§ 42-4-507 — Wheel and axle loads

(1) The gross weight upon any wheel of a
vehicle shall not exceed the following:

(a) When the wheel is equipped with a solid rubber or cushion tire, eight
thousand pounds;

(b) When the wheel is equipped with a pneumatic tire, nine thousand pounds.

(2) The gross weight upon any single axle or tandem axle of a vehicle shall
not exceed the following:

(a) When the wheels attached to said axle are equipped with solid rubber or
cushion tires, sixteen thousand pounds;

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (b.5) of this subsection (2), when the
wheels attached to a single axle are equipped with pneumatic tires, twenty
thousand pounds;

(b.5) When the wheels attached to a single axle are equipped with
pneumatic tires and the vehicle or vehicle combination is a digger derrick or bucket
boom truck operated by an electric utility on a highway that is not on the interstate
system as defined in section 43-2-101 (2), C.R.S., twenty-one thousand pounds;

(c) When the wheels attached to a tandem axle are equipped with pneumatic
tires, thirty-six thousand pounds for highways on the interstate system and forty
thousand pounds for highways not on the interstate system.

(3) (a) Vehicles equipped with a self-compactor and used solely for the
transporting of trash are exempted from the provisions of paragraph (b) of
subsection (2) of this section.

(b) After January 1, 1987, the provisions of this subsection (3) shall be
reviewed at a joint meeting of the senate transportation committee and the house
transportation and energy committee in order to determine the effects of such
provisions.

(c) A vehicle contracted by or owned and operated by a city, county,
municipal utility, or special district is exempt from paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of
this section if the vehicle:

(I) Is equipped with a vacuum or jet equipment to load or unload solid,
semisolid, or liquid waste for water or wastewater treatment or transportation
systems or for the removal of storm water; and

(II) Is not operated on the interstate system as defined by section 43-2-101,
C.R.S.

(4) For the purposes of this section:

(a) A single axle is defined as all wheels, whose centers may be included
within two parallel transverse vertical planes not more than forty inches apart,
extending across the full width of the vehicle.

(b) A tandem axle is defined as two or more consecutive axles, the centers of
which may be included between parallel vertical planes spaced more than forty
inches and not more than ninety-six inches apart, extending across the full width of
the vehicle.

(5) The gross weight upon any one wheel of a steel-tired vehicle shall not
exceed five hundred pounds per inch of cross-sectional width of tire.

(6) Any person who drives a vehicle or owns a vehicle in violation of any
provision of this section commits a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense.

Legislative History

Source: L. 94: Entire title amended with relocations, p. 2330, � 1, effective January 1, 1995. L. 96: (2)(b) amended and (2)(b.5) added, p. 629, � 3, effective January 1, 1997. L. 2003: (2)(b.5) amended, p. 670, � 1, effective March 20. L. 2014: (3)(c) added, (HB 14-1160), ch. 97, p. 352, � 1, effective August 6.