Longer combination vehicles - Colorado

Combination: Truck tractor and 2 trailing units—LCV

LENGTH OF THE CARGO–CARRYING UNITS: 111 feet

MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT: 110,000 pounds

OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS:

WEIGHT: The maximum gross weight is 110,000 pounds, subject to the formula W = 800(L+40) where “W” equals the gross weight in pounds and “L” equals the length in feet between the centers of the first and last axles, or the gross weight determined by the Federal Bridge Formula, whichever is least. A single axle shall not exceed 20,000 pounds and a tandem axle shall not exceed 36,000 pounds.

DRIVER: The driver must have a commercial driver’s license with the appropriate endorsement. The driver cannot have had any suspension of driving privileges in any State during the past 3 years where such suspension arose out of the operation of a motor vehicle used as a contract or common carrier of persons or property.

The driver must be certified by the motor carrier permit holder’s safety office. The certification shall demonstrate that the driver has complied with all written requirements, and that the driver has successfully completed a company–approved road test for each type of combination vehicle operated.

VEHICLE: Vehicles shall not have fewer than six axles or more than nine axles. They shall be configured such that the shorter trailer shall be operated as the rear trailer, and the trailer with the heavier gross weight shall be operated as the front trailer. In the event that the shorter trailer is also the heavier, the load must be adjusted so that the front trailer is the longer and heavier of the two.

Vehicles shall have adequate power to maintain a minimum speed of 20 miles per hour on any grade over which the combination operates and can resume a speed of 20 miles per hour after stopping on any such grade.

Tires must conform to the standards in the Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Rules and Regulations Concerning Minimum Standards for the Operation of Commercial Motor Vehicles, at 8 CCR 1507–1 and C.R.S. 42–4–225 and 42–2–406.

Vehicles are required to have a heavy–duty fifth wheel and equal strength pick–up plates that meet the standards in the DPS Commercial Vehicle Rules. This equipment must be properly lubricated and located in a position that provides stability during normal operation, including braking. The trailers shall follow in the path of the towing vehicle without shifting or swerving more than 3 inches to either side when the towing vehicle is moving in a straight line.

Kingpins must be of a solid type and permanently fastened. Screw–out or folding type kingpins are prohibited.

Hitch connections must be of a no–slack type, preferably air–actuated ram.

Drawbar lengths shall be adequate to provide for the clearances required between the towing vehicle and the trailer(s) for turning and backing maneuvers.

Axles must be those designed for the width of the body of the trailer(s).

Braking systems must comply with the DPS Commercial Vehicle Rules and C.R.S. 42–4–220. Fast air–transmission and release valves must be provided on all trailer(s) and converter dolly axles. A brake force limiting valve, sometimes called a “slippery road” valve, may be provided on the steering axle.

PERMIT: An annual permit is required for which a fee is charged. Also, the vehicle must have an overweight permit pursuant to C.R.S. 42–4–409(11)(a)(II)(A), (B), or (C), and comply with Rule 4–15 in the rules pertaining to Extra–Legal Vehicles or Loads.

A truck tractor and two trailing units wherein at least one of the trailing units exceeds 28.5 feet in length shall not operate on the following designated highway segments during the hours of 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, for Colorado Springs, Denver, and Pueblo. (A truck tractor with two trailing units wherein at least one of the trailing units exceeds 28.5 feet in length not operating at greater than the legal maximum weight of 80,000 pounds is subject to different hours–of–operation restrictions. Refer to rules pertaining to Extra–Legal Vehicles or Loads).

The holder of a longer vehicle combination (LVC) permit must have an established safety program as provided in Chapter 9 of the ”Colorado Department of Highways Rules and Regulations for Operation of Longer Vehicle Combinations on Designated State Highway Segments.” Elements of the program include compliance with minimum safety standards at 8 CCR 1507–1, hazardous materials regulations at 8 CCR 1507–7, –8, and –9, Colorado Uniform Motor Vehicle Law, Articles 1 through 4 of Title 42, C.R.S. as amended, and Public Utility Commission regulations at 4 CCR 723–6, –8, –15, –22, and –23.

ACCESS: A vehicle shall not be operated off the designated portions of the Interstate System except to access food, fuel, repairs, and rest or to access a facility. Access to a facility shall be subject to the following conditions:

1. The facility must:
   1. be a manufacturing or a distribution center, a warehouse, or truck terminal located in an area where industrial uses are permitted;
   2. be a construction site; and
   3. meet the following criteria:
      1. vehicles are formed for transport or broken down for delivery on the premises;
      2. adequate off–roadway space exists on the premises to safely maneuver the vehicles; and
      3. adequate equipment is available on the premises to handle, load, and unload the vehicle, its trailers, and cargo.
2. The facility must be located within a maximum distance of 10 miles from the point where the vehicle enters or exits the designated portions of the Interstate System. Such 10–mile distance shall be measured by the actual route(s) to be traveled to the facility, rather than by a straight-line radius from the designated Interstate System to the facility;
3. The access route(s) between the designated Interstate System and the facility must be approved in advance by the public entity (Colorado DOT, municipality, or county) having jurisdiction for the roadway(s) that make up the route(s). Where the State of Colorado has jurisdiction over the access route(s), it will consider the following safety, engineering, and other criteria in determining whether to approve the route(s):
   1. safety of the motoring public;
   2. geometrics of the street and roadway;
   3. traffic volumes and patterns;
   4. protection of State highways, roadways, and structures;
   5. zoning and general characteristics of the route(s) to be encountered; and
   6. other relevant criteria warranted by special circumstances of the proposed route(s).
   Local entities, counties, and municipalities having jurisdiction over route(s), should consider similar criteria in determining whether to approve the proposed ingress and egress route(s); and
4. A permit holder shall access only the facility or location authorized by the permit. If the permit authorizes more than one facility or location, then on any single trip by an LVC from the designated Interstate System the permit holder may access only one facility or location before returning to the designated Interstate System.

ROUTES:

LEGAL CITATIONS: Vehicles must comply with all applicable statutes, such as C.R.S. 42–4–402(1), 42–4–404(1), 42–4–407(1)(c)(III)(A), 42–4–409(11)(a)(II)(A), (B) or (C). All LVC’s must comply with the Extra–Legal Vehicles and Loads Rules and the Longer Vehicle Combination Rules. However, when the rules address the same subject, the LVC, since it is operating at greater than 80,000 pounds, must comply with the Extra–Legal Vehicles and Loads Rules. Such rules are: 4–1–2 and 4–1–3 concerning holiday travel restrictions, 4–1–5 concerning hours of operation restrictions, 4–8 concerning minimum distance between vehicles and 4–15 concerning maximum allowable gross weight.

Combination: Truck tractor and 3 trailing units—LCV

LENGTH OF THE CARGO–CARRYING UNITS: 115.5 feet

MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT: 110,000 pounds

OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS: Same as the CO–TT2 combination.

ROUTES: Same as the CO–TT2 combination.

LEGAL CITATIONS: Same as the CO–TT2 combination.

Combination: Truck–trailer

LENGTH OF THE CARGO–CARRYING UNITS: 78 feet

OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS:

WEIGHT: This combination must operate in compliance with State laws and regulations. Because it is not an LCV, it is not subject to the ISTEA freeze as it applies to maximum weight.

DRIVER, VEHICLE, PERMIT, and ACCESS: Same as the CO–TT2 combination.

ROUTES: Same as the CO–TT2 combination.

LEGAL CITATIONS: Same as the CO–TT2 combination.