GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2005

 

 

SESSION LAW 2005-248

SENATE BILL 832

 

 

AN ACT to allow wreckers to take disabled vehicles up to fifty miles for repair, parking, or storage.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

SECTION 1.  G.S. 20-118 reads as rewritten:

"§ 20-118.  Weight of vehicles and load.

(a)       For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1)       Single-axle weight. - The gross weight transmitted by all wheels whose centers may be included between two parallel transverse vertical planes 40 inches apart, extending across the full width of the vehicle.

(2)       Tandem-axle weight. - The gross weight transmitted to the road by two or more consecutive axles whose centers may be included between parallel vertical planes spaced more than 40 inches and not more than 96 inches apart, extending across the full width of the vehicle.

(3)       Axle group. - Any two or more consecutive axles on a vehicle or combination of vehicles.

(4)       Gross weight. - The weight of any single axle, tandem axle, or axle group of a vehicle or combination of vehicles plus the weight of any load thereon.

(5)       Light-traffic roads. - Any highway on the State Highway System, excepting routes designated I, U.S. or N.C., posted by the Department of Transportation to limit the axle weight below the statutory limits.

(b)       The following weight limitations shall apply to vehicles operating on the highways of the State:

(1)       The single-axle weight of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed 20,000 pounds.

(2)       The tandem-axle weight of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed 38,000 pounds.

(3)       The gross weight imposed upon the highway by any axle group of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed the maximum weight given for the respective distance between the first and last axle of the group of axles measured longitudinally to the nearest foot as set forth in the following table:

Distance                                                    Maximum Weight in Pounds for any Group of Two

Between                                                                                            or More Consecutive Axles

Axles*             2 Axles         3 Axles         4 Axles         5 Axles          6 Axles         7 Axles

4                       38000

5                       38000

6                       38000

7                       38000

8 or less           38000          38000

more than 8     38000          42000

9                       39000          42500

10                     40000          43500

11                                          44000

12                                          45000          50000

13                                          45500          50500

14                                          46500          51500

15                                          47000          52000

16                                          48000          52500           58000

17                                          48500          53500           58500

18                                          49500          54000           59000

19                                          50000          54500           60000

20                                          51000          55500           60500           66000

21                                          51500          56000           61000           66500

22                                          52500          56500           61500           67000

23                                          53000          57500           62500           68000

24                                          54000          58000           63000           68500           74000

25                                          54500          58500           63500           69000           74500

26                                          55500          59500           64000           69500           75000

27                                          56000          60000           65000           70000           75500

28                                          57000          60500           65500           71000           76500

29                                          57500          61500           66000           71500           77000

30                                          58500          62000           66500           72000           77500

31                                          59000          62500           67500           72500           78000

32                                          60000          63500           68000           73000           78500

33                                                                64000           68500           74000           79000

34                                                                64500           69000           74500           80000

35                                                                65500           70000           75000

36                                                                66000**      70500           75500

37                                                                66500**      71000           76000

38                                                                67500**      72000           77000

39                                                                68000           72500           77500

40                                                                68500           73000           78000

41                                                                69500           73500           78500

42                                                                70000           74000           79000

43                                                                70500           75000           80000

44                                                                71500           75500

45                                                                72000           76000

46                                                                72500           76500

47                                                                73500           77500

48                                                                74000           78000

49                                                                74500           78500

50                                                                75500           79000

51                                                                76000           80000

52                                                                76500

53                                                                77500

54                                                                78000

55                                                                78500

56                                                                79500

57                                                                80000

* Distance in Feet Between the Extremes of any Group of Two or More Consecutive Axles.

** See exception in G.S. 20-118(c)(1).

(4)       The Department of Transportation may establish light-traffic roads and further restrict the axle weight limit on such light-traffic roads lower than the statutory limits. The Department of Transportation shall have authority to designate any highway on the State Highway System, excluding routes designated by I, U.S. and N.C., as a light-traffic road when in the opinion of the Department of Transportation, such road is inadequate to carry and will be injuriously affected by vehicles using the said road carrying the maximum axle weight. All such roads so designated shall be conspicuously posted as light-traffic roads and the maximum axle weight authorized shall be displayed on proper signs erected thereon.

(c)       Exceptions. - The following exceptions apply to G.S. 20-118(b) and 20-118(e).

(7)       A wrecker may tow a any disabled truck or other motor vehicle or combination of vehicles in an emergency to a place for repairs, the nearest feasible point for parking parking, or storage within 50 miles from the point that the vehicle was disabled and may tow a truck, tractor, or other replacement vehicle to the site of the disabled vehicle 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.

…."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 20-116(e) reads as rewritten:

"(e)      Except as provided by G.S. 20-115.1, no combination of vehicles coupled together shall consist of more than two units and no such combination of vehicles shall exceed a total length of 60 feet inclusive of front and rear bumpers, subject to the following exceptions: Said length limitation shall not apply to vehicles operated in the daytime when transporting poles, pipe, machinery or other objects of a structural nature which cannot readily be dismembered, nor to such vehicles transporting such objects operated at nighttime by a public utility when required for emergency repair of public service facilities or properties, but in respect to such night transportation every such vehicle and the load thereon shall be equipped with a sufficient number of clearance lamps on both sides and marker lamps upon the extreme ends of said projecting load to clearly mark the dimensions of such load: Provided that vehicles designed and used exclusively for the transportation of motor vehicles shall be permitted an overhang tolerance front or rear not to exceed five feet. Provided, that wreckers in an emergency may tow a truck, combination tractor and trailer trailer, trailer, or any other disabled vehicle or combination of vehicles to a place for to the nearest feasible point for repair and/or storage: repair, parking, or storage within 50 miles of the point where the vehicle was disabled and may tow a truck, tractor, or other replacement vehicle to the site of the disabled vehicle. Provided, however, that a combination of a house trailer used as a mobile home, together with its towing vehicle, shall not exceed a total length of 55 feet exclusive of front and rear bumpers. Provided further, that the said limitation that no combination of vehicles coupled together shall consist of more than two units shall not apply to trailers not exceeding three in number drawn by a motor vehicle used by municipalities for the removal of domestic and commercial refuse and street rubbish, but such combination of vehicles shall not exceed a total length of 50 feet inclusive of front and rear bumpers. Provided further, that the said limitation that no combination of vehicles coupled together shall consist of more than two units shall not apply to a combination of vehicles coupled together by a saddle mount device used to transport motor vehicles in a driveway service when no more than three saddle mounts are used and provided further, that equipment used in said combination is approved by the safety regulations of the Federal Highway Administration and the safety rules of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety."


SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 28th day of July, 2005.

 

 

                                                        s/ Marc Basnight

                                                         President Pro Tempore of the Senate

 

 

                                                        s/ Richard T. Morgan

                                                         Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives

 

 

                                                        s/ Michael F. Easley

                                                         Governor

 

 

Approved 7:31 p.m. this 4th day of August, 2005