Delaware General Assembly

CHAPTER 86

MOTOR VEHICLES - CHANGING AUTHORIZED LENGTH AND WEIGHT OF MOTOR VEHICLES

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 165 OF THE REVISED CODE OF DELAWARE, 1935, AS AMENDED, ENTITLED, "MOTOR VEHICLES", IN RELATION TO THE LENGTH OF A TRACTOR-SEMI-TRAILER AND WEIGHTS OF VEHICLES AND LOADS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:

Section 1. That Chapter 165 of the Revised Code of Delaware, 1935, as amended, be and the same is hereby further amended by striking out and repealing 5653. Sec. 115. thereof and substituting and enacting in lieu thereof, a new Section to be known as 5653. Sec. 115., as follows:

5653. Sec. 115. Size of Vehicles and Load; Exceptions:--

(a) No vehicle shall exceed a total outside width, including any load thereon, of eight feet, except that the width of farm tractor shall not exceed nine feet, and excepting further, that the limitations as to size of vehicles stated in this Section shall not apply to implements of husbandry temporarily propelled or moved upon the public highway.

(b) No vehicle unladen or with load shall exceed a height of 12 feet and 6 inches.

(c) No vehicle shall exceed a length. of thirty-five feet and no tractor-semi-trailer shall exceed a length of fifty feet and no other combination of vehicles coupled together shall exceed sixty feet.

(d) No train of vehicles or vehicle operated alone shall carry any load extending more than three feet beyond the front thereof.

(e) No passenger vehicle shall carry any load extending beyond the line of the fenders on the left side of such vehicle nor extending more than six inches beyond the line of the fender on the right side thereof.

Section 2. That Chapter 165 of the Revised Code of Delaware, 1935, as amended, be and the same is hereby further amended by striking out and repealing 5655. Sec. 117. thereof and substituting and enacting in lieu thereof, a new Section to be known as 5655. Sec. 117., as follows:

5655. Sec. 117. Weights of Vehicles and Loads:--

(a) No motor vehicle, equipped with solid rubber tires, shall have a gross weight, including vehicle and load, of more than twenty-two thousand (22,000) pounds, nor shall any two-. axle motor vehicle equipped with pneumatic tires have a gross weight, including vehicle and load, of more than twenty-six thousand (26,000) pounds, or a gross weight of more than thirty-six thousand (36,000) pounds for a three axle vehicle.

(b) No vehicle with solid tires shall have an axle load of more than sixteen thousand (16,000) pounds.

(c) No motor vehicle or physically connected combination of vehicles, mounted on pneumatic tires, shall have an axle load in excess of seven hundred (700) pounds per inch of the aggregate width of its tires (measured at the point of greatest width of each tire) or more than twenty thousand (20,000) pounds in any event.

(d) The gross weight of a trailer and load together shall not exceed twenty-two thousand (22,000) pounds.

(e) No trailer equipped with metal tires bearing a gross load in excess of six thousand (6.000) pounds shall be allowed on State Highways.

(f) No motor vehicle or combination of vehicles the gross weight of which is in excess of thirty-six thousand (36,000) pounds, shall be operated on the highways of the State unless such vehicle or combination of vehicles is equipped with power brakes.

(g) It shall be lawful to operate a vehicle equipped with two axles, with a power brake on each rear rub provided that the gross weight including vehicle and load does not exceed thirty thousand (30,000) pounds.

(h) It shall be lawful to operate a vehicle equipped with three (3) axles, having each of the rear axles equipped with two hubs, with a power brake on each rear hub provided that the gross weight including vehicle and load, does not exceed forty thousand (40,000) pounds.

(i) It shall be lawful to operate a semi-trailer with one axle, equipped with a power brake on each hub, provided that the gross weight of the combination of tractor and semi-trailer does not exceed forty-eight thousand (48,000) pounds.

(j) It shall be lawful to operate a semi-trailer, equipped with coupled axles spaced forty-eight inches or more apart measured horizontally, with a power brake on each hub, provided that the axle weight does not exceed 18,000 pounds per axle, and provided further that the gross weight of the combination tractor and coupled axle semi-trailer, does not exceed sixty thousand (60,000) pounds.

(k) Provided, however, that with respect. to any vehicle containing coupled axles spaced less than forty-eight (48) inches apart measured horizontally between their center lines, the load for each of such coupled axles shall not exceed ten thousand (10,000) pounds, the load for axles spaced forty-eight (48) inches or more apart center to center of axles shall be governed by the table for maximum gross weights.

(1) The total gross weight imposed on the highway by any group of two or more consecutive axles of a vehicle or of any combination of vehicles shall not exceed that given in the following table for the respective distance between the centers of the first and last axles of said two or more consecutive axles:

TABLE FOR MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHTS

Distance In Feet Between First Maximum Load In Pounds

And Last Axles Of Any Group Carried On Any Group

Less than 4 feet 20,000

(m) The distance between axles shall be measured to the nearest even foot. When a fraction is exactly one-half foot the next larger whole number shall be used.

Approved March 25, 1947.