Minnesota Session Laws - 1995, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 223-H.F.No. 1207 
                  An act relating to traffic regulations; increasing 
                  maximum length allowed for operation of certain 
                  combinations of vehicles; amending Minnesota Statutes 
                  1994, section 169.81, subdivisions 3 and 3c. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 169.81, 
        subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 3.  [LENGTH OF VEHICLE COMBINATIONS.] (a) Statewide, 
        except as provided in paragraph (b), no combination of vehicles 
        coupled together, including truck-tractor and semitrailer, may 
        consist of more than two units and no combination of vehicles, 
        unladen or with load, may exceed a total length of 65 75 feet.  
        The length limitation does not apply to the transportation of 
        telegraph poles, telephone poles, electric light and power 
        poles, piling, or pole length pulpwood, and is subject to the 
        following further exceptions:  the length limitations do not 
        apply to vehicles transporting pipe or other objects by a public 
        utility when required for emergency or repair of public service 
        facilities or when operated under special permits as provided in 
        this subdivision, but with respect to night transportation, a 
        vehicle and the load must be equipped with a sufficient number 
        of clearance lamps and marker lamps on both sides and upon the 
        extreme ends of a projecting load to clearly mark the dimensions 
        of the load.  Mount combinations may be drawn but the 
        combinations may not exceed 65 feet in length.  The limitation 
        on the number of units does not apply to vehicles used for 
        transporting milk from point of production to point of first 
        processing, in which case no combination of vehicles coupled 
        together unladen or with load, including truck-tractor and 
        semitrailers, may consist of more than three units and no 
        combination of those vehicles may exceed a total length of 65 
        feet.  Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, and 
        except as provided in paragraph (b), no combination of vehicles 
        consisting of a truck-tractor and semitrailer designed and used 
        exclusively for the transportation of motor vehicles or boats 
        may exceed 65 feet in length.  The load may extend a total of 
        seven feet, but may not extend more than three feet beyond the 
        front or four feet beyond the rear, and in no case may the 
        overall length of the combination of vehicles, unladen or with 
        load, exceed 65 feet.  For the purpose of registration, trailers 
        coupled with a truck-tractor, semitrailer combination are 
        semitrailers.  The state as to state trunk highways, and a city 
        or town as to roads or streets located within the city or town, 
        may issue permits authorizing the transportation of combinations 
        of vehicles exceeding the limitations in this subdivision over 
        highways, roads, or streets within their boundaries.  
        Combinations of vehicles authorized by this subdivision may be 
        restricted as to the use of highways by the commissioner as to 
        state trunk highways, and a road authority as to highways or 
        streets subject to its jurisdiction.  Nothing in this 
        subdivision alters or changes the authority vested in local 
        authorities under the provisions of section 169.04.  
           (b) The following combination of vehicles regularly engaged 
        in the transportation of commodities may operate only on divided 
        highways having four or more lanes of travel, and on other 
        highways as may be designated by the commissioner of 
        transportation subject to section 169.87, subdivision 1, and 
        subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction 
        over the highway, for the purpose of providing reasonable access 
        between the divided highways of four or more lanes of travel and 
        terminals, facilities for food, fuel, repair, and rest, and 
        points of loading and unloading for household goods carriers, 
        livestock carriers, or for the purpose of providing continuity 
        of route:  
           (1) a truck-tractor and semitrailer exceeding 65 feet in 
        length; 
           (2) a combination of vehicles with an overall length 
        exceeding 55 feet and including a truck-tractor and semitrailer 
        drawing one additional semitrailer which may be equipped with an 
        auxiliary dolly; 
           (3) a combination of vehicles with an overall length 
        exceeding 55 feet and including a truck-tractor and semitrailer 
        drawing one full trailer; 
           (4) a truck-tractor and semitrailer designed and used 
        exclusively for the transportation of motor vehicles or boats 
        and exceeding an overall length of 65 feet including the load 
        except as restricted by applicable federal law; and 
           (5) a truck or truck-tractor transporting similar vehicles 
        by having the front axle of the transported vehicle mounted onto 
        the center or rear part of the preceding vehicle, defined in 
        Code of Federal Regulations, title 49, sections 390.5 and 393.5 
        as drive-away saddlemount combinations or drive-away saddlemount 
        vehicle transporter combinations, when the overall length 
        exceeds 65 feet.  
           Vehicles operated under the provisions of this section must 
        conform to the standards for those vehicles prescribed by the 
        United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway 
        Administration, Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety, as amended. 
           Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 169.81, 
        subdivision 3c, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 3c.  [RECREATIONAL VEHICLE COMBINATIONS.] 
        Notwithstanding subdivision 3, a recreational vehicle 
        combination may be operated without a permit if: 
           (1) the combination does not consist of more than three 
        vehicles, and the towing rating of the pickup truck is equal to 
        or greater than the total weight of all vehicles being towed; 
           (2) the combination does not exceed 60 feet in length; 
           (3) the camper-semitrailer in the combination does not 
        exceed 26 28 feet in length until August 1, 1997, and 26 feet 
        thereafter; 
           (4) the operator of the combination is at least 18 years of 
        age; 
           (5) the trailer carrying a watercraft meets all 
        requirements of law; 
           (6) the trailers in the combination are connected to the 
        pickup truck and each other in conformity with section 169.82; 
        and 
           (7) the combination is not operated within the seven-county 
        metropolitan area, as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, 
        during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 
        p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. 
           Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Section 2 is effective the day following final enactment. 
           Presented to the governor May 22, 1995 
           Signed by the governor May 24, 1995, 10:22 a.m.