1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; clarifying and 
  1.3             regulating truck axle weight limits; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.825, subdivision 
  1.5             8. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.825, 
  1.8   subdivision 8, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 8.  [PNEUMATIC-TIRED VEHICLES.] ~~No~~ To be operated on 
  1.10  highways of this state, a vehicle or combination of vehicles 
  1.11  equipped with pneumatic tires ~~shall be operated upon the~~ 
  1.12  ~~highways of this state~~ must be within the weight limits of this 
  1.13  subdivision:  
  1.14     (a) ~~Where~~ The gross weight on ~~any~~ a wheel ~~exceeds~~ must 
  1.15  not exceed 9,000 pounds, except that on designated local routes 
  1.16  and state trunk highways the gross weight on any single 
  1.17  wheel ~~shall~~ must not exceed 10,000 pounds~~;~~.  
  1.18     (b) ~~Where~~ The gross weight on ~~any~~ a single axle 
  1.19  ~~exceeds~~ must not exceed 18,000 pounds, except that on designated 
  1.20  local routes and state trunk highways the gross weight on ~~any~~ a 
  1.21  single axle ~~shall~~ must not exceed 20,000 pounds~~;~~.  
  1.22     (c) ~~Where~~ The maximum wheel load~~:~~ 
  1.23     ~~(1)~~ on the foremost and rearmost steering axles~~,~~ 
  1.24  ~~exceeds~~ must not exceed 600 pounds per inch of tire width or the 
  1.25  manufacturer's recommended load, whichever is less~~; or~~. 
  2.1      ~~(2)~~ (d) The maximum wheel load on other axles~~, exceeds~~ must 
  2.2   not exceed 500 pounds per inch of tire width or the 
  2.3   manufacturer's recommended load, whichever is less~~;~~. 
  2.4      ~~Clause (2) applies to new vehicles manufactured after~~ 
  2.5   ~~August 1, 1991.  For vehicles manufactured before August 2,~~ 
  2.6   ~~1991, the maximum weight per inch of tire width is 600 pounds~~ 
  2.7   ~~per inch or the manufacturer's recommended load, whichever is~~ 
  2.8   ~~less, until August 1, 1996.~~  After July 31, 1996, ~~clause~~ 
  2.9   ~~(2)~~ this paragraph applies to all vehicles regardless of date of 
  2.10  manufacture. 
  2.11     ~~(d) Where~~ (e) The gross weight on any axle of a tridem 
  2.12  ~~exceeds~~ must not exceed 15,000 pounds~~, except that~~.  However, 
  2.13  for vehicles to which an additional axle has been added prior to 
  2.14  June 1, 1981, the maximum gross weight on any axle of a tridem 
  2.15  may be up to 16,000 pounds ~~provided~~ if the gross weight of the 
  2.16  tridem combination does not exceed 39,900 pounds where the first 
  2.17  and third axles of the tridem are spaced nine feet apart.  
  2.18     ~~(e) Where~~ (f) The gross weight on any group of axles 
  2.19  ~~exceeds~~ must not exceed the ~~weights~~ weight limits permitted 
  2.20  under this section ~~with~~ after the gross weights of the following 
  2.21  axles have been subtracted:  (1) any or all of the interior 
  2.22  axles ~~disregarded and their gross weights subtracted from the~~ 
  2.23  ~~gross weight of all axles of the group under consideration~~, and 
  2.24  (2) an exterior axle if that axle is a variable load axle not 
  2.25  carrying its intended weight.