348.15 Weight limitations on class “A” highways. (1) In this section “class ‘A’ highway” includes all state trunk highways and connecting highways and those county trunk highways, town highways and city and village streets, or portions thereof, that have not been designated as class “B” highways pursuant to s. 349.15. (3) Subject to any modifications made by a 1st class city under s. 349.15 (3) and except as provided in s. 348.17 (5) or (6), no person, without a permit, may operate on a class “A” highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles unless the vehicle or combination of vehicles complies with the following weight limitations: (a) The gross weight imposed on the highway by any one wheel or multiple wheels supporting one end of an axle may not exceed 11,000 pounds. (b) The gross weight imposed on the highway by the wheels of any one axle may not exceed 20,000 pounds or, if the vehicle or combination of vehicles is an implement of husbandry or agricultural commercial motor vehicle, or is a 2-vehicle combination transporting by trailer or semitrailer an implement of husbandry or agricultural commercial motor vehicle to or from a farm-related destination, 23,000 pounds. In addition, the gross weight imposed on the highway by the wheels of the steering axle of a truck tractor may not exceed 13,000 pounds unless the manufacturer’s rated capacity of the axle and the tires is sufficient to carry the weight, but not to exceed 20,000 pounds. (bg) In the case of a vehicle or combination of vehicles transporting exclusively milk from the point of production to the primary market and the return of dairy supplies and dairy products from such primary market to the farm, the gross weight imposed on the highway by the wheels of any one axle may not exceed 21,000 pounds or, for 2 axles 8 or less feet apart, 37,000 pounds
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or, for groups of 3 or more consecutive axles more than 9 feet apart, a weight of 2,000 pounds more than is shown in par. (c), but not to exceed 80,000 pounds. This paragraph does not apply to the national system of interstate and defense highways, except for the I 39 corridor and the I 41 corridor. (br) In the case of a vehicle or combination of vehicles transporting exclusively peeled or unpeeled forest products cut crosswise or in the case of a vehicle or combination of vehicles transporting exclusively scrap metal, the gross weight imposed on the highway by the wheels of any one axle may not exceed 21,500 pounds or, for 2 axles 8 or less feet apart, 37,000 pounds or, for groups of 3 or more consecutive axles more than 9 feet apart, a weight of 4,000 pounds more than is shown in par. (c), but not to exceed 80,000 pounds. This paragraph does not apply to the national system of interstate and defense highways, except for the I 39 corridor and the I 41 corridor. (bv) In the case of a vehicle or combination of vehicles used primarily for the transportation of septage, as defined in s. 281.49 (1) (m), the gross weight imposed on the highway by the wheels of any one axle may not exceed 21,500 pounds or, for 2 axles 8 or less feet apart, 37,000 pounds or, for groups of 3 or more consecutive axles more than 9 feet apart, a weight of 4,000 pounds more than is shown in par. (c) or, for groups of 4 or more consecutive axles more than 10 feet apart, a weight of 6,000 pounds more than is shown in par. (c) or, for groups of 5 or more consecutive axles more than 14 feet apart, a weight of 7,000 pounds more than is shown in par. (c), but not to exceed 80,000 pounds. This paragraph does not apply to the national system of interstate and defense highways, except for the I 39 corridor and the I 41 corridor. (c) The gross weight imposed on the highway by any group of 2 or more consecutive axles of a vehicle or combination of vehicles may not exceed the maximum gross weights in the following table for each of the respective distances between axles and the respective numbers of axles of a group: [See Figure 348.15 (3) (c) following]
Figure 348.15 (3) (c): Maximum gross weight in pounds on a group of—
Distances in feet between foremost and rearmost axles of a group 4 5 6 7 7.5 to 8 more than 8 but less than 8.5 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
2 consecutive axles of a 2axle vehicle or any vehicle or combination of vehicles having a total of 3 or more axles 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 35,000
3 consecutive axles of a 3axle vehicle or of any vehicle or combination of vehicles having a total of 4 or more axles
4 consecutive axles of any combination of vehicles having a total of 5 or more axles
4 consecutive axles of a 4-axle vehicle or of any vehicle having a total of 5 or more axles
5 consecutive axles of any combination of vehicles having a total of 5 or more axles
5 consecutive axles of a 5-axle vehicle or of any vehicle having a total of 6 or more axles
6 consecutive axles of any combination of vehicles having a total of 6 or more axles
6 consecutive axles of any vehicle having a total of 6 or more axles
7 consecutive axles of a 7axle vehicle or of any vehicle or combination of vehicles having a total of 7 or more axles
8 consecutive axles of a 8axle vehicle or of any vehicle or combination of vehicles having a total of 8 or more axles
48,500 49,500 50,000 50,500 51,500 52,000 52,500 53,500 54,100 55,100 56,000 56,800 57,600 58,400 59,200 60,000 60,800 61,600
55,500 60,000 60,500 61,500 62,000 63,000 63,500 64,500 65,000 66,000 66,500 67,500 68,500 69,000 69,500 70,500
62,500 62,500 62,500 62,500 63,200 64,400 65,000 65,700 66,900 67,700 68,900 70,000 71,000 72,000 72,800
64,200 71,700 72,200 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000
64,000 65,000 65,500 66,000 66,900 67,700 68,900 70,000 71,000 72,000 72,800
73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000
73,000 73,000 73,500 74,000 74,500 75,000 76,000
80,000 80,000 80,000
37,000 38,500
38,000
42,000
39,000 40,000
43,000 43,500 44,500 45,000 46,000 46,500 47,500 48,000 49,000 49,500 50,500 51,500 52,200 52,900 53,600 54,300 55,000 55,700 56,500
May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26)
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Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats.
348.15
VEHICLES — SIZE, WEIGHT AND LOAD Maximum gross weight in pounds on a group of—
2 consecutive axles of a 2axle vehicle or any vehicle or combination of vehicles having a total of 3 or more axles
3 consecutive axles of a 3axle vehicle or of any vehicle or combination of vehicles having a total of 4 or more axles 57,100 58,000 58,500 59,500 60,000**
Distances in feet between foremost and rearmost axles of a group 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 *Maximum at 10 or more feet between axles. **Maximum at 32 or more feet between axles. ***Maximum at 34 or more feet between axles. ****Maximum at 51 or more feet between axles.
4 consecutive axles of any combination of vehicles having a total of 5 or more axles 62,400 63,200 64,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 64,500 65,500 66,000 66,500 67,500 68,000 68,500 69,500 70,000 70,500 71,500 72,000 72,500 73,500 74,000 74,500 75,500 76,000****
4 consecutive axles of a 4-axle vehicle or of any vehicle having a total of 5 or more axles 71,300 72,000 72,700 73,000 73,000**
5 consecutive axles of any combination of vehicles having a total of 5 or more axles 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,500 74,500 75,000 75,500 76,000 77,000 77,500 78,000 78,500 79,500 80,000****
(d) Notwithstanding pars. (c) and (g), 2 consecutive sets of tandem axles may impose on the highway a gross load of 34,000 pounds each if the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is 36 feet or more. (e) Notwithstanding pars. (a), (b) and (c), in the case of a vehicle or combination of vehicles transporting exclusively livestock, the gross weight imposed on the highway by the wheels of any one axle or axle group may exceed the applicable weight limitation specified in pars. (a), (b) and (c) by 15 percent if the gross weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles does not exceed the maximum gross weight specified for that vehicle or combination of vehicles under par. (c). This paragraph does not apply to the national system of interstate and defense highways, except for the I 39 corridor and the I 41 corridor. (f) 1. In this paragraph: a. “Heavy-duty vehicle” has the meaning given in 42 USC 16104 (a) (4). b. “Idle reduction technology” has the meaning given in 42 USC 16104 (a) (5). 2. Notwithstanding pars. (a) to (c) and (g), sub. (4), and ss.