Vehicles; weight limit; further restrictions by Department of Transportation, when authorized; axle load; load limit on bridges; overloading; liability.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,294
in effect60-6,294. Vehicles; weight limit; further restrictions by Department of Transportation, when authorized; axle load; load limit on bridges; overloading; liability.
(1) Every vehicle, whether operated singly or in a combination of vehicles, and every combination of vehicles shall comply with subsections (2) and (3) of this section except as provided in sections 60-6,294.01, 60-6,297, and 60-6,383. The limitations imposed by this section shall be supplemental to all other provisions imposing limitations upon the size and weight of vehicles.
(2) No wheel of a vehicle or trailer equipped with pneumatic or solid rubber tires shall carry a gross load in excess of ten thousand pounds on any highway nor shall any axle carry a gross load in excess of twenty thousand pounds on any highway. An axle load shall be defined as the total load transmitted to the highway by all wheels the centers of which may be included between two parallel transverse vertical planes forty inches apart extending across the full width of the vehicle.
(3) No group of two or more consecutive axles shall carry a load in pounds in excess of the value given in the following table corresponding to the distance in feet between the extreme axles of the group, measured longitudinally to the nearest foot, except that the maximum load carried on any group of two or more axles shall not exceed eighty thousand pounds on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways unless the Director-State Engineer pursuant to section 60-6,295 authorizes a greater weight.
Distance in feet Maximum load in pounds carried between the on any group of two or more extremes of consecutive axles any group of two or more consecutive Two Three Four Five Six Seven axles Axles Axles Axles Axles Axles 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 49,500 54,000 59,000 19 50,000 54,500 60,000 20 51,000 55,500 60,500 21 51,500 56,000 61,000 22 52,500 56,500 61,500 23 53,000 57,500 62,500 24 54,000 58,000 63,000 25 54,500 58,500 63,500 69,000 26 55,500 59,500 64,000 69,500 27 56,000 60,000 65,000 70,000 28 57,000 60,500 65,500 71,000 29 57,500 61,500 66,000 71,500 30 58,500 62,000 66,500 72,000 31 59,000 62,500 67,500 72,500 32 60,000 63,500 68,000 73,000 33 64,000 68,500 74,000 34 64,500 69,000 74,500 35 65,500 70,000 75,000 36 66,000 70,500 75,500 37 66,500 71,000 76,000 81,500 38 67,500 72,000 77,000 82,000 39 68,000 72,500 77,500 82,500 40 68,500 73,000 78,000 83,500 41 69,500 73,500 78,500 84,000 42 70,000 74,000 79,000 84,500 43 70,500 75,000 80,000 85,000 44 71,500 75,500 80,500 85,500 45 72,000 76,000 81,000 86,000 46 72,500 76,500 81,500 87,000 47 73,500 77,500 82,000 87,500 48 74,000 78,000 83,000 88,000 49 74,500 78,500 83,500 88,500 50 75,500 79,000 84,000 89,000 51 76,000 80,000 84,500 89,500 52 76,500 80,500 85,000 90,500 53 77,500 81,000 86,000 91,000 54 78,000 81,500 86,500 91,500 55 78,500 82,500 87,000 92,000 56 79,500 83,000 87,500 92,500 57 80,000 83,500 88,000 93,000 58 84,000 89,000 94,000 59 85,000 89,500 94,500 60 85,500 90,000 95,000
(4) The distance between axles shall be measured to the nearest foot. When a fraction is exactly one-half foot, the next larger whole number shall be used, except that:
(a) Any group of three axles shall be restricted to a maximum load of thirty-four thousand pounds unless the distance between the extremes of the first and third axles is at least ninety-six inches in fact; and
(b) The maximum gross load on any group of two axles, the distance between the extremes of which is more than eight feet but less than eight feet six inches, shall be thirty-eight thousand pounds.
(5) The limitations of subsections (2) through (4) of this section shall apply as stated to all main, rural, and intercity highways but shall not be construed as inhibiting heavier axle loads in metropolitan areas, except on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, if such loads are not prohibited by city ordinance.
(6) The weight limitations of wheel and axle loads as defined in subsections (2) through (4) of this section shall be restricted to the extent deemed necessary by the Department of Transportation for a reasonable period when road subgrades or pavements are weak or are materially weakened by climatic conditions.
(7) Two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of thirty-four thousand pounds each when the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is thirty-six, thirty-seven, or thirty-eight feet except as provided in section 60-6,297. Such vehicles shall be subject to section 60-6,301.
(8) If any vehicle crosses a bridge with a total gross load in excess of the posted capacity of such bridge and as a result of such crossing any damage results to the bridge, the owner of such vehicle shall be responsible for all of such damage.
(9) Vehicles equipped with a greater number of axles than provided in the table in subsection (3) of this section shall be legal if they do not exceed the maximum load upon any wheel or axle, the maximum load upon any group of two or more consecutive axles, and the total gross weight, or any of such weights as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section.
(10) Subsections (1) through (9) of this section shall not apply to a vehicle which has been issued a permit pursuant to section 60-6,299, self-propelled specialized mobile equipment with a fixed load when the requirements of subdivision (2)(i) of section 60-6,288 are met, or an emergency vehicle when the requirements of subdivision (1)(a)(v) of section 60-6,298 are met.
(11) Any two consecutive axles the centers of which are more than forty inches and not more than ninety-six inches apart, measured to the nearest inch between any two adjacent axles in the series, shall be defined as tandem axles, and the gross weight transmitted to the road surface through such series shall not exceed thirty-four thousand pounds. No axle of the series shall exceed the maximum weight permitted under this section for a single axle.
(12) Dummy axles shall be disregarded in determining the lawful weight of a vehicle or vehicle combination for operation on the highway. Dummy axle shall mean an axle attached to a vehicle or vehicle combination in a manner so that it does not articulate or substantially equalize the load and does not carry at least the lesser of eight thousand pounds or eight percent of the gross weight of the vehicle or vehicle combination.
(13) The maximum gross weight limit and the axle weight limit for any vehicle or combination of vehicles equipped with idle reduction technology may be increased by an amount necessary to compensate for the additional weight of the idle reduction technology as provided in 23 U.S.C. 127(a)(12), as such section existed on October 1, 2012. The additional amount of weight allowed by this subsection shall not exceed five hundred fifty pounds and shall not be construed to be in addition to the five-percent-in-excess-of-maximum-load provision of subdivision (1) of section 60-6,301.
(14)(a) The maximum gross weight for any vehicle or combination of vehicles (i) operated on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, including adjoining portions of the state highway system for reasonable access to terminals and facilities for food, fuel, repairs, and rest, as designated by the Department of Transportation, and (ii) powered (A) by an engine fueled primarily by natural gas or (B) primarily by means of electric battery power, may exceed the gross weight limitations provided in subsections (2), (3), (4), (7), (9), and (11) of this section in an amount that:
(b)(i) Is up to a maximum of two thousand pounds; and
(ii) Does not exceed eighty-two thousand pounds.
(15) For purposes of this subsection, emergency vehicle means a vehicle designed to be used under emergency conditions to transport personnel and equipment and to support the suppression of fires and mitigation of other hazardous situations. An emergency vehicle may exceed the gross load limitations provided in subsections (2), (3), (4), (7), (9), and (11) of this section on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, including adjoining portions of the state highway system for reasonable access to terminals and facilities for food, fuel, repairs, and rest, as designated by the Department of Transportation, up to a gross vehicle weight of eighty-six thousand pounds, and that does not exceed:
(a) Twenty-four thousand pounds on a single steering axle;
(b) Thirty-three thousand five hundred pounds on a single drive axle;
(c) Sixty-two thousand pounds on a tandem axle; or
(d) Fifty-two thousand pounds on a tandem rear drive steer axle.
Laws 1933, c. 105, § 4, p. 426; Laws 1939, c. 50, § 2, p. 218; C.S.Supp.,1941, § 39-1035; Laws 1943, c. 133, § 2, p. 446; R.S.1943, § 39-722; Laws 1945, c. 91, § 1, p. 312; Laws 1947, c. 147, § 1, p. 403; Laws 1953, c. 131, § 9, p. 404; Laws 1953, c. 134, § 1, p. 416; Laws 1959, c. 164, § 2, p. 600; Laws 1969, c. 318, § 1, p. 1150; R.S.Supp.,1972, § 39-722; Laws 1980, LB 284, § 4; Laws 1982, LB 383, § 2; Laws 1984, LB 726, § 1; Laws 1985, LB 553, § 6; Laws 1987, LB 132, § 1; Laws 1990, LB 369, § 4; R.S.Supp.,1992, § 39-6,180; Laws 1993, LB 370, § 390; Laws 1995, LB 186, § 1; Laws 1996, LB 1104, § 4; Laws 2000, LB 1361, § 8; Laws 2005, LB 82, § 3; Laws 2008, LB756, § 26; Laws 2016, LB977, § 25; Laws 2017, LB339, § 222; Laws 2018, LB909, § 106; Laws 2020, LB944, § 70.
Source: Nebraska Legislature (nebraskalegislature.gov)URL: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-6,294Fetched: 10/20/2026