Part II. Legal Weight and Size Limits for Virginia
24VAC20-81-40. Interstate system and designated highways.
If the vehicle configuration has been reduced to the smallest dimensions possible and still exceeds any of the following statutory limitations listed below, the applicant may be eligible for a hauling permit.
Single Axle Weight: | 20,000 pounds or 650 pounds per inch (width) of tire in contact with the surface of the highway |
Tandem Axle Weight: | 34,000 pounds |
Gross Weight: | See 24VAC20-81-60. Legal weight allowed based on axle spacing |
Width: | 8 feet 6 inches (excluding mirrors and safety devices) |
Height: | 13 feet 6 inches |
Length: | Semitrailer - 48 feet |
Semitrailer - 53 feet, provided that the semitrailer has a distance of not more than 41 feet between the kingpin of the semitrailer and the rearmost axle or a point midway between the rear tandem axles. | |
Tractor truck semitrailer combinations with 48 or 53 foot semitrailers - no overall length restrictions. | |
Twin trailers - 28 1/2 feet each | |
Single unit vehicle - 40 feet excluding load |
Tractor trucks shall not have more than one semitrailer attached.
Trucks shall not have more than one trailer attached.
Three motor vehicles shall be drawn only if coupled together by a saddle mount device.
Statutory Authority
§ 46.2-203 and Article 18 (§ 46.2-1139 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 26, eff. September 30, 2009.
24VAC20-81-50. Primary and secondary systems.
If the vehicle configuration has been reduced to the smallest dimensions possible and still exceeds any of the following statutory limitations listed below, the applicant may be eligible for a hauling permit.
Single Axle Weight: | 20,000 pounds or 650 pounds per inch (width) of tire in contact with the surface of the highway. |
Tandem Axle Weight: | 34,000 pounds. |
Gross Weight: | See 24VAC20-81-60. Legal weight allowed based on axle spacing. |
Width: | 8 feet 6 inches excluding mirrors. Safety devices shall not exceed 3 inches on each side. |
Height: | 13 feet 6 inches. |
Length: | Single unit - 40 feet excluding load. |
Tractor semitrailer combination - 65 feet including load | |
Combination of a towing vehicle and any manufactured housing - 65 feet including load and coupling. | |
Semitrailer - 53 feet, provided that the semitrailer has a distance of not more than 41 feet between the kingpin of the semitrailer and the rearmost axle or a point midway between the rear tandem axles. May be prohibited on certain highways where posted. |
Statutory Authority
§ 46.2-203 and Article 18 (§ 46.2-1139 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 26, eff. September 30, 2009.
24VAC20-81-60. Legal weight allowed based on axle spacing.
Legal weight in pounds for any group of two or more consecutive axles. A hauling permit is required when a vehicle configuration exceeds the weight limitations according to axle spacing. "L" is defined as the distance in feet between any group of two or more consecutive axles, when measured longitudinally, from the center of the axle to the center of the axle, with any fraction of a foot rounded to the next highest foot as set forth in the following table:
L | 2 axles | 3 axles | 4 axles | 5 axles | 6 axles | 7 or more axles |
4 | 34,000 |
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|
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5 | 34,000 |
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6 | 34,000 |
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|
|
|
|
7 | 34,000 |
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|
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8 | 34,000 | 34,000 |
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|
|
|
9 | 39,000 | 42,500 |
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|
|
|
10 | 40,000 | 43,500 |
|
|
|
|
11 |
| 44,000 |
|
|
|
|
12 |
| 45,000 | 50,000 |
|
|
|
13 |
| 45,000 | 50,500 |
|
|
|
14 |
| 46,500 | 51,500 |
|
|
|
15 |
| 47,000 | 52,000 |
|
|
|
16 |
| 48,000 | 52,500 | 58,000 |
|
|
17 |
| 48,500 | 53,500 | 58,500 |
|
|
18 |
| 49,500 | 54,000 | 59,000 |
|
|
19 |
| 50,000 | 54,500 | 60,000 |
|
|
20 |
| 51,000 | 55,500 | 60,500 | 66,000 |
|
21 |
| 51,500 | 56,000 | 61,000 | 66,500 |
|
22 |
| 52,500 | 56,500 | 61,500 | 67,000 |
|
23 |
| 53,000 | 57,500 | 62,500 | 68,000 |
|
24 |
| 54,000 | 58,000 | 63,000 | 68,500 | 74,000 |
25 |
| 54,500 | 58,500 | 63,500 | 69,000 | 74,500 |
26 |
| 55,500 | 59,500 | 64,000 | 69,500 | 75,000 |
27 |
| 56,000 | 60,000 | 65,000 | 70,000 | 75,500 |
28 |
| 57,000 | 60,500 | 65,500 | 71,000 | 76,500 |
29 |
| 57,500 | 61,500 | 66,000 | 71,500 | 77,000 |
30 |
| 58,500 | 62,000 | 66,500 | 72,000 | 77,500 |
31 |
| 59,000 | 62,500 | 67,500 | 72,500 | 78,000 |
32 |
| 60,000 | 63,500 | 68,000 | 73,000 | 78,500 |
33 |
|
| 64,000 | 68,500 | 74,000 | 79,000 |
34 |
|
| 64,500 | 69,000 | 74,500 | 80,000 |
35 |
|
| 65,500 | 70,000 | 75,000 |
|
36 |
|
| 66,000 | 70,500 | 75,500 |
|
37 |
|
| 66,500 | 71,000 | 76,000 |
|
38 |
|
| 67,500 | 72,000 | 77,000 |
|
39 |
|
| 68,000 | 72,500 | 77,500 |
|
40 |
|
| 68,500 | 73,000 | 78,000 |
|
41 |
|
| 69,500 | 73,500 | 78,500 |
|
42 |
|
| 70,000 | 74,000 | 79,000 |
|
43 |
|
| 70,500 | 75,000 | 80,000 |
|
44 |
|
| 71,500 | 75,500 |
|
|
45 |
|
| 72,000 | 76,000 |
|
|
46 |
|
| 72,500 | 76,500 |
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|
47 |
|
| 73,500 | 77,500 |
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|
48 |
|
| 74,000 | 78,000 |
|
|
49 |
|
| 74,500 | 78,500 |
|
|
50 |
|
| 75,500 | 79,000 |
|
|
51 |
|
| 76,000 | 80,000 |
|
|
Statutory Authority
§ 46.2-203 and Article 18 (§ 46.2-1139 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 26, eff. September 30, 2009.
24VAC20-81-70. Maximum single axle and tandem axle weight allowed without an engineering review.
Maximum weight in pounds according to vehicle axle spacings allowed by permit without an engineering review from the Virginia Department of Transportation's Structures and Bridges Division for any single axle or tandem axle group.
Single Axle Weight: | 24,000 pounds (or 850 pounds per inch, width of tire measured in contact with the surface of the road). |
Tandem Axle Weight: | 44,000 pounds. |
Statutory Authority
§ 46.2-203 and Article 18 (§ 46.2-1139 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 26, eff. September 30, 2009.
24VAC20-81-80. Maximum weight allowed by permit without an engineering review based on axle spacing.
Maximum weight in pounds according to vehicle axle spacings allowed by permit without an engineering review from the Virginia Department of Transportation's Structures and Bridges Division for any group of two or more consecutive axles.
All vehicle configurations shall be reduced to the smallest dimensions possible and those exceeding the specifications identified in this chart will require an engineering review before a permit can be issued.
"L" is defined as the distance in feet between any group of two or more consecutive axles, when measured longitudinally, from the center of the axle to the center of the axle, with any fraction of a foot rounded to the next highest foot as set forth in the following table:
L | 2 axles | 3 axles | 4 axles | 5 axles | 6 axles | 7 or more axles |
4 | 44,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
5 | 44,000 |
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|
|
|
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6 | 44,000 |
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|
|
|
|
7 | 44,000 |
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|
|
|
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8 | 48,000 | 53,500 |
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|
|
|
9 |
| 54,500 |
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|
|
|
10 |
| 55,000 |
|
|
|
|
11 |
| 56,000 |
|
|
|
|
12 |
| 56,500 | 63,000 |
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|
|
13 |
| 57,500 | 63,500 |
|
|
|
14 |
| 58,000 | 64,500 |
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|
|
15 |
| 59,000 | 65,000 |
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|
|
16 |
| 59,500 | 65,500 | 72,500 |
|
|
17 |
| 60,500 | 66,500 | 73,000 |
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|
18 |
| 61,000 | 67,000 | 74,000 |
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|
19 |
| 62,000 | 67,500 | 74,500 |
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|
20 |
| 62,500 | 68,500 | 75,000 | 82,000 |
|
21 |
| 63,500 | 69,000 | 75,500 | 82,500 |
|
22 |
| 64,000 | 69,500 | 76,500 | 83,000 |
|
23 |
| 65,000 | 70,500 | 77,000 | 84,000 |
|
24 |
| 65,500 | 71,000 | 77,500 | 84,500 | 91,500 |
25 |
| 66,500 | 71,500 | 78,000 | 85,000 | 92,000 |
26 |
| 67,000 | 72,500 | 79,000 | 85,500 | 92,500 |
27 |
| 68,000 | 73,000 | 79,500 | 86,000 | 93,000 |
28 |
| 68,500 | 73,500 | 80,000 | 87,000 | 94,000 |
29 |
| 69,500 | 74,500 | 80,500 | 87,500 | 94,500 |
30 |
| 70,000 | 75,000 | 81,500 | 88,000 | 95,000 |
31 |
| 71,000 | 75,500 | 82,000 | 88,500 | 95,500 |
32 |
| 71,500 | 76,500 | 82,500 | 89,000 | 96,000 |
33 |
|
| 77,000 | 83,000 | 90,000 | 97,000 |
34 |
|
| 77,500 | 84,000 | 90,500 | 97,500 |
35 |
|
| 78,500 | 84,500 | 91,000 | 98,000 |
36 |
|
| 79,000 | 85,000 | 91,500 | 98,500 |
37 |
|
| 79,500 | 85,500 | 92,000 | 99,000 |
38 |
|
| 80,500 | 86,500 | 93,000 | 99,500 |
39 |
|
| 81,000 | 87,000 | 93,500 | 100,500 |
40 |
|
| 81,500 | 87,500 | 94,000 | 101,000 |
41 |
|
| 82,500 | 88,000 | 94,500 | 101,500 |
42 |
|
| 83,000 | 89,000 | 95,000 | 102,000 |
43 |
|
| 83,500 | 89,500 | 96,000 | 102,500 |
44 |
|
| 84,500 | 90,000 | 96,500 | 103,000 |
45 |
|
| 85,000 | 90,500 | 97,000 | 104,000 |
46 |
|
| 85,500 | 91,500 | 97,500 | 104,500 |
47 |
|
| 86,500 | 92,000 | 98,000 | 105,000 |
48 |
|
| 87,000 | 92,500 | 99,000 | 105,500 |
49 |
|
| 87,500 | 93,000 | 99,500 | 106,000 |
50 |
|
| 88,500 | 94,000 | 100,000 | 106,500 |
51 |
|
| 89,000 | 94,500 | 100,500 | 107,500 |
52 |
|
| 89,500 | 95,000 | 101,000 | 108,000 |
53 |
|
| 90,500 | 95,500 | 102,000 | 108,500 |
54 |
|
| 91,000 | 96,500 | 102,500 | 109,000 |
55 |
|
| 91,500 | 97,000 | 103,000 | 109,500 |
56 |
|
| 92,500 | 97,500 | 104,000 | 110,000 |
57 |
|
| 93,000 | 98,000 | 104,500 | 111,000 |
58 |
|
| 94,000 | 99,000 | 105,000 | 111,500 |
59 |
|
| 94,500 | 99,500 | 105,500 | 112,000 |
60 |
|
| 95,000 | 100,000 | 106,000 | 112,500 |
61 |
|
| 96,000 | 101,000 | 106,500 | 113,000 |
62 |
|
|
| 101,500 | 107,000 | 113,500 |
63 |
|
|
| 102,000 | 108,000 | 114,500 |
64 |
|
|
| 102,500 | 108,500 | 115,000 |
Statutory Authority
§ 46.2-203 and Article 18 (§ 46.2-1139 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 26, eff. September 30, 2009.