Federal & State Regulations | Size/Weight limits - North Carolina

Dimension	National Network	State and Other Supplemental Highways
Width:	8' 6"	8' 6"
Height:	13' 6"	13' 6"
Length:	National Network	State and Other Supplemental Highways
Bus	45' government operated	45' government operated
Articulated bus	65' government operated	65' government operated
Straight Trucks	40'	40'
Straight truck and trailer	60'	60'
Tractor-semitrailer combinations	No limit with legal trailer	No limit with legal trailer
Semitrailer	53' see KPRA	53' see KPRA
Tractor-twin-trailer combination	No limit allowed on highways designated for STAA dimensioned vehicles	Not allowed
Trailers of twin-trailer combinations	28'	Not allowed
Boat-transporter combination
Overhang limitations
Stinger-steered boat-transporter
Overhang limitations
Auto-transporter
Overhang limitations
Stinger-steered auto-transporter
Overhang limitations
Saddlemount	NS up to 3	NS up to 3
General overhang limitations	3' front, 14' rear If the load extends more than 4, beyond the rear of the vehicle, must be properly flagged or lit	3' front, 14' rear If the load extends more than 4, beyond the rear of the vehicle, must be properly flagged or lit
Drawbar
Dromedary
Kingpin to rearaxle	41' to the rearmost axle or a point midway between the two rear axles	41' to the rearmost axle or a point midway between the two rear axles 53' allowed on primary roads with KPRA 48' trailers allowed with truck tractors on all roads
Length special limitations or restrictions
Weight:	Interstate and Defense Highways	State and Other Supplemental Highways
Steer axle
Single axle	20,000	20,000
Tandem axle	38,000	38,000
Tridem axle
Gross vehicle weight	80,000	80,000
Load per inch width of tire
Per wheel
Tolerances
APU allowance	550 by adoption	550 by adoption
Natural gas allowance	2,000 by adoption	2,000 by adoption
Weight special limitations or restrictions

Bridge rules

The gross weight imposed upon the highway by any axle group of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed the maximum weight given for the respective distance between the first and last axle of the group of axles measured longitudinally to the nearest foot as set forth in the following table:

Distance in feet between the extremes of any group of 2 or more consecutive axles	Maximum Weight in Pounds for any Group of Two or More Consecutive Axles Including all Tolerances
4	38,000
5	38,000
6	38,000
7	38,000
8 or less	38,000	38,000
More than 8	38,000	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		49,500	54,000	59,000
19		50,000	54,500	60,000
20		51,000	55,500	60,500	66,000
21		51,500	56,000	61,000	66,500
22		52,500	56,500	61,500	67,000
23		53,000	57,500	62,500	68,000
24		54,000	58,000	63,000	68,500	74,000
25		54,500	58,500	63,500	69,000	74,500
26		55,500	59,500	64,000	69,500	75,000
27		56,000	60,000	65,000	70,000	75,500
28		57,000	60,500	65,500	71,000	76,500
29		57,500	61,500	66,000	71,500	77,000
30		58,500	62,000	66,500	72,000	77,500
31		59,000	62,500	67,500	72,500	78,000
32		60,000	63,500	68,000	73,000	78,500
33			64,000	68,500	74,000	79,000
34			64,500	69,000	74,500	80,000
35			65,500	70,000	75,000
36			66,000*	70,500	75,500
37			66,500*	71,000	76,000
38			67,500*	72,000	77,000
39			68,000	72,500	77,500
40			68,500	73,000	78,000
41			69,500	73,500	78,500
42			70,000	74,000	79,000
43			70,500	75,000	80,000
44			71,500	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
52			76,500
53			77,500
54			78,000
55			78,500
56			79,500
57			80,000
*Two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each without penalty provided the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles if 36 feet or more.

Distance in feet between the extremes of any group of 2 or more consecutive axles	Maximum Weight in Pounds for any Group of Two or More Consecutive Axles Including all Tolerances
4	38,000
5	38,000
6	38,000
7	38,000
8 or less	38,000	38,000
More than 8	38,000	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		49,500	54,000	59,000
19		50,000	54,500	60,000
20		51,000	55,500	60,500	66,000
21		51,500	56,000	61,000	66,500
22		52,500	56,500	61,500	67,000
23		53,000	57,500	62,500	68,000
24		54,000	58,000	63,000	68,500	74,000
25		54,500	58,500	63,500	69,000	74,500
26		55,500	59,500	64,000	69,500	75,000
27		56,000	60,000	65,000	70,000	75,500
28		57,000	60,500	65,500	71,000	76,500
29		57,500	61,500	66,000	71,500	77,000
30		58,500	62,000	66,500	72,000	77,500
31		59,000	62,500	67,500	72,500	78,000
32		60,000	63,500	68,000	73,000	78,500
33			64,000	68,500	74,000	79,000
34			64,500	69,000	74,500	80,000
35			65,500	70,000	75,000
36			66,000*	70,500	75,500
37			66,500*	71,000	76,000
38			67,500*	72,000	77,000
39			68,000	72,500	77,500
40			68,500	73,000	78,000
41			69,500	73,500	78,500
42			70,000	74,000	79,000
43			70,500	75,000	80,000
44			71,500	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
52			76,500
53			77,500
54			78,000
55			78,500
56			79,500
57			80,000
*Two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each without penalty provided the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles if 36 feet or more.

View agency contact information

Distance in feet between the extremes of any group of 2 or more consecutive axles	Maximum Weight in Pounds for any Group of Two or More Consecutive Axles Including all Tolerances
	2 axles	3 axles	4 axles	5 axles	6 axles	7 axles
4	38,000
5	38,000
6	38,000
7	38,000
8 or less	38,000	38,000
More than 8	38,000	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		49,500	54,000	59,000
19		50,000	54,500	60,000
20		51,000	55,500	60,500	66,000
21		51,500	56,000	61,000	66,500
22		52,500	56,500	61,500	67,000
23		53,000	57,500	62,500	68,000
24		54,000	58,000	63,000	68,500	74,000
25		54,500	58,500	63,500	69,000	74,500
26		55,500	59,500	64,000	69,500	75,000
27		56,000	60,000	65,000	70,000	75,500
28		57,000	60,500	65,500	71,000	76,500
29		57,500	61,500	66,000	71,500	77,000
30		58,500	62,000	66,500	72,000	77,500
31		59,000	62,500	67,500	72,500	78,000
32		60,000	63,500	68,000	73,000	78,500
33			64,000	68,500	74,000	79,000
34			64,500	69,000	74,500	80,000
35			65,500	70,000	75,000
36			66,000*	70,500	75,500
37			66,500*	71,000	76,000
38			67,500*	72,000	77,000
39			68,000	72,500	77,500
40			68,500	73,000	78,000
41			69,500	73,500	78,500
42			70,000	74,000	79,000
43			70,500	75,000	80,000
44			71,500	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
52			76,500
53			77,500
54			78,000
55			78,500
56			79,500
57			80,000
*Two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each without penalty provided the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles if 36 feet or more.

...

Size/Weight limits - North Carolina

Bridge rules