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92_HB2252
LRB9200709ARcd
1 AN ACT to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
5 changing Section 15-111 as follows:
6 (625 ILCS 5/15-111) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 15-111)
7 Sec. 15-111. Wheel and axle loads and gross weights.
8 (a) No vehicle or combination of vehicles equipped with
9 pneumatic tires shall be operated, unladen or with load, upon
10 the highways of this State when the gross weight on the road
11 surface through any single axle thereof exceeds 18,000
12 pounds, except when a different limit is established and
13 posted in accordance with Section 15-316 and except any
14 single axle of a 2 axle motor vehicle weighing 36,000 pounds
15 or less and not a part of a combination of vehicles, shall
16 not exceed 20,000 pounds. Provided, however, that any single
17 axle of a 2 axle motor vehicle equipped with a personnel lift
18 or digger derrick, weighing 36,000 pounds or less, owned and
19 operated by a public utility, shall not exceed 20,000 pounds.
20 No vehicle or combination of vehicles equipped with other
21 than pneumatic tires shall be operated, unladen or with load,
22 upon the highways of this State when the gross weight on the
23 road surface through any wheel thereof exceeds 800 pounds per
24 inch width of tire tread or when the gross weight on the road
25 surface through any axle thereof exceeds 16,000 pounds. The
26 gross weight transmitted to the road surface through tandem
27 axles shall not exceed 32,000 pounds and no axle of the
28 series shall exceed the maximum weight permitted under this
29 Section for a single axle. Provided that on a 4 axle vehicle
30 or on a 5 or more axle combination of vehicles the weight on
31 a series of 3 axles whose centers are more than 96 inches
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1 apart, measured between extreme axles in the series, shall
2 not exceed those allowed on 3 axles in the table contained in
3 subsection (f) of this Section and no axle or tandem axle of
4 the series shall exceed the maximum weight permitted under
5 this Section for a single or tandem axle. Provided also that
6 a 3 axle vehicle or 3 axle truck mixer registered as a
7 Special Hauling Vehicle, used exclusively for the mixing and
8 transportation of concrete, specially equipped with a road
9 surface engaging mixer trailing 4th axle, manufactured
10 prior to or in the model year of 2004 and first registered in
11 Illinois prior to January 1, 2005, with a distance greater
12 than 72 inches but not more than 96 inches between any series
13 of 2 axles may transmit to the road surface a maximum weight
14 of 18,000 pounds on each of these axles with a gross weight
15 on these 2 axles not to exceed 36,000 pounds. Any such
16 vehicle manufactured in the model year of 2004 or thereafter
17 or first registered in Illinois after December 31, 2004 may
18 transmit to the road surface a maximum of 32,000 pounds
19 through these 2 axles and none of the axles shall exceed
20 18,000 pounds.
21 A truck, not in combination and specially equipped with a
22 selfcompactor, or an industrial roll-off hoist and roll-off
23 container, used exclusively for garbage or refuse operations,
24 and a truck used exclusively for the collection of rendering
25 materials may, however, when laden, transmit upon the road
26 surface of any highway except when part of the National
27 System of Interstate and Defense Highways, a gross weight
28 upon a single axle not more than 22,000 pounds, and upon a
29 tandem axle not more than 40,000 pounds. During the high
30 precipitation months of December, April, May, June, July, and
31 August, the gross weight upon a single axle or upon a tandem
32 axle may not exceed 35% above these weights. When unladen,
33 however, those trucks shall comply with the axle limitations
34 applicable to all other trucks.
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1 A 2 axle truck specially equipped with a front loading
2 compactor used exclusively for garbage, refuse, or recycling
3 may transmit 20,000 pounds per axle provided that the gross
4 weight of the vehicle does not exceed 40,000 pounds.
5 (b) The gross weight of vehicles and combination of
6 vehicles including the weight of the vehicle or combination
7 and its maximum load shall be subject to the foregoing
8 limitations and further shall not exceed the following gross
9 weights dependent upon the number of axles and distance
10 between extreme axles of the vehicle or combination measured
11 longitudinally to the nearest foot.
12 VEHICLES HAVING 2 AXLES ....................... 36,000 pounds
13 VEHICLES OR COMBINATIONS
14 HAVING 3 AXLES
15 With Tandem With or
16 Axles Without
17 Tandem Axles
18 Minimum Minimum
19 distance to Maximum distance to Maximum
20 nearest foot Gross nearest foot Gross
21 between Weight between Weight
22 extreme axles (pounds) extreme axles (pounds)
23 10 feet 41,000 16 feet 46,000
24 11 42,000 17 47,000
25 12 43,000 18 47,500
26 13 44,000 19 48,000
27 14 44,500 20 49,000
28 15 45,000 21 feet or more 50,000
29 VEHICLES OR COMBINATIONS
30 HAVING 4 AXLES
31 Minimum Minimum
32 distance to Maximum distance to Maximum
33 nearest foot Gross nearest foot Gross
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1 between Weight between Weight
2 extreme axles (pounds) extreme axles (pounds)
3 15 feet 50,000 26 feet 57,500
4 16 50,500 27 58,000
5 17 51,500 28 58,500
6 18 52,000 29 59,500
7 19 52,500 30 60,000
8 20 53,500 31 60,500
9 21 54,000 32 61,500
10 22 54,500 33 62,000
11 23 55,500 34 62,500
12 24 56,000 35 63,500
13 25 56,500 36 feet or more 64,000
14 In applying the above table to a vehicle having more than
15 4 axles that is not in combination, only 4 axles shall be
16 considered in determining the maximum gross weights.
17 COMBINATIONS HAVING 5 OR MORE AXLES
18 Minimum distance to Maximum
19 nearest foot between Gross Weight
20 extreme axles (pounds)
21 42 feet or less 72,000
22 43 73,000
23 44 feet or more 73,280
24 VEHICLES OPERATING ON CRAWLER TYPE TRACKS ..... 40,000 pounds
25 TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SELFCOMPACTORS
26 OR ROLL-OFF HOISTS AND ROLL-OFF CONTAINERS FOR GARBAGE
27 OR REFUSE HAULS ONLY AND TRUCKS USED FOR
28 THE COLLECTION OF RENDERING MATERIALS
29 On Highway Not Part of National System
30 of Interstate and Defense Highways
31 with 2 axles 36,000 pounds
32 with 3 axles 54,000 pounds
33 TWO AXLE TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH
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1 A FRONT LOADING COMPACTOR USED EXCLUSIVELY
2 FOR THE COLLECTION OF GARBAGE, REFUSE, OR RECYCLING
3 with 2 axles 40,000 pounds
4 (c) Cities having a population of more than 50,000 may
5 permit by ordinance axle loads on 2 axle motor vehicles 33
6 1/2% above those provided for herein, but the increase shall
7 not become effective until the city has officially notified
8 the Department of the passage of the ordinance and shall not
9 apply to those vehicles when outside of the limits of the
10 city, nor shall the gross weight of any 2 axle motor vehicle
11 operating over any street of the city exceed 40,000 pounds.
12 (d) Weight limitations shall not apply to vehicles
13 (including loads) operated by a public utility when
14 transporting equipment required for emergency repair of
15 public utility facilities or properties or water wells.
16 A combination of vehicles, including a tow truck and a
17 disabled vehicle or disabled combination of vehicles, that
18 exceeds the weight restriction imposed by this Code, may be
19 operated on a public highway in this State provided that
20 neither the disabled vehicle nor any vehicle being towed nor
21 the tow truck itself shall exceed the weight limitations
22 permitted under this Chapter. During the towing operation,
23 neither the tow truck nor the vehicle combination shall
24 exceed the following axle weight limitations:
25 A. 24,000 pounds - Single rear axle;
26 B. 44,000 pounds - Tandem rear axle;
27 Gross weight limits shall not apply to the combination of
28 the tow truck and vehicles being towed. The tow truck
29 license plate must cover the operating empty weight of the
30 tow truck only. The weight of each vehicle being towed shall
31 be covered by a valid license plate issued to the owner or
32 operator of the vehicle being towed and displayed on that
33 vehicle. If no valid plate issued to the owner or operator of
34 that vehicle is displayed on that vehicle, or the plate
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1 displayed on that vehicle does not cover the weight of the
2 vehicle, the weight of the vehicle shall be covered by the
3 third tow truck plate issued to the owner or operator of the
4 tow truck and temporarily affixed to the vehicle being towed.
5 In addition, the following conditions must be met:
6 (1) the towing vehicle must be:
7 a. specifically designed as a tow truck having
8 a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 18,000
9 lbs. and equipped with air brakes provided that air
10 brakes shall be required only if the towing vehicle
11 is towing a vehicle, semitrailer, or tractor-trailer
12 combination that is equipped with airbrakes;
13 b. equipped with flashing, rotating or
14 oscillating amber lights, visible for at least 500
15 feet in all directions; and
16 c. capable of utilizing the lighting and
17 braking systems of the disabled vehicle or
18 combination of vehicles.
19 (2) The towing of the vehicles on the highways of
20 this State shall not exceed 20 miles from the initial
21 point of wreck or disablement. Any additional movement of
22 the vehicles shall only occur upon issuance of
23 authorization for that movement under the provisions of
24 Sections 15-301 through 15-319 of this Chapter.
25 The Department may by rule or regulation prescribe
26 additional requirements. However, nothing in this Code shall
27 prohibit a tow truck under instructions of a police officer
28 from legally clearing a disabled vehicle, that may be in
29 violation of weight limitations of this Chapter, from the
30 roadway to the berm or shoulder of the highway.
31 For the purpose of this subsection, gross vehicle weight
32 rating, or GVWR, shall mean the value specified by the
33 manufacturer as the loaded weight of the tow truck.
34 (e) No vehicle or combination of vehicles equipped with
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1 pneumatic tires shall be operated, unladen or with load, upon
2 the highways of this State in violation of the provisions of
3 any permit issued under the provisions of Sections 15-301
4 through 15-319 of this Chapter.
5 (f) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Code,
6 except for those provisions of subsection (d) of this Section
7 relating to emergency operations of public utilities and tow
8 trucks while actually engaged in the towing of a disabled
9 vehicle, and those vehicles for which the Department issues
10 overweight permits under authority of Section 15-301 of this
11 Code, the weight limitations contained in this subsection
12 shall apply to the National System of Interstate and Defense
13 Highways and other highways in the system of State highways
14 that have been designated by the Department as Class I, II,
15 or III. No vehicle shall be operated on the highways with a
16 weight in excess of 20,000 pounds carried on any one axle or
17 with a tandem axle weight in excess of 34,000 pounds, or a
18 gross weight in excess of 80,000 pounds for vehicle
19 combinations of 5 axles or more, or a gross weight on a group
20 of 2 or more consecutive axles in excess of that weight
21 produced by the application of the following formula:
22 W = 500 times the sum of (LN divided by N-1) + 12N + 36
23 Where "W" equals overall gross weight on any group of 2 or
24 more consecutive axles to the nearest 500 pounds; "L" equals
25 the distance measured to the nearest foot between extremes of
26 any group of 2 or more consecutive axles; and "N" equals the
27 number of axles in the group under consideration, except that
28 2 consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of
29 34,000 pounds each, provided the overall distance between the
30 first and last axles of the consecutive sets of tandem axles
31 is 36 feet or more. Provided also that a 3-axle vehicle
32 registered as a Special Hauling Vehicle manufactured prior to
33 or in the model year of 2004, and first registered in
34 Illinois prior to January 1, 2005, with a distance greater
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1 than 72 inches but not more than 96 inches between the 2 rear
2 axles may transmit to the road surface a maximum weight of
3 18,000 pounds on each of the 2 rear axles with a gross weight
4 on these 2 axles not to exceed 36,000 pounds. Any vehicle
5 registered as a Special Hauling Vehicle manufactured prior to
6 or in the model year of 2004 or thereafter or first
7 registered in Illinois after December 31, 2004, may transmit
8 to the road surface a maximum of 34,000 pounds through the 2
9 rear axles and neither of the rear axles shall exceed 20,000
10 pounds.
11 The above formula when expressed in tabular form results
12 in allowable loads as follows:
13 Distance measured
14 to the nearest
15 foot between the
16 extremes of any Maximum load in pounds
17 group of 2 or carried on any group of
18 more consecutive 2 or more consecutive axles
19 axles
20 feet 2 axles 3 axles 4 axles 5 axles 6 axles
21 4 34,000
22 5 34,000
23 6 34,000
24 7 34,000
25 8 38,000* 42,000
26 9 39,000 42,500
27 10 40,000 43,500
28 11 44,000
29 12 45,000 50,000
30 13 45,500 50,500
31 14 46,500 51,500
32 15 47,000 52,000
33 16 48,000 52,500 58,000
34 17 48,500 53,500 58,500
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1 18 49,500 54,000 59,000
2 19 50,000 54,500 60,000
3 20 51,000 55,500 60,500 66,000
4 21 51,500 56,000 61,000 66,500
5 22 52,500 56,500 61,500 67,000
6 23 53,000 57,500 62,500 68,000
7 24 54,000 58,000 63,000 68,500
8 25 54,500 58,500 63,500 69,000
9 26 55,500 59,500 64,000 69,500
10 27 56,000 60,000 65,000 70,000
11 28 57,000 60,500 65,500 71,000
12 29 57,500 61,500 66,000 71,500
13 30 58,500 62,000 66,500 72,000
14 31 59,000 62,500 67,500 72,500
15 32 60,000 63,500 68,000 73,000
16 33 64,000 68,500 74,000
17 34 64,500 69,000 74,500
18 35 65,500 70,000 75,000
19 36 66,000 70,500 75,500
20 37 66,500 71,000 76,000
21 38 67,500 72,000 77,000
22 39 68,000 72,500 77,500
23 40 68,500 73,000 78,000
24 41 69,500 73,500 78,500
25 42 70,000 74,000 79,000
26 43 70,500 75,000 80,000
27 44 71,500 75,500
28 45 72,000 76,000
29 46 72,500 76,500
30 47 73,500 77,500
31 48 74,000 78,000
32 49 74,500 78,500
33 50 75,500 79,000
34 51 76,000 80,000
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1 52 76,500
2 53 77,500
3 54 78,000
4 55 78,500
5 56 79,500
6 57 80,000
7 *If the distance between 2 axles is 96 inches or less, the 2
8 axles are tandem axles and the maximum load permitted is
9 34,000 pounds, notwithstanding the higher limit resulting
10 from the application of the formula.
11 In applying the above formula to a vehicle having more
12 than 4 axles that is not a combination, only 4 axles shall be
13 considered in determining the maximum gross weight, and for a
14 combination of vehicles having more than 6 axles, only 6
15 axles shall be considered in determining the maximum gross
16 weight.
17 Notwithstanding the above table, 2 consecutive sets of
18 tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each
19 if the overall distance between the first and last axles of
20 the consecutive sets of tandem axles is 36 feet or more.
21 Local authorities and road district highway
22 commissioners, with respect to streets and highways under
23 their jurisdiction, without additional fees, may also by
24 ordinance or resolution allow the weight limitations of this
25 subsection, provided the maximum gross weight on any one axle
26 shall not exceed 20,000 pounds and the maximum gross weight
27 on any tandem axle shall not exceed 34,000 pounds, on
28 designated highways when appropriate regulatory signs giving
29 notice are erected upon the street or highway or portion of
30 any street or highway affected by the ordinance or
31 resolution.
32 Combinations of vehicles, registered as Special Hauling
33 Vehicles that include a semitrailer manufactured prior to or
34 in the model year of 2004, and first registered in Illinois
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1 prior to January 1, 2005, having 5 axles with a distance of
2 42 feet or less between extreme axles shall be limited to the
3 weights prescribed in subsections (a) and (b) of this Section
4 and not subject to the bridge formula on the National System
5 of Interstate and Defense Highways and other highways in the
6 system of State highways designated by the Department. For
7 all those combinations of vehicles, that include a
8 semitrailer manufactured after the effective date of this
9 amendatory Act of 1986, the overall distance between the
10 first and last axles of the 2 sets of tandems must be 18 feet
11 6 inches or more. All combinations of vehicles registered as
12 Special Hauling Vehicles that include a semitrailer
13 manufactured prior to or in the model year of 2004 or
14 thereafter or first registered in Illinois after December 31,
15 2004, or that has had its cargo container replaced in its
16 entirety after December 31, 2004, are limited to the gross
17 weight allowed by the above formula.
18 A truck not in combination, equipped with a self
19 compactor or an industrial roll-off hoist and roll-off
20 container, used exclusively for garbage or refuse operations,
21 shall be allowed the weights as prescribed in subsections (a)
22 and (b) of this Section and not subject to the bridge
23 formula, provided they are not operated on a highway that is
24 part of the Interstate and Defense Highway System.
25 Vehicles operating under this subsection shall have
26 access for a distance of one highway mile to or from a Class
27 I highway on any street or highway, unless there is a sign
28 prohibiting the access, or 5 highway miles to or from either
29 a Class I, II, or III highway on a street or highway included
30 in the system of State highways and upon any street or
31 highway designated by local authorities or road district
32 commissioners to points of loading and unloading and to
33 facilities for food, fuel, repairs and rest.
34 Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act
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1 relating to procedures for rulemaking shall not apply to the
2 designation of highways under this subsection.
3 (g) No person shall operate a vehicle or combination of
4 vehicles over a bridge or other elevated structure
5 constituting part of a highway with a gross weight that is
6 greater than the maximum weight permitted by the Department,
7 when the structure is sign posted as provided in this
8 Section.
9 (h) The Department upon request from any local authority
10 shall, or upon its own initiative may, conduct an
11 investigation of any bridge or other elevated structure
12 constituting a part of a highway, and if it finds that the
13 structure cannot with safety to itself withstand the weight
14 of vehicles otherwise permissible under this Code the
15 Department shall determine and declare the maximum weight of
16 vehicles that the structures can withstand, and shall cause
17 or permit suitable signs stating maximum weight to be erected
18 and maintained before each end of the structure. No person
19 shall operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles over any
20 structure with a gross weight that is greater than the posted
21 maximum weight.
22 (i) Upon the trial of any person charged with a
23 violation of subsections (g) or (h) of this Section, proof of
24 the determination of the maximum allowable weight by the
25 Department and the existence of the signs, constitutes
26 conclusive evidence of the maximum weight that can be
27 maintained with safety to the bridge or structure.
28 (Source: P.A. 89-117, eff. 7-7-95; 89-433, eff. 12-15-95;
29 90-89, eff. 1-1-98; 90-330, eff. 8-8-97; 90-655, eff.
30 7-30-98.)