TEXAS COMMERCIAL RULES LIMITS CONTENT

Maximum Dimensions Without a Permit

The following maximum dimensions may be operated on Texas highways without a permit:

Width Limits

Maximum width of a passenger vehicle (and its load) – 8′

Maximum width for all other vehicles (and loads) – 8’6″

Height Limits

Maximum height for all vehicles – 14′

Length Limits

Vehicle Type Length Limit

Single motor vehicle – 45 feet

Truck-tractor – Unlimited

Semitrailer, of two-vehicle combination – 59 feet

Two-vehicle combination, other than a truck-tractor combination – 65 feet

Three-vehicle combination other than truck-tractor combination – 65 feet

Each trailer or semitrailer of a twin-trailer combination – 28.5 feet

Stinger-steered auto/boat or traditional auto/boat transporter (truck-tractor) – Unlimited

Truck towing a trailer transporting boats – 65 feet

Front overhang – 3 feet

Rear overhang – 4 feet

Weight Limits

Gross weight – 80,000 pounds maximum

Single axle – 20,000 pounds

Tandem axle group – 34,000 pounds

Triple axle group – 42,000 pounds

Quad axle group – 50,000 pounds

1 Length limit may only be increased with a permit if the vehicle combination complies with the permit requirements both with and without a load.

2 Length may not be increased with a permit.

3 Semitrailer length may not be increased with a permit.

4 The basis for maximum legal weight is the number of axles. This information, in conjunction with the Permissible Weight Table, is used to determine maximum legal weight for a vehicle.

5 An axle group must have a minimum spacing of 40 inches between axles within the group.

The basic for maximum legal weight is the number of axles. This information, in conjunction with the Texas Permissible Weight Table, is used to determine maximum legal weight for a vehicle. An axle group must have a minimum spacing of 40 inches between axles within the group.

Maximum Dimensions With a Permit

The following maximum dimensions may be operated on Texas highways with a permit:

Width Limits

Maximum width permitted on holidays – 14 feet, except for manufactured housing

Maximum width permitted on controlled access highways (Interstate Highway System) – 16 feet, except for manufactured housing

Maximum width permitted without a route inspection certification by applicant on file – 20 feet

Height Limits

Maximum height permitted on holidays – 16 feet

Maximum height permitted without a route inspection certification by applicant on file – 18 feet, 11 inches

Length Limits

Maximum length permitted on holidays – 110 feet

Maximum length for a truck or single vehicle – 75 feet

Front overhang – 25 feet

Rear overhang – 30 feet

Maximum length permitted without a route inspection certification by applicant on file – 125 feet

Maximum Permit Weight for Axle or Axle Group

The maximum permit weight for an axle or axle group is based on 650 pounds per inch of tire width or the following axle or axle group weight, whichever is the lesser limit.

Axle Group Maximum

Single – 25,000 pounds

Tandem (two axles) – 46,000 pounds

Tridem (three axles) – 60,000 pounds

Quadrem (four axles) – 70,000 pounds

Quint (five axles) – 81,400 pounds

Six or more axles – Determined by MCD based on engineering study of the equipment and measurements.

An axle group must have a minimum spacing of 40 inches between axles within the group.

Weight may not exceed the manufacturer’s rated tire carrying capacity.

The weight of two or more consecutive axle groups with an axle spacing of less than 12 feet between groups will be reduced by 2.5% for each foot less than 12 feet.

The weight for an axle group should be distributed equally between axles in the group to not allow more than a 10% weight difference between any two axles in the group.

Trunnion axles may have up to 30,000 pounds per axle if the trunnion configuration has two axles, eight tires per axle, the axles are at least 10-feet wide and there is at least five feet of spacing between the axles, but not more than six feet.

Travel on load-restricted roads requires that the axle and axle group weights be load-zoned. Load-zoned weight is 10% less than the maximum permitted. For example, load-zoned weight on a tandem is 41,400 pounds.

Vehicles and loads with axle, axle group, and gross weight that exceed these limits may qualify for a Super Heavy permit.

Note: Some crane and oil well servicing unit related permit types allow weight in excess of 650 pounds per inch on the steer axle(s).

Alternatively Fueled Vehicles

A vehicle that is powered by an engine fueled primarily by natural gas or powered primarily by electric battery power may exceed the maximum gross weight for the vehicle by up to 2,000 pounds. The maximum gross weight of the vehicle may not exceed 82,000 pounds.

Ready-Mixed Concrete Trucks

Ready-mixed concrete truck and concrete pump trucks may operate on Texas roadways without a permit, provided the vehicle does not exceed:

23,000 pounds on a single axle

46,000 pounds on a tandem axle

Local regulations and bond requirements apply as well as restrictions on interstate highway movement. See Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 622, Subchapter B, for additional information.

TxDMV issues an Annual Ready-Mixed Concrete Truck Permit that allows for additional weight. Visit [link] for additional information.

Vehicles Transporting Milk

Vehicles used exclusively to transport milk may operate on Texas roadways if the distance between the front wheel of the forward tandem axle group and the rear wheel of the rear tandem axle group is 28 feet or more and no axle group exceeds 68,000 pounds.

Vehicles may not be operated on interstate highways.

TxDMV issues an Annual Fluid Milk Transport Permit that allows for additional weight and interstate highway travel. Visit [link] for additional information.

Vehicles Transporting Timber or Timber Products

Vehicles or vehicle combinations used exclusively to transport poles, piling, or unrefined timber from the forest where the timber is felled to a wood processing mill may operate on Texas roadways provided the length does not exceed 90 feet, including the load. The distance between the point of origin and the destination may not exceed 125 miles. The vehicles and vehicle combinations are exempt from legal limits on rear overhang. This limit does not apply to a truck-tractor or truck-tractor combination.

A vehicle or vehicle combination, transporting raw wood products, that has an outer bridge distance of 39 feet or more may have a maximum gross weight of 80,000 pounds.

Additional requirements related to time of movement, vehicle markings, and interstate highway movement apply. See Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 622, Subchapter D, for additional information.

TxDMV issues an Annual Timber Permit that allows for weight in excess of legal limits. Visit [link] for additional information. Note: this size exception above cannot be used in conjunction with the permit.

Vehicles Transporting Poles or Pipe

Vehicles or vehicle combinations used exclusively for the transport of poles or pipe may operate on Texas roadways provided the length does not exceed 65 feet, including the load. This limit does not apply to a truck-tractor or truck-tractor combination.

Additional requirements related to time of movement and lighting apply. See Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 622, Subchapter F, for additional information.

Cotton, Chile Pepper and Related Equipment

Single motor vehicles used exclusively to transport chile pepper modules, seed cotton, cotton, cotton burrs, or equipment used to transport or process chile pepper modules or cotton, including a motor vehicle or burr spreader, may operate on Texas roadways without a permit, provided the vehicle does not exceed:

10 feet wide

48 feet long

14 feet-6 inches high

64,000 pounds gross weight – seed cotton or equipment used to transport or process seed cotton

54,000 pounds gross weight – chile pepper modules or equipment used to transport or process chile pepper modules

These vehicles may not operate on interstate highways.

A truck-tractor and semitrailer combination used to transport seed cotton or cotton may operate on Texas roadways without a permit provided it does not exceed 14 feet-6 inches in height.

A single motor vehicle transporting these products must be registered under Texas Transportation Code, Section 504.505.

Vehicles Transporting Recyclable Materials

A single motor vehicle, equipped with a container roll-off unit or a front-end loader, used exclusively to transport recyclable materials may operate on Texas roadways provided the vehicle does not exceed:

21,000 pounds on a single axle

44,000 pounds on a tandem axle

64,000 pounds gross weight

Surety bond and interstate highway restrictions apply. See Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 622, Subchapter J, for additional information.

Vehicles Transporting Solid Waste

A single motor vehicle used exclusively to transport solid waste may operate on Texas roadways provided the vehicle does not exceed:

21,000 pounds on a single axle

44,000 pounds on a tandem axle

64,000 pounds gross weight

Surety bond and interstate highway restrictions apply. See Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 623, Subchapter H, for additional information.

Highway Building or Maintenance Machinery

Legal width limits do not apply to highway building or maintenance machinery that is traveling during daylight on Texas roadways. Travel on the interstate highway system is limited to 50 miles.

Farm Tractors and Implements of Husbandry

Legal width limits do not apply to farm tractors or implements of husbandry traveling during daylight on Texas roadways.

Legal width limits do not apply to a vehicle or vehicle combination transporting a farm tractor, implement of husbandry, or equipment used in the harvesting and production of timber, if it is being transported during daylight on Texas roadways by the owner or by an agent or employee of the owner provided the transport is:

• To deliver the load to a new owner
• To transport the load to or from a mechanic for maintenance or repair
• During an agricultural or forestry operation
• Not between dealers

Travel on interstate highways is limited to 50 miles.

Water Well Drilling Machinery

Legal width limits do not apply to machinery used solely for drilling water wells, whether the machinery is a unit or mounted unit provided the movement is during daylight on Texas roadways. Travel on the interstate highway system is limited to 50 miles.

Legal length limits do not apply to this machinery.

Fire Department Vehicles

Legal width, length, and weight limits do not apply to vehicles owned or operated by a public, private or volunteer fire department. The vehicle may not be heavier than the manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight capacity or axle design rating.

Fertilizer Transport and Spreading Vehicles

Legal width limits do not apply to motor vehicles used exclusively to transport and spread fertilizer provided the vehicle is registered under Texas Transportation Code, Section 502.431.

Recreational Vehicles

Legal width limits do not apply to recreational vehicles, as defined by Texas Transportation Code, Section 522.004, provided the width in excess of legal limits is attributable to an appurtenance (including an awning, grab handle, lighting equipment or vent) that extends six inches or less beyond a fender on one of both sides of the vehicle.

Natural Gas or Petroleum Machinery

Legal length limits do not apply to a truck-tractor, truck-tractor combination, or truck-trailer combination exclusively transporting machinery, materials, and equipment used in the construction, operation, and maintenance of facilities, including pipelines, that are used for the discovery, production, and processing of natural gas or petroleum.

Drive-Away Saddlemount Combinations

Legal length limits do not apply to a drive-away saddlemount vehicle transporter combination or a drive-away saddlemount with fullmount vehicle transporter combination provided the overall length does not exceed 97 feet and the combination does not have more than three saddlemounted vehicles if the combination does not include more than one fullmount vehicle.

Tow Truck

Legal length and weight limits do not apply if towing to the nearest authorized place of repair, terminal, or destination of unloading a vehicle or vehicle combination that cannot be normally or safely driven or that was abandoned on a highway. Tow truck may not operate on interstate highways under this weight exception when exceeding legal weight limits.

Custom Harvesting Operations

Legal length limits do not apply to vehicles or vehicle combinations used to transport a harvest machine that is used in custom harvesting operations on a farm. The overall length may be up to:

75 feet overall length if traveling on interstate highways

81 ½ feet overall length if not traveling on interstate highways

A truck-tractor operated in combination with both a semitrailer and trailer or a semitrailer and semitrailer maybe up to 81 ½ feet overall length provided it does not travel on the interstate highway system and is traveling within a county with a population of less than 300,000.

Idle Reduction Systems

The maximum gross weight and axle weight limits of a vehicle or vehicle combination equipped with an idle reduction system can be increased by an amount necessary to compensate for the additional weight of the system but not more than 400 pounds.

On the request of law enforcement, the vehicle operator must provide proof that the idle reduction technology is fully functional, and the weight increase is not being used for any other purpose.

Permissible Weight Table

Permissible Weight Table
This table provides a guide to determine the maximum legal weight on any group of two or more consecutive axles. The table may be applied to inner axle groups such as the drive axles and the trailer or trailers, or the entire combination of axles from the steering axle of the power unit to the last trailing axle of the trailer.
The number for gross weight in pounds is the required distance in feet between the extremes of any group of two or more consecutive axles. The remaining column indicates the maximum weight for various numbers of axles in the group of axles being considered.
The maximum weights shown in the table are based on either of these formulas:

W=500 [(LN/(N-1)) +12N+36]
L=length and N=number of axles
Distance in Feet Axles
2 3 4 5 6 7
4 34,000
5 34,000
6 34,000
7 34,000
8 34,000 34,000
8+ 38,000 42,000
9 39,000 42,500
10 40,000 43,500
11 44,500
12 45,000 50,000
13 45,500 50,500
14 46,500 51,500
15 47,500 52,000
16 48,000 52,500 58,000
17 48,500 53,500 58,500
18 49,900 54,000 59,000
19 51,400 54,500 60,000
20 52,800 55,500 60,500 66,000
21 54,000 56,000 61,000 66,500
22 54,000 56,500 61,500 67,000
23 54,000 57,500 62,500 68,000
24 54,000 58,700* 63,000 68,500 74,000
25 54,500 59,650* 63,500 69,000 74,500
26 55,500 60,600* 64,000 69,500 75,000
27 56,000 61,550* 65,000 70,000 75,500
28 57,000 62,500* 65,500 71,000 76,500
29 57,500 63450* 66,000 71,500 77,000
30 58,500 64,000* 66,500 72,000 77,500
31 59,000 65,350* 67,500 72,500 78,000
32 60,000 66,300* 68,500 73,000 78,500
33 67,250* 68,500 74,000 79,000
34 68,200* 69,000 74,500 80,000
35 69,150* 70,000 75,000
36 70,100* 70,500 75,500
37 71,050* 71,050 76,000
38 72,000* 72,000* 77,000
39 72,000* 72,500 77,500
40 72,000* 73,000 78,000
41 72,000* 73,500 78,500
42 72,000* 74,000 79,000
43 72,000* 75,000 80,000
44 72,000* 75,500
45 72,000 76,000
46 72,500 76,500
47 73,500 77,500
48 74,000 78,000
49 74,500 78,500
50 75,500 79,000
51 76,000 80,000
*These figures were carried forward from Article 6701d-11, Section 5(a)(4) when Senate Bill 89 of the 64th Texas Legislature amended it on December 16, 1974. The amendment provided that axle configurations and weights that were lawful as of that date would continue to be legal under the increased weight limits.

+These figures apply only to an axle spacing greater than 8 feet but less than 9 feet.