As you drive down the highway, it may seem like the commercial trucks on the highway are absolutely giant. While it may almost seem like some of them are getting bigger, they are not—there are strict federal regulations when it comes to how big a commercial motor vehicle can be. These regulations govern the width, length, height, and weight. Trucks are big enough and heavy enough as it is—can you imagine how trucking collisions would increase without these size regulations in place?
These are the requirements from the federal government for commercial motor vehicles:
- Width: The maximum width limit is set at 102 inches, except in Hawaii where it is 108. The federal width limits do not apply to special mobile equipment like military equipment, farm equipment, or emergency apparatuses. If certain states want to allow vehicles more than 102 inches wide on their roadways (not counting the special mobile equipment), then they have to issue special over-width permits.
- Length: There is a US law that states may not limit trucking on interstates from being under 48 feet long. States are in charge of regulating the maximum length of vehicles because the federal government does not regulate that.
- Height: The height of commercial trucks are not federally regulated. Most states say that the maximum height is 13 feet, six inches, but sometimes it is best to stay on the shorter side because many underpasses and bridges are not as high as that maximum.
- Weight: If a commercial truck is one-axel, it can weigh up to 20,000 pounds. A double-axel vehicle can weigh up to 34,000 pounds, and a commercial truck that has more than two axels cannot weigh more than 80,000 pounds.
If you were in an accident with an extremely large truck, there's a chance that their vehicle was not legal under federal regulations. Call the trucking collision attorneys at Girards Law for a free consultation, and we will help you figure out if the truck driver was breaking the law.