For the purpose of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:
Axle load.
An axle load shall be the total load transmitted to the road by all wheels whose centers may be included between two (2) parallel transverse vertical planes forty inches (40") apart, extending across the full width of the vehicle.
Gross weight per axle.
Gross weight per axle is determined by taking the total weight of the truck and its contents carried, as defined in this article, dividing the weight by the number of axles on the truck or vehicle. For example, if a truck, and its contents weigh a total of twelve thousand (12,000) pounds, and the truck had two (2) axles, then the gross weight per axle would be six thousand (6,000) pounds. Should a truck tractor and trailer combination (designated as a single vehicle by this article) with its contents, weigh a total of thirty thousand (30,000) pounds, and the vehicle had five (5) axles, then the gross weight per axle would be six thousand (6,000) pounds.
Local commercial vehicle.
A truck or other vehicle, including a truck tractor and trailer combination which is considered under this article as a self-propelled vehicle and is designed or used primarily for transporting six thousand (6,000) pounds per axle and which has as its origin or destination the city.
Place of business.
This refers to the commercial or business establishments using commercial trucks or vehicles in their business, and shall include places used as residences for independent operators and owners of these commercial vehicles.
Tandem axle group.
A tandem axle group is two (2) or more axles spaced forty inches (40") or more apart from center to center having at least one (1) common point of weight suspension.
Through commercial vehicle.
A truck or other vehicle, including a truck tractor and trailer combination which shall be considered under this article as a vehicle which is self-propelled and designed or used primarily for the transportation of property and which, including contents carried, has a gross weight in excess of five thousand (5,000) pounds per axle and which has as to its origin and destination, areas outside the city.
Truck route.
This is a street, road or highway designated by the city council for use by through commercial vehicles and local commercial vehicles for travel in the city.
(2004 Code, sec. 12.501)
(a) 
Through commercial vehicles.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a through commercial vehicle on any city street or alley, except that a through commercial vehicle may travel or be operated on any street, road or highway designated as a truck route.
(b) 
Local commercial vehicles.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a local commercial vehicle on any street or alley within the city, except that a local commercial vehicle may travel or be operated upon any street, road or highway designated as a truck route; provided further, however, that a local commercial vehicle may travel or be operated on any street or alley, within the city not designated as a truck route for the purpose of delivering or picking up goods, wares, materials or merchandise within the city or leaving or returning to its place of business in the city. When a local commercial vehicle enters a nontruck route street or alley as permitted in this article, the vehicle must enter the street or alley at the point nearest the place of pickup or delivery of its place of business and travel to or return to a truck route by the nearest feasible route. When more than one (1) pickup or delivery is required, they may be made and the vehicle will not be required to return to a truck route until all pickups and deliveries are made.
(c) 
Limit on weight.
When a local commercial vehicle is driven to the residence of the owner/operator and said residence is not on a designated truck route, the gross weight of the vehicle shall not exceed six thousand (6,000) pounds per axle.
(d) 
Truck routes established.
The following streets, roads and highways within the city are hereby designated truck routes:
(1) 
FM 155 North (Center Street);
(2) 
U.S. Highway 90 (Main Street);
(3) 
FM 155 South (Eagle Street);
(4) 
Interstate Highway 10; and
(5) 
College Street from U.S. Highway 90 to Jackson Street.
(e) 
Marking of truck routes.
The city manager shall cause to be marked the truck routes established in this article by the erection of suitable signs.
(f) 
Permissible weights and sizes.
(1) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a commercial vehicle on any truck route established by this article in violation of the weight limits set forth. Any city police officer, any commissioned officer of the state department of public safety, or any sheriff or his authorized deputy, having reason to believe that the gross weight or axle load of a loaded commercial vehicle is unlawful, is authorized to weigh the same by means of portable or stationary scales furnished or approved by the city or by the state department of public safety, or cause the same to be weighed by any public weigher, and to require that such vehicle be driven to the nearest available scales for the purpose of weighing.
(2) 
In the event the gross weight of such vehicle be found to exceed the maximum gross weight authorized by this article, plus an allowable tolerance of five percent (5%), such police officer, department of public safety officer, or sheriff or his authorized deputy, shall demand and require the operator or owner of such motor vehicle to unload such portion of the load as may be necessary to reduce the gross weight thereof to such lawful maximum and such vehicle may not be operated further over the public highways or roads of the city until the gross weight of such vehicle has been reduced to a weight not in excess of the maximum limit plus said allowable tolerance.
(3) 
In the event the axle load of any such vehicle be found to exceed the maximum authorized by this article, plus a tolerance of five percent (5%) of the axle load authorized, such officer shall demand and require the operator or owner thereof to rearrange his cargo, if possible, to bring such vehicle and load within the maximum axle load authorized before such vehicle may be operated further over the public highways or roads of the city. Provided however, that if such load consists of livestock, then such operator shall be permitted to proceed to destination without being unloaded.
(4) 
No axle load as defined in this article shall exceed twenty thousand (20,000) pounds.
(5) 
The total gross weight for any tandem axle group shall not exceed thirty-four thousand (34,000) pounds for each such tandem axle group.
(6) 
No vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load thereon, shall exceed a gross weight of eighty thousand (80,000) pounds, except such vehicles, or combinations thereof, operated under special permits otherwise authorized by law.
(7) 
See permissible weight table for maximum weights permitted on any group of two (2) or more axles based upon the weight formula.
(g) 
Permissible weight table.
This table provides a guide to determine the maximum weight permitted on any group of two (2) or more consecutive axles. The table may be applied to inner axle groups such as the power unit only of a combination, the drive axle(s) of the power unit and the trailer or trailers, or the entire combination of axles from the steering axle of the power unit to the last trailing axle of the trailer. The number of the left first column is the required distance in feet between the extremes of any group of two (2) or more consecutive axles in relation to the corresponding weight shown in columns to the right.
Distance in Feet
2 Axles
3 Axles
4 Axles
5 Axles
6 Axles
7 Axles
4
34,000
 
 
 
 
 
5
34,000
 
 
 
 
 
6
34,000
 
 
 
 
 
7
34,000
 
 
 
 
 
8
34,000
42,000
 
 
 
 
9
39,000
42,500
 
 
 
 
10
40,000
43,500
 
 
 
 
11
 
44,000
 
 
 
 
12
 
45,000
50,000
 
 
 
13
 
45,500
50,500
 
 
 
14
 
46,500
51,500
 
 
 
15
 
47,000
52,000
 
 
 
16
 
48,000
52,500
58,000
 
 
17
 
48,500
53,500
58,500
 
 
18
 
49,900
54,000
59,000
 
 
19
 
51,400
54,500
60,000
 
 
20
 
52,800
55,500
60,500
66,000
 
21
 
54,300
56,000
61,000
66,500
 
22
 
55,800
56,500
61,500
67,000
 
23
 
57,200
57,500
62,500
68,000
 
24
 
58,700
58,700
63,000
68,500
74,000
25
 
59,650
59,650
63,500
69,000
75,500
26
 
60,600
60,600
64,000
69,500
75,000
27
 
61,550
61,550
65,000
70,000
75,500
28
 
62,500
62,500
65,500
71,000
76,500
29
 
63,450
63,450
66,000
71,500
77,000
30
 
64,400
64,400
66,500
72,000
77,500
31
 
65,350
65,350
67,500
72,500
78,000
32
 
66,300
66,300
68,000
73,000
78,500
33
 
 
67,250
68,500
74,000
79,000
34
 
 
68,200
69,000
74,500
80,000
35
 
 
69,150
70,000
75,000
 
36
 
 
70,100
70,500
75,500
 
37
 
 
71,050
71,050
76,000
 
38
 
 
72,000
72,000
77,000
 
39
 
 
72,000
72,500
77,500
 
40
 
 
72,000
73,000
78,000
 
41
 
 
72,000
73,500
78,500
 
42
 
 
72,000
74,000
79,000
 
43
 
 
72,000
75,000
80,000
 
44
 
 
72,000
75,500
 
 
45
 
 
72,000
76,000
 
 
46
 
 
72,500
76,500
 
 
47
 
 
73,500
77,500
 
 
48
 
 
74,000
78,000
 
 
49
 
 
74,500
78,500
 
 
50
 
 
75,500
79,000
 
 
51
 
 
76,000
80,000
 
 
(2004 Code, sec. 12.502)
(a) 
All officers of the city investigating a possible violation of this article shall have the right to inspect the truck or vehicle and to require same to be driven or taken to an appropriate scale for the purpose of weighing the truck or vehicle, and the operation of the truck or vehicle on any street for this purpose will not be a violation of this article.
(b) 
Any person who shall violate any provisions of this article will be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction will be fined in accordance with the general penalty provision in section 1.01.009 of this code.
(2004 Code, sec. 12.503)