§31112 — Title 49 Transportation | U.S. Code

Summary

Stops states from letting multi‑trailer commercial trucks use the Interstate and certain federal-aid primary highways if those trucks have more than one cargo-carrying unit that are longer than what the State allowed or actually had in regular use before June 2, 1991. A "property-carrying unit" is any trailer or part of a truck that carries goods (not the truck tractor). The length of the units is measured from the front of the first cargo unit to the rear of the last cargo unit. Some narrow exceptions let specific States or routes allow certain longer or special combinations. Wyoming may allow extra configurations authorized by State law by November 3, 1992, if they meet Federal axle and bridge limits and weigh no more than 117,000 pounds. Ohio may allow three 28.5‑foot cargo units on a 1‑mile segment of State Route 7 south of Turnpike exit 16. Alaska may allow combinations that were in use before July 6, 1991 even if not in use on June 1, 1991. Iowa may match South Dakota or Nebraska lengths on specified Interstate segments near Sioux City if those were in use before June 2, 1991. Nebraska and Kansas may allow a tractor plus two trailers up to 81 feet 6 inches when used only by custom harvesters to move certain crops during harvest months. Oregon may allow a tractor plus two units up to 82 feet 8 inches only for sugar beet transport on US 20, 26, 30, or OR 201 near Vale, Ontario, or Nyssa. Allowed combinations must follow all State laws, limits, routes, and conditions that were in force on June 1, 1991, though States may make small temporary or emergency route changes for safety or construction under rules from the Secretary of Transportation. States can also add stricter rules or bans, but must tell the Secretary within 30 days; the Secretary will publish the change. Each State had to give the Secretary a list of length limits by February 16, 1992; the Secretary published an interim list by March 17, 1992, and a final list by June 15, 1992, and may correct it later. The law does not allow anything that 23 U.S.C. 127(d) prohibits, does not change rules for single‑unit trucks, and does not affect combinations that were lawfully in regular use before June 2, 1991. The Secretary must define loads that cannot be easily dismantled and must set rules for the small temporary route changes by June 15, 1992.

Title 49, §31112

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section—

(1)“property-carrying unit” means any part of a commercial motor vehicle combination (except the truck tractor) used to carry property, including a trailer, a semitrailer, or the property-carrying section of a single unit truck, but not including a trailer or a semitrailer transported as part of a towaway trailer transporter combination (as defined in section 31111(a)).

(2)the length of the property-carrying units of a commercial motor vehicle combination is the length measured from the front of the first property-carrying unit to the rear of the last property-carrying unit.

(b)A State may not allow by any means the operation, on any segment of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways and those classes of qualifying Federal-aid Primary System highways designated by the Secretary of Transportation under section 31111(e) of this title, of any commercial motor vehicle combination (except a vehicle or load that cannot be dismantled easily or divided easily and that has been issued a special permit under applicable State law) with more than one property-carrying unit (not including the truck tractor) whose property-carrying units are more than—

(1)the maximum combination trailer, semitrailer, or other type of length limitation allowed by law or regulation of that State before June 2, 1991; or

(2)the length of the property-carrying units of those commercial motor vehicle combinations, by specific configuration, in actual, lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including continuing seasonal operation) in that State before June 2, 1991.

(c)In addition to the vehicles allowed under subsection (b) of this section—

(1)Wyoming may allow the operation of additional vehicle configurations not in actual operation on June 1, 1991, but authorized by State law not later than November 3, 1992, if the vehicle configurations comply with the single axle, tandem axle, and bridge formula limits in section 127(a) of title 23 and are not more than 117,000 pounds gross vehicle weight;

(2)Ohio may allow the operation of commercial motor vehicle combinations with 3 property-carrying units of 28.5 feet each (not including the truck tractor) not in actual operation on June 1, 1991, to be operated in Ohio on the 1-mile segment of Ohio State Route 7 that begins at and is south of exit 16 of the Ohio Turnpike;

(3)Alaska may allow the operation of commercial motor vehicle combinations that were not in actual operation on June 1, 1991, but were in actual operation before July 6, 1991;

(4)Iowa may allow the operation on Interstate Route 29 between Sioux City, Iowa, and the border between Iowa and South Dakota or on Interstate Route 129 between Sioux City, Iowa, and the border between Iowa and Nebraska of commercial motor vehicle combinations with trailer length, semitrailer length, and property-carrying unit length allowed by law or regulation and in actual lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including continued seasonal operation) in South Dakota or Nebraska, respectively, before June 2, 1991;

(5)Nebraska and Kansas may allow the operation of a truck tractor and 2 trailers or semitrailers not in actual lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis on June 1, 1991, if the length of the property-carrying units does not exceed 81 feet 6 inches and such combination is used only to transport equipment utilized by custom harvesters under contract to agricultural producers to harvest one or more of wheat, soybeans, and milo during the harvest months for such crops, as defined by the relevant state;11 So in original. Probably should be “State.” and

(6)Oregon may allow the operation of a truck tractor and 2 property-carrying units not in actual lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis on June 1, 1991, if—

(A)the length of the property-carrying units does not exceed 82 feet 8 inches;

(B)the combination is used only to transport sugar beets; and

(C)the operation occurs on United States Route 20, United States Route 26, United States Route 30, or Oregon Route 201 in the vicinity, or between any, of—

(i)Vale, Oregon;

(ii)Ontario, Oregon; or

(iii)Nyssa, Oregon.

(d)(1)A commercial motor vehicle combination whose operation in a State is not prohibited under subsections (b) and (c) of this section may continue to operate in the State on highways described in subsection (b) only if at least in compliance with all State laws, regulations, limitations, and conditions, including routing-specific and configuration-specific designations and all other restrictions in force in the State on June 1, 1991. However, subject to regulations prescribed by the Secretary under subsection (g)(2) of this section, the State may make minor adjustments of a temporary and emergency nature to route designations and vehicle operating restrictions in effect on June 1, 1991, for specific safety purposes and road construction.

(2)This section does not prevent a State from further restricting in any way or prohibiting the operation of any commercial motor vehicle combination subject to this section, except that a restriction or prohibition shall be consistent with this section and section 31113(a) and (b) and 31114 of this title.

(3)A State making a minor adjustment of a temporary and emergency nature as authorized by paragraph (1) of this subsection or further restricting or prohibiting the operation of a commercial motor vehicle combination as authorized by paragraph (2) of this subsection shall advise the Secretary not later than 30 days after the action. The Secretary shall publish a notice of the action in the Federal Register.

(4)22 See 1996 Amendment note below. Nebraska may continue to allow to be operated under paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) of this section,33 So in original. the State of Nebraska may allow longer combination vehicles that were not in actual operation on June 1, 1991 to be operated within its boundaries to transport sugar beets from the field where such sugar beets are harvested to storage, market, factory or stockpile or from stockpile to storage, market or factory. This provision shall expire on February 28, 1998.

(e)(1)Not later than February 16, 1992, each State shall submit to the Secretary for publication a complete list of State length limitations applicable to commercial motor vehicle combinations operating in the State on the highways described in subsection (b) of this section. The list shall indicate the applicable State laws and regulations associated with the length limitations. If a State does not submit the information as required, the Secretary shall complete and file the information for the State.

(2)Not later than March 17, 1992, the Secretary shall publish an interim list in the Federal Register consisting of all information submitted under paragraph (1) of this subsection. The Secretary shall review for accuracy all information submitted by a State under paragraph (1) and shall solicit and consider public comment on the accuracy of the information.

(3)A law or regulation may not be included on the list submitted by a State or published by the Secretary merely because it authorized, or could have authorized, by permit or otherwise, the operation of commercial motor vehicle combinations not in actual operation on a regular or periodic basis before June 2, 1991.

(4)Except as revised under this paragraph or paragraph (5) of this subsection, the list shall be published as final in the Federal Register not later than June 15, 1992. In publishing the final list, the Secretary shall make any revisions necessary to correct inaccuracies identified under paragraph (2) of this subsection. After publication of the final list, commercial motor vehicle combinations prohibited under subsection (b) of this section may not operate on the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways and other Federal-aid Primary System highways designated by the Secretary except as published on the list. The list may be combined by the Secretary with the list required under section 127(d) of title 23.

(5)On the Secretary’s own motion or on request by any person (including a State), the Secretary shall review the list published under paragraph (4) of this subsection. If the Secretary decides there is reason to believe a mistake was made in the accuracy of the list, the Secretary shall begin a proceeding to decide whether a mistake was made. If the Secretary decides there was a mistake, the Secretary shall publish the correction.

(f)This section may not be construed—

(1)to allow the operation on any segment of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways of a longer combination vehicle prohibited under section 127(d) of title 23;

(2)to affect in any way the operation of a commercial motor vehicle having only one property-carrying unit; or

(3)to affect in any way the operation in a State of a commercial motor vehicle with more than one property-carrying unit if the vehicle was in actual operation on a regular or periodic basis (including seasonal operation) in that State before June 2, 1991, that was authorized under State law or regulation or lawful State permit.

(g)(1)In carrying out this section only, the Secretary shall define by regulation loads that cannot be dismantled easily or divided easily.

(2)Not later than June 15, 1992, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations establishing criteria for a State to follow in making minor adjustments under subsection (d) of this section.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 31112(a)(1)49 App.:2311(j)(7).Jan 6, 1983, Pub. L. 97–424, 96 Stat. 2159, § 411(j); added Dec. 18, 1991, Pub. L. 102–240, § 4006(a), 105 Stat. 2148. 31112(a)(2)49 App.:2311(j)(3). 31112(b)49 App.:2311(j)(1). 31112(c)49 App.:2311(j)(2). 31112(d)49 App.:2311(j)(4). 31112(e)49 App.:2311(j)(5). 31112(f)49 App.:2311(j)(6). 31112(g)(1)49 App.:2311(j)(9). 31112(g)(2)49 App.:2311(j)(8). In this section, the word “property” is substituted for “cargo”, and the word “law” is substituted for “statute”, for consistency in the revised title. The words “Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways” are substituted for “National System of Interstate and Defense Highways” because of the Act of October 15, 1990 (Public Law 101–427, 104 Stat. 927). In subsections (b), before clause (1), and (g)(1), the words “dismantled easily or divided easily” are substituted for “easily dismantled or divided” for clarity. In subsection (e)(4), the words “Except as revised under this paragraph or paragraph (5) of this subsection” are substituted for “Except as modified pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (E) of this subsection” for clarity.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–6 substituted “Kansas, and Oregon” for “and Kansas” in heading and added par. (6). 2015—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 114–94 inserted before period at end “, but not including a trailer or a semitrailer transported as part of a towaway trailer transporter combination (as defined in section 31111(a))”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 114–113, § 137(b)(1), substituted “Nebraska, and Kansas” for “and Nebraska” in heading. Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 114–113, § 137(b)(2), substituted a semicolon for “; and” at end. Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 114–113, § 137(b)(3), substituted “; and” for period at end. Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 114–113, § 137(a), substituted “Nebraska and Kansas may” for “Nebraska may” and “the relevant state” for “the State of Nebraska”. 2005—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–59, § 4112(b), substituted “Iowa, and Nebraska” for “and Iowa” in heading. Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 109–59, § 4112(a), added par. (5). 1997—Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 105–66 substituted “

February 28, 1998” for “

September 30, 1997”. 1996—Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 104–205, which directed amendment of this section by adding a new subsection designated par. (4) without specifying where, was executed by adding par. (4) to subsec. (d) to reflect the probable intent of Congress. 1995—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–59 substituted “Alaska, and Iowa” for “and Alaska” in heading and added par. (4).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Pub. L. 118–154, § 1(b), (c), Dec. 17, 2024, 138 Stat. 1691, provided that: “(b) Designation.—United States Route 20 in each of the States of Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts shall be known and designated as the ‘National Medal of Honor Highway’. “(c) References.—Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the highway referred to in subsection (b) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘National Medal of Honor Highway’.”

Effective Date

of 2015 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–94 effective Oct. 1, 2015, see section 1003 of Pub. L. 114–94, set out as a note under section 5313 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

§31112 Property-carrying Unit Limitation