Wisconsin Legislature: Trans 254.02 Note

Trans 254.01Trans 254.01 Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to establish standards and procedures for the issuance of single trip oversize or overweight permits, pursuant to s. 348.26 (2), Stats.

Trans 254.01 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, December, 1990, No. 420, eff. 1-1-91.

Trans 254.02Trans 254.02 Definitions.

Trans 254.02(1)(1) Unless otherwise stated, the definitions of words and phrases in ss. 340.01 and 348.01 (2), Stats., and s. Trans 250.02 apply to this chapter.

Trans 254.02(2)(2) As used in this chapter:

Trans 254.02(2)(a)(a) “Issuing authority” means the department of transportation or the officer in charge of maintenance of local highways.

Trans 254.02 NoteNote: The officer in charge of maintenance of local highways varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and may include the county highway commissioner; the city, town or village engineer; and the head of a city, town, or village transportation or public works department, or other person.

Trans 254.02(2)(b)(b) “Permit” means single trip oversize or overweight permits authorized under s. 348.26 (2), Stats.

Trans 254.02(2)(c)(c) “Restricted-travel holidays” means days on which the department restricts the travel of oversize vehicles in anticipation of significantly increased traffic volume. The department shall issue and make available a list of restricted-travel holidays for each year by no later than November 30 of the prior year. In the event no list is published, “restricted-travel holidays” means January 1; the Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend; the last Monday in May and the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday; July 4; the Monday after July 4, if July 4 falls on a Sunday; the first Monday in September and the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday; the Saturday and Sunday initiating the Wisconsin gun deer hunting season; the fourth Thursday in November; the Saturday and Sunday following the fourth Thursday in November if that Sunday is the final day of the Wisconsin gun deer hunting season; December 24; December 25; and December 31.

Trans 254.02 NoteNote: Oversize travel will typically be restricted on the peak travel days associated with the holidays listed in par. (c), as well as peak travel times associated with the department of natural resources traditional statewide gun deer hunting season. The list of restricted-travel holidays is available at http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov or by request to the DMV Motor Carrier Services Permit Unit, 4802 Sheboygan Avenue, Room 151, P.O. Box 7980, Madison, WI 53707-7980.

Trans 254.02 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, December, 1990, No. 420, eff. 1-1-91; CR 13-093: cr. (2) (c) Register July 2014 No. 703, eff. 8-1-14.

Trans 254.03Trans 254.03 Permit application.

Trans 254.03(1)(1) An application for a permit shall be submitted to an issuing authority on a form approved by the department, and in accordance with s. 348.26, Stats.

Trans 254.03(1m)(1m) The application shall include all requested information, including the applicant’s electronic mail address.

Trans 254.03(2)(2) An application for a permit for the use of a state trunk highway shall be made to the department in any of the following ways:

Trans 254.03(2)(a)(a) In person, at the department’s central office.

Trans 254.03(2)(b)(b) By mail, addressed to the department’s central office.

Trans 254.03(2)(c)(c) Online through the department’s oversize/overweight automated issuance system.

Trans 254.03(2)(d)(d) By authorized permit service.

Trans 254.03(3)(3) An application for a permit for the use of a highway maintained by a local authority shall be submitted to the applicable local authority in the manner prescribed by the local authority. An application for a permit for the use of a state trunk highway within the geographical boundaries of a local authority shall be submitted to the applicable local authority in the manner prescribed by the local authority.

Trans 254.03 NoteNote: Forms used by the department in administering this rule are MV2600 oversize/overweight single trip permit information; MV2604 single trip application; MV2605 single trip permit general conditions; MV2926 military permit application; MV2955 building(s) transport application. These forms may be obtained in person at or by written request to the DMV Motor Carrier Services Section, Permit Unit, 4802 Sheboygan Avenue, Room 151, P.O. Box 7980, Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7980. These forms are also available online at http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov. Forms used by issuing authorities other than the department may be obtained from those authorities.

Trans 254.03 NoteThe department’s oversize/overweight automated issuance system is available online at http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/business/carriers/osow-autosys.htm.

Trans 254.03 NotePermit application procedures are established in s. Trans 250.025.

Trans 254.03 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, December, 1990, No. 420, eff. 1-1-91; correction in (2) (a) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6., Stats., Register 2013 No. 686; CR 13-093: cr. (1m), am. (2) (a), r. and recr. (2) (c) Register July 2014 No. 703, eff. 8-1-14.

Trans 254.04Trans 254.04 Permit amendments.

Trans 254.04(1)(1) An application for an amendment to a permit shall be made to the issuing authority which issued the original permit.

Trans 254.04(2)(2) An application for an amendment may be made in the same manner as an application for an original permit.

Trans 254.04(3)(3) The request shall specify the permit number of the permit to be amended.

Trans 254.04(4)(4) A request for an extension of a permit may be made any time until the third day after the expiration date of the permit.

Trans 254.04(5)(5) An issuing authority may grant only one extension to a permit.

Trans 254.04(6)(6) Except as provided in sub. (7), a permit issued for less than 2 weeks may be extended not more than 2 weeks.

Trans 254.04(7)(7) An issuing authority may extend a permit not more than 2 additional weeks where highway or other conditions remain unchanged, or as the issuing authority deems necessary.

Trans 254.04 NoteNote: Limitations on the amendment of permits are in s. Trans 250.10.

Trans 254.04 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, December, 1990, No. 420, eff. 1-1-91.

Trans 254.05Trans 254.05 Eligibility.

Trans 254.05(1)(1) Any vehicle or vehicle and load to be considered as operating under a permit shall satisfy requirements for a permit under s. 348.25, Stats.

Trans 254.05(2)(2) An issuing authority may not issue a permit for mobile homes or camping trailers under this chapter.

Trans 254.05(3)(3) An issuing authority may not issue a permit for transporting loads or articles which could reasonably be divided in a manner as to allow transporting of loads or articles in 2 or more loads that are not oversize or overweight, or both.

Trans 254.05(4)(4) An issuing authority may not issue a permit to transport more than one article if the vehicle, load, or vehicle and load is overweight.

Trans 254.05 NoteNote: This section prohibits, among other things, the addition of an extra boom section to a load that is transported under a permit for an overweight vehicle, load, or vehicle and load. Transporting necessary blocking for a load, or transporting the necessary blocking on an otherwise empty vehicle to and from the origin or destination of the load is not prohibited.

Trans 254.05(5)(5) An issuing authority may not issue a permit for a vehicle and load exceeding 100 feet in overall length when the rear supporting axle is at or near the rear of the load unless the rear support is separately steered.

Trans 254.05(6)(6) An issuing authority may issue a permit only for a vehicle equipped with pneumatic tires.

Trans 254.05(7)(7) The issuance of a permit is not a guarantee of the sufficiency of any highway or structure for the transporting of the vehicle, load, or vehicle and load.

Trans 254.05(8)(8) A permit may not authorize the operation of more than 2 vehicles in combination.

Trans 254.05 NoteNote: This does not prohibit the use of dollies to support or assist in supporting one or both ends of a trailer.

Trans 254.05(9)(9) A permit may authorize the operation of vehicle combinations consisting of a truck-tractor and semi-trailer with an earth-mover being transported with its power unit resting on the bed of a semi-trailer and its single rear axle trailing on the roadway behind the semi-trailer, in which case the gross weight of the rear axle of the earth mover may not exceed 35,000 pounds.

Trans 254.05 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, December, 1990, No. 420, eff. 1-1-91.

Trans 254.06Trans 254.06 Validity.

Trans 254.06(1)(1) A permit is valid only for the vehicle described in the application and permit.

Trans 254.06(2)(2) An issuing authority may suspend a permit, or any of its conditions, because of seasonal highway conditions.

Trans 254.06 NoteNote: Examples of seasonal highway conditions include spring thaw, flooding and traffic congestion.

Trans 254.06(3)(3) No condition of a permit may modify any law or regulation limiting loads because of local conditions, including load limits on bridges and highways, seasonal weight restrictions, or load limits imposed because of construction.

Trans 254.06(4)(4) A permit is not valid during periods when adverse weather or road conditions, such as fog, smoke, heavy rain, snow or ice, or wind velocity, impair the safety of a movement under the permit.

Trans 254.06(5)(5) A permit may not be used in combination with a multiple trip permit to authorize the movement of an oversize or overweight vehicle, load, or vehicle and load.

Trans 254.06(6)(6) A permit is valid only on the route specified in the permit.

Trans 254.06(7)(7) A permit is valid only for the movement specified in the permit, which may include the return trip on the reverse route if requested and approved, and which includes the movement of the empty vehicle, whether or not oversize or overweight, to and from the place of pickup or delivery of the permitted load.

Trans 254.06 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, December, 1990, No. 420, eff. 1-1-91.

Trans 254.07Trans 254.07 Registration requirements.

Trans 254.07(1)(1) A vehicle operating under a permit shall be registered as required by Wisconsin Statutes, and shall be registered at not less than the permit weight or at the maximum available registration weight, whichever is less.

Trans 254.07(2)(2) All other operational permits required by the department or other agencies having jurisdiction shall be obtained.

Trans 254.07 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, December, 1990, No. 420, eff. 1-1-91; correction in (2) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 6., Stats., Register, August, 1996, No. 488.

Trans 254.08Trans 254.08 Driver and operating requirements.

Trans 254.08(1)(1) The driver of a vehicle operating under a permit shall carry the permit in the vehicle to which it applies and shall have the permit available for inspection by any police officer, representative of the issuing authority, or person in charge of the maintenance of the highway being used.

Trans 254.08(2)(2) The driver of a vehicle operating under a permit shall, whenever reasonable and practicable, maintain a distance of not less than 1,000 feet between the permitted vehicle and any vehicle the driver is following, unless actually engaged in overtaking and passing another vehicle.

Trans 254.08(3)(3) The driver of a vehicle operating under a permit shall allow traffic approaching or overtaking the permitted vehicle to pass, where it is safe to do so.

Trans 254.08(4)(4) The maximum speed of any vehicle with a load 16 feet or wider operating on highways without paved shoulders shall be 35 miles per hour.

Trans 254.08(5)(5) Except as provided in sub. (4), or unless a lower speed is specified in the permit, a vehicle operating under a permit may be operated at the posted speed limit.

Trans 254.08(6)(6) The right wheels of the towed unit may not leave the roadway, except to allow traffic to pass.

Trans 254.08 NoteNote: A “roadway” does not include paved or unpaved shoulders. s. 340.01 (54), Stats.