Chapter XIV · Traffic
ARTICLE 5. WEIGHT LIMITS
14-501 Penalties for violations of weight laws; exceptions.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to drive or move or for the owner or lessee to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved on any highway or street within the City any vehicle or combination of vehicles of a weight exceeding the limitations stated in subsections (c)(1) and (c)(2).
(b)Any person violating any of the provisions of article 19 of chapter 8 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, except for the provisions of K.S.A. 8-1908 and 8-1909, and amendments thereto, shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined in an amount not to exceed $500.00.
(c)Any person violating any of the provisions of subsections (c) (1) and (c) (2) shall, upon a first conviction thereof, be fined the applicable following amount from one, but not both, of the following schedules for moving a gross vehicle or combination of vehicles weight in excess of the lawful maximum gross weight for such vehicle or combination of vehicles or for any axle or tandem, triple, or quad axles thereof:
(1)Gross Weight of Vehicle or Combination. For each violation of any gross weight limitation of vehicle or combination of vehicles, an amount equal to the amount determined by applying the following schedule for each pound in excess of the lawful limit:
| Pounds Overweight | Rate of Fine |
|---|---|
| Up to 1000 | $25.00 |
| 1001 to 2000 | $0.03 per pound |
| 2001 to 5000 | $0.05 per pound |
| 5001 to 7500 | $0.07 per pound |
| 7501 and over | $0.10 per pound |
(1)Gross Weight of Any Axle or Tandem, Triple or Quad Axles. For violation of any gross weight limitation on any axle or tandem, triple or quad axles, an amount equal to the amount determined by applying the following schedule for each pound in the excess of the lawful gross weight:
| Pounds Overweight | Rate of Fine |
|---|---|
| Up to 1000 | $25.00 |
| 1001 to 2000 | $0.03 per pound |
| 2001 to 5000 | $0.05 per pound |
| 5001 to 7500 | $0.07 per pound |
| 7501 and over | $0.10 per pound |
For a second violation of this article, within two years after a prior conviction of this article, such person upon conviction shall be fined 1 ½ times the applicable amount from one, but not both, of the above schedules. For a third violation of this article within two years, after two prior convictions of this article, such person, upon conviction shall be fined two times the applicable above amount from one, but not both, of the above schedules. For a fourth and each succeeding violation of this section within two years after three prior convictions of this article, such person, upon conviction, shall be fined 2 ½ times the applicable above amount from one, but not both, of the above schedules.
(d)Except as otherwise specifically provided, the provisions of sections 14-502 and 14-503 governing weight shall not apply to fire apparatus, road machinery, or farm tractors, or to implements of husbandry temporarily moved upon a highway or street, or to a vehicle operated under the terms of a currently valid special permit issued in accordance with K.S.A. 8-1911, and amendments thereto.
(e)Except on highways designated as part of the national system of interstate defense highways, the gross weight limitation prescribed by sections 14-502 and 14-503 on any axle or tandem, triple or quad axles shall not apply to: (1) Trucks specifically designed and equipped and used exclusively for garbage, refuse, or solid waste disposal operations when loaded with garbage, refuse, or waste; or (2) trucks mounted with a fertilizer spreader used or manufactured principally to spread animal dung, except that this paragraph (2) shall not apply to truck tractors so equipped. Except that such trucks under this subsection shall not exceed the maximum gross weight limitations contained in the table in section 14-503.
(f)As used in this section, “conviction” means a final conviction without regard to whether sentence was suspended or probation granted after such conviction, and a forfeiture of bail, bond, or collateral deposited to secure a defendant’s appearance in court, which forfeiture has not been vacated, is equivalent to a conviction.
(Ord. 2374; Code 2014)
14-502 Gross weight limits on wheels and axles.
(a)The gross weight upon any wheel of a vehicle shall not exceed 10,000 pounds.
(b)The gross weight upon anyone axle, including anyone axle of a group of axles, of a vehicle shall not exceed 20,000 pounds.
(c)Any axle located within seven feet of any adjacent axle shall, when the wheels of such axle are in contact with the road surface, carry its proportionate part of the load permitted on such axles. An axle shall not be used to determine the lawful axle weight under this section or the gross weight under K.S .A. 8-1909, and amendments thereto, when the wheels of such axle are not in contact with the road surface.
(d)As used in this section:
(1)“Gross weight on anyone axle” means the total load on all wheels whose centers are included within two parallel transverse vertical planes not more than 40 inches apart.
(2)“Tandem axles” means two or more consecutive axles, arranged in tandem and articulated from a common attachment to the vehicle or individually attached to the vehicle, with such axles spaced not less than 40 inches and not more than 96 inches apart.
(3)“Triple axles” means three or more consecutive axles, arranged in tandem and articulated from a common attachment to the vehicle or individually attached to the vehicle, with such axles spaced more than 96 inches and not more than 120 apart.
(4)“Quad axles” means four or more consecutive axles, arranged in tandem and articulated from a common attachment to the vehicle or individually attached to the vehicle, with such axles spaced more than 120 inches and pot more than 150 inches apart.
(e)The gross weight on tandem axles shall not exceed 34,000 pounds.
(Ord. 2374; Code 2014)
14-503 Gross weight limit for vehicles; exceptions
(a)No vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be moved or operated on any highway or street when the gross weight on two or more consecutive axles exceeds the limitations prescribed in the following table:
| Distance in feet between | Maximum load in pounds carried on | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the extremes of any group of | any group of 2 or more consecutive axles | |||||||
| 2 or more consecutive axles | 2 axles | 3 axles | 4 axles | 5 axles | 6 axles | 7 axles | 8 axles | |
| 4 | 34,000 | |||||||
| 5 | 34,000 | |||||||
| 6 | 34,000 | |||||||
| 7 | 34,000 | |||||||
| 8 and less | 34,000 | 34,000 | ||||||
| more than 8 | 38,000 | 42,000 | ||||||
| 9 | 39,000 | 42,500 | ||||||
| 10 | 40,000 | 43,500 | ||||||
| 11 | 44,000 | |||||||
| 12 | 45,000 | 50,000 | ||||||
| 13 | 45,500 | 50,500 | ||||||
| 14 | 46,500 | 51,500 | ||||||
| 15 | 47,000 | 52,000 | ||||||
| 16 | 48,000 | 52,500 | 58,000 | |||||
| 17 | 48,500 | 53,500 | 58,500 | |||||
| 18 | 49,500 | 54,000 | 59,000 | |||||
| 19 | 50,000 | 54,500 | 60,000 | |||||
| 20 | 51,000 | 55,500 | 60,500 | 66,000 | ||||
| 21 | 51,500 | 56,000 | 61,000 | 66,500 | ||||
| 22 | 52,500 | 56,500 | 61,500 | 67,000 | ||||
| 23 | 53,000 | 57,500 | 62,500 | 68,000 | ||||
| 24 | 54,000 | 58,000 | 63,000 | 68,500 | 74,000 | |||
| 25 | 54,500 | 58,500 | 63,500 | 69,000 | 74,500 | |||
| 26 | 55,500 | 59,500 | 64,000 | 69,500 | 75,000 | |||
| 27 | 56,000 | 60,000 | 65,000 | 70,000 | 75,500 | |||
| 28 | 57,000 | 60,500 | 65,500 | 71,000 | 76,500 | 82,000 | ||
| 29 | 57,500 | 61,500 | 66,000 | 71,500 | 77,000 | 82,500 | ||
| 30 | 58,500 | 62,000 | 66,500 | 72,000 | 77,500 | 83,000 | ||
| 31 | 59,000 | 62,500 | 67,500 | 72,500 | 78,000 | 83,500 | ||
| 32 | 60,000 | 63,500 | 68,000 | 73,000 | 78,500 | 84,500 | ||
| 33 | 64,000 | 68,500 | 74,000 | 79,000 | 85,000 | |||
| 34 | 64,500 | 69,000 | 74,500 | 80,000 | 85,500 | |||
| 35 | 65,500 | 70,000 | 75,000 | 80,500 | ||||
| 36 | 66,000 | 70,500 | 75,500 | 81,000 | ||||
| 37 | 66,500 | 71,000 | 76,000 | 81,500 | ||||
| 38 | 67,500 | 72,000 | 77,000 | 82,000 | ||||
| 39 | 68,000 | 72,500 | 77,500 | 82,500 | ||||
| 40 | 68,500 | 73,000 | 78,000 | 83,500 | ||||
| 41 | 69,500 | 73,500 | 78,500 | 84,000 | ||||
| 42 | 70,000 | 74,000 | 79,000 | 84,500 | ||||
| 43 | 70,500 | 75,000 | 80,000 | 85,000 | ||||
| 44 | 71,500 | 75,500 | 80,500 | 85,500 | ||||
| 45 | 72,000 | 76,000 | 81,000 | |||||
| 46 | 72,500 | 76,500 | 81,500 | |||||
| 47 | 73,500 | 77,500 | 82,000 | |||||
| 48 | 74,000 | 78,000 | 83,000 | |||||
| 49 | 74,500 | 78,500 | 83,500 | |||||
| 50 | 75,500 | 79,000 | 84,000 | |||||
| 51 | 76,000 | 80,000 | 84,500 | |||||
| 52 | 76,500 | 80,500 | 85,000 | |||||
| 53 | 77,500 | 81,000 | 85,500 | |||||
| 54 | 78,000 | 81,500 | ||||||
| 55 | 78,500 | 82,500 | ||||||
| 56 | 79,500 | 83,000 | ||||||
| 57 | 80,000 | 83,500 | ||||||
| 58 | 84,000 | |||||||
| 59 | 85,000 | |||||||
| 60 | 85,500 | |||||||
Except that two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of 34,000 pounds each if the overall distance between the first and last axles is 36 feet or more.
(1)The gross weight on anyone axle of a vehicle shall not exceed the limits prescribed in section 14-502.
(2)For vehicle and combinations of vehicles on the interstate system the table in this section shall not authorize a maximum gross weight of more than 80,000 pounds.
(3)The table in this section shall not apply to truck tractor and dump semitrailer or truck trailer combination when such are used as a combination unit exclusively for the transportation of sand, salt for highway maintenance operations, gravel, slag stone, limestone, crushed stone, cinders, coal, blacktop, dirt of fill material, when such vehicles are used for transportation to a construction site, highway maintenance or construction project or other storage facility, except that such vehicles or combination of vehicles shall not be exempted from any application of the table as may be required to determine applicable axle weights for triple and quad axles as defined in section 14-503. As used in this paragraph, the term “dump semitrailer” means any semi-trailer designed in such a way as to divest itself of the load carried thereon.
(b)It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross weight in excess of the limitations set forth in sections 14-502 and 14-503, except as provided in K.S.A. 8-1911, and amendments thereto.
(c)As used in this section, “interstate system” means the national system of interstate and defense highway.
(Ord. 2374; Code 2014)
14-504 Enforcement of vehicle weight laws; officers may weigh vehicles; portable scales; required drive to stationary scales; off-loading or redistribution required, when.
(a)Any police officer having reason to believe that the gross weight of a vehicle or a combination of vehicles or the gross weight on any axle or sets of axles is unlawful is authorized to require the driver to stop and submit to a weighing of the same by means of either portable or stationary scales and may require that such vehicle be driven to any scales suitable for the purpose within five miles. When portable scales are used for weighing for the purpose of this section, the location of such portable scales shall not be more than 10 miles from any stationary scales whose accuracy is certified in accordance with law.
(b)Whenever a police officer, upon weighing a vehicle or combination of vehicles, determines that the weight is unlawful, such officer may require the driver to stop the vehicle in a suitable place and remain standing until such portion of the load is removed as may be necessary to reduce the gross weight of such vehicle or combination of vehicles or remove or redistribute the gross weight on any axle or sets of axles to such limit as permitted in sections 14-502 and 14-503. All material so unloaded shall be cared for by the owner, lessee, or operator of such vehicle at the risk of such owner, lessee, or operator.
(c)Any driver of a vehicle or combination of vehicles who fails or refuses to stop and submit such vehicle or combination of vehicles to weighing as provided in this section or who fails or refuses when directed by a police officer to comply with the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Ord. 2374; Code 2014)