§ 31-18-801 — Definitions

(a) As used in this article:
(i) "Agricultural operations" means the raising and
harvesting of their own crops or livestock in this state by
farmers or ranchers, their exchange between farmers or ranchers
or the transportation of implements of husbandry to or from
farmers or ranchers by persons engaged in the business of
selling or repairing such implements;
(ii) "Axle" means the common axis of rotation of one
(1) or more wheels, whether power driven or freely rotating, and
whether in one (1) or more segments, and regardless of the
number of wheels carried thereon;
(iii) "Axle group" means an assemblage of two (2) or
more consecutive axles considered together in determining their
combined load effect on a bridge or pavement structure;
(iv) "Axle load" means the total load transmitted to
the road by an assembly of two (2) or more wheels whose centers
are in one (1) transverse vertical plane or may be included
between two (2) parallel transverse vertical planes forty (40)
inches apart extending across the full width of the vehicle;
(v) "Axle measurement" means the distance between
axles to the nearest foot. When fractional measurement is
exactly one-half (1/2) foot, the next larger whole number shall
be used;
(vi) Repealed By Laws 1998, ch. 46, § 2.
(vii) "Cargo" means the items or freight to be moved,
including items placed on or in a vehicle towed by a vehicle or
a vehicle itself;
(viii) "Connecting mechanism" means an arrangement of
parts interconnecting two (2) or more consecutive axles to a
vehicle in such a manner as to equalize the load between axles;
(ix) "Department" means the department of
transportation;
(x) "Director" means the director of the department
of transportation;
(xi) "Dummy axle" means an axle attached
independently to a vehicle whose suspensions are not adjustable
and do not articulate or substantially equalize the load and are
so designed and placed as to indicate the appearance of a normal
axle group;
(xii) "Forest products" means logs, poles, posts,
rough lumber, wood chips, sawdust and any other product of the
forest which will require further processing;
(xiii) "Gross weight" means the total weight of a
vehicle and vehicle combinations including the weight of any
load carried in or on the vehicle and vehicle combinations;
(xiv) "Height" means the total vertical dimension of
any vehicle above the ground surface including any load or
load-holding device thereon;
(xv) "Highway" means a public way maintained by the
department for the purpose of vehicular travel, including
rights-of-way or other interests in land, embankments, retaining
walls, culverts, sluices, drainage structures, bridges,
railroad-highway crossings, tunnels, signs, guardrails and
protective structures;
(xvi) "Interstate or national defense highway" means
highways which are designated as part of the interstate system
by the transportation commission which are signed and marked
accordingly;
(xvii) "Implement of husbandry" means a vehicle or
vehicles manufactured or designed and used exclusively for the
conduct of agricultural operations and only incidentally
operated on or moved on highways;
(xviii) "Length" means the total longitudinal
dimension of any vehicle or combination of vehicles, including
any load or load-holding device thereon, but excluding any
device or appurtenance attached to the front or rear of a
semitrailer or trailer whose function is related to the safety
of, or efficient operation of the unit or contents. Excluded
devices include but are not limited to air hose glad hands,
fifth wheel slide plates, dock bumpers, air deflectors and
refrigeration units. No excluded devices shall be designed or
used for carrying cargo;
(xix) "Load" means a weight or quantity of anything
resting upon something else regarded as its support;
(xx) "Motor vehicle" means a vehicle which is
self-propelled or propelled by electric power obtained from
overhead trolley wires but not operating on rails;
(xxi) "Permit" means a written authorization to move
or operate on a highway a vehicle or vehicle with a load of size
or weight exceeding the limits as specified by statute, which
are limited by this act and regulations of the department;
(xxii) "Primary and secondary highways" means
highways which are designated as part of the primary or
secondary system by the transportation commission which are
signed and marked accordingly;
(xxiii) "Safety device" means any piece of equipment
or mechanism, including rear view mirrors, pin pockets not to
exceed three (3) inches on each side and other devices
designated by the director, attached to a vehicle to assure its
safe operation and to assure the safe movement of a load hauled
by the vehicle;
(xxiv) "Semitrailer" means every vehicle of a trailer
type not equipped with propelling power so designed for carrying
property and used in conjunction with a motor vehicle that some
part of its own weight and load rests upon or is carried by
another vehicle;
(xxv) "Single axle" means an assemblage of two (2) or
more wheels, whose centers are in one (1) transverse vertical
plane or may be included between two (2) parallel transverse
vertical planes forty (40) inches apart extending across the
full width of the vehicle;
(xxvi) "Single axle load" means the total load
transmitted to the road by a single axle;
(xxvii) "Single vehicle" means one (1) vehicle or one
(1) unit of a combination of vehicles as a truck-tractor,
semitrailer or trailer;
(xxviii) "Tandem axle" means any two (2) or more
consecutive load bearing axles whose centers are more than forty
(40) inches but not more than ninety-six (96) inches apart and
articulate from an attachment to the vehicle including a
variable load suspension or connecting mechanism designed to
distribute the load between axles;
(xxix) "Tandem axle load" means the total weight
transmitted to the road by two (2) or more consecutive axles
whose centers may be included between parallel transverse
vertical planes spaced more than forty (40) inches and not more
than ninety-six (96) inches apart, extending the full width of
the vehicle;
(xxx) "Trailer" means every vehicle not equipped with
propelling power, designed for carrying property and for being
drawn by a motor vehicle which carries no part of the weight and
load of a trailer on its own wheels;
(xxxi) "Truck" means a motor vehicle designed, used
or maintained primarily for the transportation of property;
(xxxii) "Truck-tractor" means a motor vehicle
designed and used primarily for drawing other vehicles but not
for loads other than a part of the weight of the vehicles and
load drawn. For the purpose of this article, a truck-tractor
equipped with a dromedary unit shall be considered a part of the
weight of the vehicle and not a load thereon and a truck-tractor
and semitrailer engaged in the transportation of automobiles may
transport motor vehicles on part of the power unit;
(xxxiii) "Variable load suspension axle" means an
axle that may be adjusted to vary the weight carried by the
axle;
(xxxiv) "Vehicle" means a device in, upon or by which
any person or property may be transported or drawn upon a
highway, except devices moved by human power or used exclusively
upon rails or tracks;
(xxxv) "Vehicle combination" means any connected
assemblage of a motor vehicle and one (1) or more other
vehicles;
(xxxvi) "Width" means the total outside transverse
dimension of a vehicle including any load or load-holding
devices thereon, but excluding approved safety devices and tire
bulge due to load;
(xxxvii) "Motor home" means a motor vehicle designed,
constructed and equipped as a dwelling place, living abode or
sleeping place, either permanently or temporarily, but excluding
a motor vehicle carrying a camper;
(xxxviii) "Recreational vehicle" means as defined in
W.S. 31-16-101(a)(xxiii);
(xxxix) "Truck camper" means a portable unit
constructed to provide temporary living quarters for
recreational, travel or camping use, consisting of a roof, floor
and sides, designed to be loaded onto and unloaded from the bed
of a pickup truck.