VA bridge law ticket

I don't neccessarily know if it's bridge law, sounds like a wheel base issue. Many State's have the law you can not have your tandems slid back past 41 ft from the kingpin on a 53ft trailer. Some State's have where you can't have them slid all the way to the front on a 53 ft trailer. Were you pulling a 53? Bridge law deals with axle spacing and how much weight you have on those axles, which can result in an overweight violation.

 

Who taught you to run with your axles all the way back? Most truckers will do the opposite on light loads and run them forward.

If you pulled 45K before with the axles all the way back, you were overweight on your drives.

 

Take a look here:
http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/sw/brdgcalc/calc_page.htm

Basically, for 80,000 pounds on Bridge Law you are allowed a distance of 51 feet from the center of the steer tire axle to the center of the rear tandem axle.

You say that you were at 54,000 gross, so you could have had the axles as "close" as about 18 feet, thats unrealistic, so I suspect that you were to far "stretched out", that is tandems all the way back, which exceeds 51 feet for 80,000 pounds or ANY weight in Virgina and other states.

As I recall, Virginia allows 41 feet from the King Pin to the center of the REAR tandem axle. The equivalent distance from center of steer axle to the center of the TANDEM REAR AXLE is "I don't know", about 51 feet I would guess.

At 54000 Gross and I think you indicated that your tandems were all the way back in a 53 footer, that EXCEEDS both the 41 foot limit for Virgina and the Bridge Law limit. I suspect that the officer had you move the tandems 3 feet forward, bringing the situation into compliance for the 41 foot limit, I didn't know that Virgina used the Bridge Law limits.

In this case, I suspect that you were cited for exceeding the 41 foot limit, King Pin to Center of Rear Tandem Axle, not Bridge Law, but I certainly could be wrong.

This being said, I have traveled I81 many, many times slightly exceeding the 41 foot limit to the center of the rear axle, usually around 41 feet to the "center of the tandem group" or longer without incident or citation.

If you are all the way back in a 53, it usually says to the Road Side Officer or Scale Master PLEASE WRITE ME A CITATION FOR EXCEEDING AXLE LENGTH. Move it up.

Anybody else want to comment?

 

I did find this for Virgina 1112: I found it here: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-1112

Your Citation does appear to be "non-moving type violation" Did it cost you $250.00?

§ 46.2-1112. Length of vehicles, generally; special permits; tractor truck semitrailer combinations, etc., operating on certain highways; penalty.
Except for buses and motor homes, no motor vehicle longer than 40 feet shall be operated on any highway in the Commonwealth. The actual length of any combination of vehicles coupled together including any load thereon shall not exceed a total of 65 feet. However, the length of a tractor truck semitrailer combination may exceed 65 feet in length, provided the semitrailer does not exceed 53 feet in length and the distance between the kingpin of the semitrailer and the rearmost axle or a point midway between the rear tandem axles does not exceed 41 feet. The Commissioner of Highways may impose restrictions on the operation of vehicles exceeding 65 feet in length on certain roads, based on a safety and engineering analysis. No bus or motor home longer than 45 feet shall be operated on any highway in the Commonwealth. No tolerance shall be allowed that exceeds 12 inches.
The Commissioner, however, when good cause is shown, may issue a special permit for combinations either in excess of 65 feet, including any load thereon, or where the object or objects to be carried cannot be moved otherwise. Such permits may also be issued by the Department when the total number of otherwise overdimensional loads of modular housing of no more than two units may be reduced by permitting the use of an overlength trailer not exceeding 54 feet. No permit shall be issued by the Commissioner until an engineering analysis of a proposed routing has been conducted by the Commissioner of Highways to assess the ability of the roadway to be traversed to sustain the vehicle's size.
No overall length restrictions, however, shall be imposed on any tractor truck semitrailer combinations drawing one trailer or any tractor truck semitrailer combinations when operated on any interstate highway or on any highway as designated by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. No such designation shall be made, however, until notice of any proposed designation has been provided by the Commissioner of Highways to the governing body of every locality wherein any highway affected by the proposed designation is located.
No individual semitrailer or trailer being drawn in a tractor truck semitrailer trailer combination, however, shall exceed 28 1/2 feet in length, and no semitrailer being operated in a tractor truck semitrailer combination shall exceed 48 feet in length, except when semitrailers have a distance of not more than 41 feet between the kingpin of the semitrailer and the rearmost axle or a point midway between the rear tandem axles, such semitrailer shall be allowed not more than 53 feet in length.
The length limitations on semitrailers and trailers in the foregoing provisions of this section shall be exclusive of safety and energy conservation devices, steps and handholds for entry and egress, rubber dock guards, flexible fender extensions, mudflaps, refrigeration units, and air compressors. The Commonwealth Transportation Board shall designate reasonable access to terminals, facilities for food, fuel, repairs and rest. Household goods carriers and any tractor truck semitrailer combination in which the semitrailer has a length of no more than 28 1/2 feet shall not be denied reasonable access to points of loading and unloading, except as designated, based on safety considerations, by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
Any person operating a vehicle whose length is not in conformity with the provisions of this chapter on a two-lane highway where passing is permitted shall be guilty of a traffic infraction and fined $250.

 

Puzzles me everyday the amount of tandems I see against the ICC. Of course it just demonstrates the laziness of the drivers and the lack of any real code enforcement on commercial vehicles.

There is a whole section in the front of a commercial atlas with axle spread limits. Va will get you for over,Md has been known to get you for under. Check page A-16

 

I have found that Virginia "demonstrates real code enforcement" alright, especially weight. I can be as lazy as the next guy, but I really try and make what I drive look like its in compliance, especially weight.

Every once in awhile I get a trailer that has not been loaded correctly, is usually too heavy on the trailer tandems and I have had to move them back past the 41 foot mark to the "center" of the tandem group to comply with weight.

With what most Law Enforcement has to go after, a axle violation of 18-24" doesn't seem to be a big development, even being 200-300 over on a group doesn't seem to bring much attention BUT if your over GROSS, Stretched out and over on a group, bad headlight, flickering clearance lights and headed into a weigh station, your just asking for it............I see it every day too. Especially in Virginia.

 

I think Tazz nailed it. You have to slide the axles back at the dock, so why not leave them there? Why should I do more than I have to?

*Because of rules and regulations we have to follow.
*Not to mention a tractor and trailer that is as close to balanced or close as you can get, all tires will have better traction when it comes to braking.
*A shorter wheel spread can turn tighter with less of a pinhook.
*You look like you know what you are doing when your axles are right. Any DOT man is subject to pull you over like what just happened when they are back.

 

I'll clarify I didn't mean you were lazy, just the huge number I see leaving Jonesville DG, Mid-South wire, Nestle Water's.......... Anywhere that makes them move 'em back there they stay until further notice.

Most are big box carriers, some are not. In fact I'm sitting here in Misery looking at a Lanstarve stretched to the ICC.

You know I was walking through the Sheets at 273 the other morning looking at a truck with visibly OOS tires trying to figure out how in the hell he could still be rolling down the road. Saw him later in Winchester on the side of the road with a duel set blown out. Karma's a ##### I guess.


Anyway check that page in your map. Md was just warning people last month, who knows if/ when they will start citing under bridge.