7. The weight on any one axle, including a tandem axle, of a vehicle which is transporting raw materials from a designated borrow site to a construction project or transporting raw materials from a construction project, and which is operating on a highway that is not part of the interstate system and along a route of travel approved by the department or the appropriate local authority, may exceed the legal maximum weight otherwise allowed under this chapter by ten percent if the gross weight on any particular group of axles on the vehicle does not exceed the gross weight allowed under this chapter for that group of axles. If the vehicle exceeds the ten percent tolerance allowed under this subsection, the fine shall be computed on the difference between the actual weight and the ten percent tolerance weight allowed for the axle or tandem axle.
8. A vehicle or combination of vehicles transporting materials to or from a construction project or commercial plant site may operate under the maximum gross weight table for interstate highways in subsection 5, paragraph "a", if the route is approved by the department or appropriate local authority. Route approval is not required if the vehicle or combination of vehicles transporting materials to or from a construction project or commercial plant site complies with the maximum gross weight table for noninterstate highways in subsection 5, paragraph "c".
9. A vehicle designed to tow wrecked or disabled vehicles shall be exempt from the weight limitations in this section while the vehicle is towing a wrecked or disabled vehicle.
10. a. A person who operates a vehicle in violation of the provisions of this section, and an owner, or any other person, employing or otherwise directing the operator of a vehicle, who requires or knowingly permits the operation of a vehicle in violation of the provisions of this section shall be fined according to the following schedule:
AXLE, TANDEM AXLE, AND GROUP OF AXLES WEIGHT VIOLATIONS
Pounds Overloaded Amount of Fine
Up to and including $10 plus one-half cent1,000 pounds per pound Over 1,000 pounds to and$15 plus one-half cent
including 2,000 pounds per pound Over 2,000 pounds to and$80 plus three cents
including 3,000 pounds per pound Over 3,000 pounds to and$100 plus four cents
including 4,000 pounds per pound Over 4,000 pounds to and$150 plus five cents
including 5,000 pounds per pound Over 5,000 pounds to and$200 plus seven cents
including 6,000 pounds per pound Over 6,000 pounds $200 plus ten cents per pound
b. Fines for gross weight violations for vehicles or combinations of vehicles shall be assessed at one-half of the fine rate schedule for axle, tandem axle, and groups of axles weight violations.
c. Except as otherwise provided, the amount of the fine to be assessed shall be computed on the difference between the actual weight and the maximum legal weight specified in this section by applying the appropriate rate in the preceding schedule for the total amount of overload.
d. The schedule of fines may be assessed in addition to any other penalties provided for in this chapter.
11. Overloads on axles and tandem axles and overloads on groups of axles or on an entire vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be considered as separate violations of the provisions of this section.
12. A person who issues or executes, or causes to be issued or executed, a bill of lading, manifest, or shipping document of any kind which states a false weight of the cargo set forth on such bill, manifest, or document, which is less than the actual weight of the cargo, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a simple misdemeanor.
[C24, 27, 31, 35, § 5065; C39, § 5035.12; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 321.463; 81 Acts, ch 110, § 1, ch 111]
89 Acts, ch 200, § 1, 2; 92 Acts, ch 1238, § 35; 94 Acts, ch 1199, §79; 95 Acts, ch 118, §26; 96 Acts, ch 1089, § 4; 97 Acts, ch 100, §5, 12; 97 Acts, ch 104, §22; 98 Acts, ch 1103, §2; 98 Acts, ch 1178, §6, 7; 99 Acts, ch 108, §7
Referred to in § 312.2, 321.452, 321.453, 321.459, 321.473, 321E.1, 321E.7, 321E.8, 321E.9, 321E.9A, 321E.16, 321E.17, 321E.29, 321E.29A, 805.8(2v)
Applicability of 1997 maximum weight amendments to vehicles on urban and secondary roads; 97 Acts, ch 100, §12
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