(a) The provisions of this section shall apply only to combinations of vehicles which contain a trailer or semitrailer. Each vehicle in such combination of vehicles, and every such combination of vehicles, shall comply with either Section 35551 or with subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of this section.

(b) The gross weight imposed upon the highway by the wheels on any one axle of a vehicle shall not exceed 18,000 pounds and the gross weight upon any one wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle and resting upon the roadway, shall not exceed 9,500 pounds, except that the gross weight imposed upon the highway by the wheels on any front steering axle of a motor vehicle shall not exceed 12,500 pounds. The gross weight limit provided for weight bearing upon any one wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle shall not apply to vehicles the loads of which consist of livestock. The following vehicles are exempt from the front axle weight limits specified in this subdivision:

(1) Trucks transporting vehicles.

(2) Trucks transporting livestock.

(3) Dump trucks.

(4) Cranes.

(5) Buses.

(6) Transit mix concrete or cement trucks, and trucks that mix concrete or cement at, or adjacent to, a jobsite.

(7) Motor vehicles that are not commercial vehicles.

(8) Vehicles operated by any public utility furnishing electricity, gas, water, or telephone service.

(9)  Trucks or truck tractors with a front axle at least four feet to the rear of the foremost part of the truck or truck tractor, not including the front bumper.

(10) Trucks transporting garbage, rubbish, or refuse.

(11) Trucks equipped with a fifth wheel when towing a semitrailer.

(12) Tank trucks which have a cargo capacity of at least 1,500 gallons.

(13) Trucks transporting bulk grains or bulk livestock feed.

(c) The total gross weight with load imposed on the highway by any group of two or more consecutive axles of a vehicle in such combination of vehicles or of such combination of vehicles where the distance between the first and last axles of the two or more consecutive axles is 18 feet or less shall not exceed that given for the respective distance in the following table:

Distance in feet

Allowed load in

between first and

pounds on group

last axles of group

of axles

4  ........................

32,000

5  ........................

32,000

6  ........................

32,200

7  ........................

32,900

8  ........................

33,600

9  ........................

34,300

10  ........................

35,000

11  ........................

35,700

12  ........................

36,400

13  ........................

37,100

14 ........................

43,200

15  ........................

44,000

16  ........................

44,800

17  ........................

45,600

18  ........................

46,400

(d) The total gross weight with load imposed on the highway by any vehicle in such combination of vehicles or of such combination of vehicles where the distance between the first and last axles is more than 18 feet shall not exceed that given for the respective distances in the following table:

Distance

Allowed load

in feet

in pounds

19  ........................

47,200

20  ........................

48,000

21  ........................

48,800

22  ........................

49,600

23  ........................

50,400

24  ........................

51,200

25  ........................

55,250

26  ........................

56,100

27  ........................

56,950

28  ........................

57,800

29  ........................

58,650

30 ........................

59,500

31  ........................

60,350

32  ........................

61,200

33  ........................

62,050

34  ........................

62,900

35  ........................

63,750

36  ........................

64,600

37  ........................

65,450

38  ........................

66,300

39  ........................

68,000

40  ........................

70,000

41  ........................

72,000

42  ........................

73,280

43  ........................

73,280

44  ........................

73,280

45 ........................

73,280

46  ........................

73,280

47  ........................

73,280

48  ........................

73,280

49  ........................

73,280

50  ........................

73,280

51  ........................

73,280

52  ........................

73,600

53  ........................

74,400

54  ........................

75,200

55  ........................

76,000

56 or over  ........................

76,800

(e) The distance between axles shall be measured to the nearest whole foot. When a fraction is exactly six inches, the next larger whole foot shall be used.

(f) The gross weight limits expressed by this section shall include all enforcement tolerances.

(g) Nothing in this section shall affect the right to prohibit the use of any highway or any bridge or other structure thereon in the manner and to the extent specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 35700) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 35750) of Chapter 5 of Division 15.

(h) The Legislature, in enacting this section, does not intend to increase, and this section shall not be construed to allow, statutory weights any greater than existed prior to January 1, 1976.

(Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 784, Sec. 4.)