Why Are There Laws on Truck Weight

The weight of a tractor-trailer directly influences its propensity to cause accidents on the road. Generally, the bigger and heavier a truck is, the greater its ability to cause injury, death, and destruction.

The government sets weight restrictions on large commercial vehicles to minimize the risk of accidents.

Why Are There Semi-Truck Weight Limits?

Federal and state regulations set weight restrictions on semi-trucks to protect the public. Vehicle weight contributes to a truck’s accident risk due to several reasons, including:

Increased Stopping Distance: Because of its mass, a large commercial truck requires more time and distance than a regular passenger car to come to a complete stop. Many accidents arise from truck drivers failing to stop on time due to slow reaction times, speeding, abrupt braking by vehicles in front of them, etc.
Greater Potential for Destruction: Mass is directly proportional to a vehicle’s momentum, meaning a heavy truck has a higher tendency to cause severe injury, death, and destruction than a car because of the massive force it exerts upon impact.
Maneuverability Issues and Mechanical Failures: An overloaded truck may be more challenging to control and has an increased risk of swaying on the road. For instance, a heavier truck may be more prone to tipping if the driver brakes or turns suddenly (rollover accident). Furthermore, excess mass can make the truck’s components work harder, increasing wear and tear and the risk of mechanical issues (e.g., tire blowouts, brake failures, etc.).
Dropping Cargo: An overloaded truck can quickly lose cargo on the road, potentially endangering other motorists.
Increased Wear and Tear: Excess weight exerts more pressure on a truck, causing faster wear and tear. Sadly, some operators don’t recognize the need for more frequent maintenance due to overloading, inadvertently increasing the risk of equipment failure.

What is the Maximum Gross Vehicle Weight for Semi-Trucks?

The Maximum Gross Vehicle Weight or MGVW for semi-trucks operating on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways is:

80,000 pounds (gross weight)
20,000 pounds on a single axle
34,000 pounds on tandem axles

Weight restrictions may vary from state to state. Some states allow truck sizes and weights greater than federal limits for non-interstate highways. State exceptions to federal truck weight limits are available on the Federal Highway Administration’s website.

These weight requirements impact the profit margin of trucking companies that want to maximize each trip by loading as much cargo as possible on the rig. Some companies purposely overload their commercial vehicles beyond the total weight limit or pressure drivers to do so.

In some cases, human error leads to overloading. A driver may fail to consider the truck’s weight on top of the cargo load. Some drivers forget that the MGVW includes the truck’s weight without the cargo. Or a loading team may place too many shipments in the truck due to miscounting, and so on.

What Happens When a Truck’s Total Weight Exceeds the Gross Weight Limit?

Overloading is not an uncommon occurrence in the trucking industry. Companies want to carry as much cargo as possible and save money on labor and fuel in the process. So,they find ways to get past the weight limit–or simply ignore it.

States give reasonable access to semi-trucks, given that they follow weight limit rules. But what happens when a truck (either accidentally or intentionally) carries more cargo than it should?

When drivers know they carry too heavy cargo, they usually avoid highways with weigh stations. Some roads have weigh stations where trucks must pull into and get weighed to ensure they are within the legal limit. What most drivers do instead is take the back roads to avoid detection.

Additionally, truckers usually alert others of which weigh stations are open so others can avoid those particular roads.

Police are supposed to staff weigh stations to catch “runners” who drive past without getting weighed. Unfortunately, these stations are usually underfunded and understaffed. Some truckers drive past weigh stations, knowing there is no police to enforce the weight limit.

If a truck driver gets caught carrying more than the MGVW, they may face some or all of the following:

License Suspension: A driver could face suspension of their commercial driver’s license. Furthermore, the truck operator (the individual or business that owns the truck) could lose its commercial permit indefinitely.
Misdemeanor: Most states categorize driving or operating an overloaded truck as a misdemeanor. Misdemeanor charges may lead to fines, probation, community service, or jail sentences (or part-time incarceration).
Tickets: In minor cases, truck drivers may receive tickets similar to traffic citations. These fines for the first offense are relatively small but significantly increase as the driver repeats the violation.
Overweight Fines: Most states use a sliding scale system for overweight commercial vehicles. For instance, the fine increases in set amounts for every 1,000 pounds beyond the MGVW. Fines can also increase significantly if the excess weight is 10,000 pounds or higher. The amount also typically increases beyond the first offense.

The sanctions are more severe if a truck causes an accident while overloaded. For instance, a personal injury case may award punitive damages to the victim because the operator knew about the risk of overloading but did it anyway, signifying gross negligence.

Conclusion

Trucks are inherently dangerous because of their size and weight. Their ability to cause devastation is even greater when they are overloaded. Unfortunately, overloaded trucks will continue to travel US roads unless the government enforces the rules more efficiently.

If you notice a truck driver driving unsafely on the road, you can file a complaint to the local police, your state’s Department of Transportation, or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA 888-DOT-SAFT (368-7238)).