Special Permits—Requirements
Seattle Mun. Code § 11.61.050
in effect11.61.050 - Special Permits—Requirements
The Director may issue a special permit when the Director has determined that all of the following requirements have been met:
A. General Requirements.
1. The applicant has submitted a complete application to the Director on a form approved by the Director;
2. The applicant affirms the container chassis loads will be limited to sealed ocean-going containers;
3. The truck tractor to be permitted (the "permitted truck tractor") has been thoroughly described and identified;
4. The applicant has shown proof of seven hundred fifty thousand dollars liability insurance for the cost of any accident, damage, or injury to any person or property resulting from the operation of the truck tractor and container chassis combination of vehicles covered by the special permit upon the public highways: Provided, that a noncommercial operator shall have at least three hundred thousand dollars liability insurance;
5. The truck tractor has undergone a Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspection within the last six months, displays a current CVSA decal, and the Director is satisfied that, at the time of issuance of the special permit, the truck tractor meets the CVSA safety requirements; provided that, for purpose of issuance of the special permit, the Director may rely upon proof of CVSA inspection that the truck tractor meets the CVSA safety requirements; and further that through the permit the applicant affirms the truck tractor will undergo a second CVSA inspection within six months of permit issuance;
6. Through application for a heavy haul permit, the applicant acknowledges and affirms that:
a. The truck tractor and container chassis combination of vehicles is properly licensed to make the proposed moves and carry sealed ocean-going container loads, in accordance with the provisions of Washington state law;
b. All operators of the truck tractor for which the special permit is issued are and will be properly licensed to operate during the 1-year permit period in the manner proposed in the special permit;
c. Each container chassis will be loaded only with sealed ocean-going containers;
d. The applicant will comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations pertaining to the issuance of any special permit;
e. The applicant will maintain a current CVSA certification for the permitted truck tractor and a current certification for each container chassis used in combination therewith, for each movement made under the special permit;
f. That the operator or driver of the permitted truck tractor will be, at all times when moving a load within the heavy haul network, an agent of the applicant or the applicant themselves and authorized to accept service of a citation on behalf of the applicant for any violations of this Chapter or the provisions of Title 11 of the Seattle Municipal Code of the City;
g. The special permit is granted with the specific understanding that the applicant, or truck tractor owner, lessor, or operator, shall be responsible and liable for accidents, damage or injury to any person or property resulting from the operation of the permitted truck tractor and container chassis combination carrying over legal weight loads within and upon the heavy haul network and the applicant shall hold harmless and shall indemnify the City of Seattle, its officers (elected or appointed), agents and employees against any and all claims, demands, loss, injury, damage, actions and costs of actions whatsoever, which any of them may have sustained by reason of unlawful acts, conduct or operations of the applicant or operator of the permitted truck tractor in connection with such operations; and
h. That the agent filing the application on behalf of the applicant has the authority and is authorized to bind the applicant to the terms and conditions of the special permit.
B. Minimum Axle Requirements. To obtain the special permit, the truck tractor and container chassis combination of vehicles shall have a minimum of two consecutive sets of tandem axles with a minimum overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles of thirty-six feet; provided further that the truck tractor's steering axle shall not exceed 600 pounds per inch of tire width, as determined by the tire manufacturer's sidewall markings.
C. Maximum Gross Loads for Combinations. To obtain the special permit, the maximum gross load for the permitted truck tractor and container chassis combination of vehicles shall be as follows:
1. A truck tractor and container chassis combination of vehicles meeting the minimum axle requirements as provided in Section 11.61.050.B herein shall be authorized to carry a gross load of forty thousand pounds on the container chassis tandem axles and forty-three thousand pounds on the truck tractor drive tandem axles;
2. A truck tractor and container chassis combination of vehicles with five axles shall not exceed a gross load of ninety-eight thousand pounds;
3. The maximum gross load weight limit for truck tractors equipped with a drop axle ahead of the tandem drive axles shall be the greater of 43,000 pounds or the maximum gross load weight limits established pursuant to RCW 46.44.041 as now or hereafter amended; and
4. In no circumstances shall any gross load exceed the manufacturer's equipment weight limits as displayed by the manufacturer on the equipment, including without limitation, the truck tractor, the container chassis and the tires.
D. Exception to weight limits. Obtaining a special heavy haul route network special permit authorized under Chapter 11.61 serves as an exception to the weight limits set forth in Sections 11.60.340 and 11.60.370.
(Ord. 124890, § 1, 2015)
Source: City of Seattle, Seattle Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT11VETR_SUBTITLE_ITRCO_PT6SPDROPRE_CH11.61HEHAINNE_11.61.050SPPEEQFetched: 11/1/2026