MichaudSoftware.

com / May 2010

Truck Length Restrictions

Truck Overhang Restrictions
Weight Tolerances
& Odd Requirements by STATE and PROVINCE

If a state or province is not listed here, it means that the province or state does not list
particular restrictions or requirements.

TRUCK LENGTH RESTRICTIONS TABLE

State Length & Position Odd/Specific Items
ALABAMA 41' Tandem Center or Center
of Last Axle
CALIFORNIA 40' To Last Axle of multi-axle
or 38' to Single Axle
CONNECTICUT 43' to Center of Last Axle
DC Permit required for 53'
ILLINOIS 45'6” to Center of Last Axle
INDIANA 43' to Center of Last Axle
MAINE 53' Trailers require “wide
radius” label
MARYLAND 41' to Tandem Center 53' Trailers require “wide
radius” label
MICHIGAN Maximum Wheelbase is 37'6” Maximum 3 Axles for Trailers
to 40'6” (+/- 6”) 50'+
MINNESOTA 43' to Tandem Center
NEW HAMPSHIRE 41' to Tandem Center
NEW JERSEY 41' to Tandem Center
NEW YORK 43' to Tandem Center
NORTH CAROLINA 41' to Tandem Center or to Trailers longer than 48'
Center of Last Axle require Under-Ride-Guard
PENNSYLVANIA 41' to Tandem Center or to
Center of Last Axle
RHODE ISLAND 41' to Tandem Center
SOUTH CAROLINA 41' to Tandem Center
TENNESSEE 41' to Tandem Center or to
Center of Last Axle
VERMONT 43' to Last Axle

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State Length & Position Odd/Specific Items

VIRGINIA 41' to Tandem Center or to
Center of Last Axle
WEST VIRGINIA 37' maximum from last tractor
axle to first trailer axle
WISCONSIN 43' to Center of First and Last
Trailer Axle
MANITOBA 20' Tractor Wheelbase Max
and 41' Trailer Wheelbase
Max

OVERHANG Restrictions by STATE and PROVINCE

MARYLAND & ALBERTA

Tandem Center to rear of trailer must not exceed 35% of wheelbase of trailer. Wheelbase of
trailer is defined as the distance between the king-pin to the tandem center.

Example:
Set tandems to center at 41'. Assuming the king-pin is at 3' from the headboard of the trailer,
then the tandems are physically at 44' from the headboard. This leaves a 9' overhang on a
53' trailer (41 + 3 = 44, 53 – 44 = 9). The trailer wheelbase in this case is 41', so a 9'
overhang is only 21.9% of the trailer wheelbase. This setting is lower than 35% so it's legal.

To determine if your setting is legal in Maryland, use the following formula:

Overhang = Trailer Length – Tandem Position From King Pin
Percent Overhang = Overhang / Tandem Position From King Pin x 100

tl−tpfkp3÷tpfkp ×100

tl = trailer length, tpfkp = tandem position from king pin

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Let's say you have the tandem center at 38' from the king pin:

53−383÷ 38×100

This equals to 31.57% and is legal because it doesn't surpass 35%. Notice that you must first
add 38 + 3 = 41 before subtracting from 53. In other words, you would be making a mistake if
you just did 53 – 38 + 3 which equals 18 (wrong).

Weight Tolerances and Notes by State

State Tolerances Notes
ALABAMA 10% on Non-Interstate
highways
ALASKA Uses Federal Bridge Law
ARIZONA Uses Federal Bridge Law
ARKANSAS Uses Federal Bridge Law
CALIFORNIA 200# on platform scales;
2% on portable scales
COLORADO Uses Federal Bridge Law
CONNECTICUT Uses Federal Bridge Law
DELAWARE Uses Federal Bridge Law on
Interstate highways
DC 1,000# on GVW
FLORIDA 10% on all scales
GEORGIA Uses Federal Bridge Law
ILLINOIS ON OTHER-STATE
HIGHWAYS AND LOCAL
ROUTES:
MAX SINGLE: 18,000
MAX TANDEM: 32,000
GROSS: 73,280
KENTUCKY 5% on axles only, on non-
interstate highways
MASSACHUSETTS 5% on Gross Weight on Uses portable scales
Interstate Highways exclusively
MICHIGAN Up to 10% more weight
during winter freeze – Permit

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State Tolerances Notes

required on Interstates – no
permit on other highways.
Winter Freeze period is not
defined by the state
MISSISSIPPI No tolerances on interstates;
5% on tandems and 2% on
gross on other roads
MONTANA Up to 10% - Permit required
($10) – Can only be used
once to correct weight to
legal.
NEVADA Uses Federal Bridge Law
Uses portable scales
exclusively
NEW HAMPSHIRE 5% on non-interstate
highways
NEW JERSEY 5%.
NEW YORK Uses portable scales
exclusively
OKLAHOMA Uses Federal Bridge Law on
interstate highways
PENNSYLVANIA 3% on axle weight on
portable scales
SOUTH CAROLINA 10% on non-interstate
highways
SOUTH DAKOTA Uses Federal Bridge Law on
non-interstate highways
TEXAS By permit; 10% over axle
weight, or 5% on gross
WEST VIRGINIA 10% on non-interstate Uses Federal Bridge Law
highways
WYOMING Uses Federal Bridge Law

Please report any errors, recent changes, additions or any discrepancies to

guymichaud@michaudsoftware.com

Copyright © 2010, Guy Michaud, Toronto CANADA 4