8-1909. Gross weight limits for vehicles; exceptions; safety of certain vehicles for operation. (a) No vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be moved or operated on any highway when the gross weight on two or more consecutive axles exceeds the limitations prescribed in the following table:

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 any one axle of a vehicle shall not exceed the limits prescribed in K.S.A. 8-1908, and amendments thereto.

(2) Except as otherwise provided by subsection (e), for vehicles 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 or 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 K.S.A. 8-1908, and amendments thereto. As used in this paragraph (3), the term "dump semitrailer" means any semitrailer designed in such a way as to divest itself of the load carried thereon.

(b) Any vehicle registered under the laws of this state which vehicle is designed and used primarily for the transportation of property or for the transportation of 10 or more persons may, at the time of its registration, be subjected by the director of vehicles to investigation or test as may be necessary to enable such director to determine whether such vehicle may safely be operated upon the highways in compliance with all provisions of this act. Every such vehicle shall meet the following requirements:

(1) It shall be equipped with brakes as required in K.S.A. 8-1734, and amendments thereto.

(2) Every motor vehicle to be operated outside of business and residence districts shall have motive power adequate to propel such vehicle and any load thereon or to be drawn thereby, at a speed which will not impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. Exception to this requirement shall be recognized when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or when a vehicle or combination of vehicles is necessarily or in compliance with law or police direction proceeding at reduced speed.

(c) 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 article 19 of chapter 8 of [the] Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, except as provided in K.S.A. 8-1911, and amendments thereto.

(d) As used in this section, "interstate system" means the national system of interstate and defense highways.

(e) A vehicle, if operated by an engine fueled primarily by natural gas, may exceed any vehicle weight limit under this section, up to a maximum gross vehicle weight of 82,000 pounds, by an amount that is equal to the difference between:

(1) The weight of the vehicle attributable to the natural gas tank and fueling system carried by that vehicle; and

(2) the weight of a comparable diesel tank and fueling system.

History: L. 1974, ch. 33, § 8-1909; L. 1975, ch. 427, § 48; L. 1980, ch. 45, § 1; L. 1981, ch. 46, § 3; L. 1983, ch. 41, § 4; L. 1986, ch. 45, § 2; L. 2016, ch. 44, § 3; Apr. 14.