SB404: Bill Text

2019 Senate BILL 404

September 16, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Tiffany, Bernier, Craig, Feyen, LeMahieu, Olsen, Stroebel and Wanggaard, cosponsored by Representatives Spiros, Brandtjen, Felzkowski, Gundrum, Hutton, Katsma, Mursau, Nygren, Plumer, Quinn, Ramthun, Rohrkaste, Sanfelippo, Sortwell, Tusler, Wittke, Zimmerman, Dittrich and Skowronski. Referred to Committee on Transportation, Veterans and Military Affairs.

SB404,1,3 An Act to amend 348.15 (3) (intro.) and 348.27 (1); and to create 348.17 (7), 348.25 (8) (b) 5. and 348.27 (20) of the statutes; relating to: overweight permits for vehicles or vehicle combinations with six or more axles.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to issue permits for the operation of vehicle combinations that exceed maximum gross weight limitations by not more than 11,000 pounds if the vehicle combination has six or more axles and meets specified weight limits based on the number of axles and distances between axles. The bill provides that the permits may be issued for operation only on state trunk highways and on local highways for a distance up to 15 miles in order to travel to and from a state trunk highway or to reach fuel, food, maintenance, repair, rest, staging, terminal or vehicle assembly facilities, or points of loading or unloading. The permits do not authorize operation of vehicles in excess of special or seasonal weight limits imposed on a highway or weight restrictions on heavy traffic routes.

Under the bill, an applicant for a permit must include a description of the proposed route they will travel, and DOT must minimize the operation of overweight vehicles on state trunk highways in residential areas. If DOT issues a permit that approves a route through a 1st class city, DOT must notify the city.

Under current law, with limited exceptions, no person may operate upon a highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles that exceeds certain statutory weight limits unless the person obtains a permit issued by DOT or a local authority.

Because this bill concerns an exception to the vehicle weight limits specified in ch. 348, stats., the Department of Transportation, as required by law, will prepare a report to be printed as an appendix to this bill.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB404,1 Section 1 . 348.15 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB404,2,6 348.15 (3) (intro.) Subject to any modifications made by a 1st class city under s. 349.15 (3) and except as provided in s. 348.17 (5) or , (6), or (7), no person, without a permit, may operate on a class “A" highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles unless the vehicle or combination of vehicles complies with the following weight limitations:

SB404,2 Section 2 . 348.17 (7) of the statutes is created to read:

SB404,2,12 348.17 (7) (a) The gross weight imposed on the highway by any group of 2 or more consecutive axles of a vehicle or combination of vehicles being operated under a permit issued under s. 348.27 (20) may not exceed the maximum gross weights in the following table for each of the respective distances between axles and the respective numbers of axles of a group:

SB404,4,57 (a) [Figure] - See PDF for table

SB404,4,62 (b) Unless the department provides otherwise by rule, any axle of a vehicle or combination of vehicles that does not impose on the highway at least 8 percent of the gross weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles may not be counted as an axle for the purposes of par. (a).

SB404,3 Section 3. 348.25 (8) (b) 5. of the statutes is created to read:

SB404,4,64 348.25 (8) (b) 5. For a permit issued under s. 348.27 (20), $300.

SB404,4 Section 4. 348.27 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB404,5,3 348.27 (1) Applications. All applications for annual, consecutive month, or multiple trip permits for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles or loads shall be made to the officer or agency designated by this section as having authority to issue the particular permit desired for use of the particular highway in question. All applications under subs. (2) and (4) to (15) shall be made upon forms prescribed by the department. All applications under sub. (16) shall be made utilizing an electronic process prescribed by the department. All applications under sub. (17) shall be made utilizing an electronic process prescribed by the department. All applications under sub. (18) shall be made utilizing an electronic process prescribed by the department. All applications under sub. (20) shall be made utilizing an electronic process prescribed by the department and shall include a description of the route the applicant proposes to travel under the permit.

SB404,5 Section 5 . 348.27 (20) of the statutes is created to read:

SB404,5,9 348.27 (20) Permits for overweight operation of vehicles with 6 or more axles. (a) The department may issue annual or consecutive month permits for the operation of vehicle combinations that have 6 or more axles and that exceed the maximum gross weight limitations under s. 348.15 (3) (c) by not more than 11,000 pounds.

SB404,5,12 (b) When determining whether to issue permits under this subsection, the department shall minimize the operation of vehicles on portions of state trunk highways located in areas that are primarily residential.

SB404,5,16 (c) A permit under this subsection is valid only on state trunk highways and on local highways for a distance not to exceed 15 miles in order to travel to and from a state trunk highway or to reach fuel, food, maintenance, repair, rest, staging, terminal or vehicle assembly facilities, or points of loading or unloading.

SB404,5,19 (d) A permit under this subsection does not authorize operation of vehicles in excess of a special or seasonal weight limit imposed on a highway under s. 349.16 or a weight restriction on a heavy traffic route designated under s. 349.17.

SB404,5,23 (e) A permit under this subsection is not valid for use on any interstate highway unless federal law authorizes vehicles or vehicle combinations with 6 or more axles and a gross vehicle weight of not more than 91,000 pounds to operate on interstate highways.

SB404,6,3 (f) If the department issues a permit under this subsection that approves a route through a 1st class city, the department shall notify the 1st class city of the issuance of the permit.

SB404,6,4 (End)