GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1997 SESSION
S.L. 1997-373
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. G.S. 20-118(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c) Exceptions. - The following exceptions apply to G.S. 20-118(b) and 20-118(e).
(1) Two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each without penalty provided the overall distance between the first and last axles of the consecutive sets of tandem axles is 36 feet or more.
(2) When a vehicle is operated in violation of G.S. 20-118(b)(1), 20-118(b)(2), or 20-118(b)(3), but the gross weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles does not exceed that permitted by G.S. 20-118(b)(3), the owner of the vehicle shall be permitted to shift the load within the vehicle, without penalty, from one axle to another to comply with the weight limits in the following cases:
a. Where the single-axle load exceeds the statutory limits, but does not exceed 21,000 pounds.
b. Where the vehicle or combination of vehicles has tandem axles, but the tandem-axle weight does not exceed 40,000 pounds.
(3) When a vehicle is operated in violation of G.S. 20-118(b)(4) the owner of the vehicle shall be permitted, without penalty, to shift the load within the vehicle from one axle to another to comply with the weight limits where the single-axle weight does not exceed the posted limit by 2,500 pounds.
(4) A truck or other motor vehicle shall be exempt from such light-traffic road limitations provided for pursuant to G.S. 20-118(b)(4), when transporting supplies, material or equipment necessary to carry out a farming operation engaged in the production of meats and agricultural crops and livestock or poultry by-products or a business engaged in the harvest or processing of seafood when the destination of such vehicle and load is located solely upon said light-traffic road.
(5) The light-traffic road
limitations provided for pursuant to subdivision (b)(4) of this section do not
apply to a vehicle while that vehicle is transporting only the following from
its point of origin on a light-traffic road to either one of the two nearest
highway highways that is not a light-traffic road:
a. Processed or unprocessed seafood from boats or any other point of origin to a processing plant or a point of further distribution.
b. Meats or agricultural crop products originating from a farm to first market.
c. Unprocessed forest products originating from a farm or from woodlands to first market.
d. Livestock or poultry from their point of origin to first market.
e. Livestock by-products or poultry by-products from their point of origin to a rendering plant.
f. Recyclable material from its point of origin to a scrap-processing facility for processing. As used in this subpart, the terms 'recyclable' and 'processing' have the same meaning as in G.S. 130A-290(a).
g. Garbage collected by the vehicle from residences or garbage dumpsters if the vehicle is fully enclosed and is designed specifically for collecting, compacting, and hauling garbage from residences or from garbage dumpsters. As used in this subpart, the term 'garbage' does not include hazardous waste as defined in G.S. 130A-290(a), spent nuclear fuel regulated under G.S. 20-167.1, low-level radioactive waste as defined in G.S. 104E-5, or radioactive material as defined in G.S. 104E-5.
(6) A truck or other motor vehicle shall be exempt from such light-traffic road limitations provided by G.S. 20-118(b)(4) when such motor vehicles are owned, operated by or under contract to a public utility, electric or telephone membership corporation or municipality and such motor vehicles are used in connection with installation, restoration or emergency maintenance of utility services.
(7) A wrecker may tow a disabled vehicle or combination of vehicles in an emergency to the nearest feasible point for parking or storage without being in violation of G.S. 20-118 provided that the wrecker and towed vehicle or combination of vehicles otherwise meet all requirements of this section.
(8) A firefighting vehicle operated by any member of a municipal or rural fire department in the performance of his duties, regardless of whether members of that fire department are paid or voluntary and any vehicle of a voluntary lifesaving organization, when operated by a member of that organization while answering an official call shall be exempt from such light-traffic road limitations provided by G.S. 20-118(b)(4).
(9) Repealed by Session Laws 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 761, s. 12.
(10) Fully enclosed motor vehicles designed specifically for collecting, compacting and hauling garbage from residences, or from garbage dumpsters shall, when operating for those purposes, be allowed a single axle weight not to exceed 23,500 pounds on the steering axle on vehicles equipped with a boom, or on the rear axle on vehicles loaded from the rear. This exemption shall not apply to vehicles transporting hazardous waste as defined in G.S. 130A-290(a)(8), spent nuclear fuel regulated under G.S. 20-167.1, low-level radioactive waste as defined in G.S. 104E-5(9a), or radioactive material as defined in G.S. 104E-5(14).
(11) A truck or other motor vehicle shall be exempt for light-traffic road limitations issued under subdivision (b)(4) of this section when transporting heating fuel for on-premises use at a destination located on the light-traffic road.
(12) Subsections (b) and (e) of this section do not apply to a vehicle that meets one of the following descriptions, is hauling agricultural crops from the farm where they were grown to first market, is within 35 miles of that farm, does not operate on an interstate highway while hauling the crops, and does not exceed its registered weight:
a. Is a five-axle combination with a gross weight of no more than 88,000 pounds, a single-axle weight of no more than 22,000 pounds, a tandem-axle weight of no more than 42,000 pounds, and a length of at least 51 feet between the first and last axles of the combination.
b. Repealed by Session Laws 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 761, s. 13.
c. Is a four-axle combination with a gross weight that does not exceed the limit set in subdivision (b)(3) of this section, a single-axle weight of no more than 22,000 pounds, and a tandem-axle weight of no more than 42,000 pounds."
Section 2. The Department of Transportation may adopt a rule authorizing issuance of special weight permits for vehicles transporting wood residuals on non-interstate highways, as authorized by existing State law, G.S. 20-119.
Section 3. This act constitutes a recent act of the General Assembly within the meaning of G.S. 150B-21.1. The Department may adopt the rule authorized by Section 2 of this act as a temporary rule no later than September 1, 1997.
Section 4. This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 29th day of July, 1997.
s/ Dennis A. Wicker
President of the Senate
s/ Harold J. Brubaker
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ James B. Hunt, Jr.
Governor
Approved 5:45 p.m. this 6th day of August, 1997