Article VI. Size and Weight of Vehicles.
Sec. 18-134. Width of vehicles and exceptions as to size.[273]
No vehicle, including any load thereon, but excluding the
mirror required by section 18-103, shall exceed a total outside
width as follows: (1) Farm tractor—One hundred eight
inches; (2) passenger bus operated in the city when authorized
pursuant to Code of Virginia, 1950, section 46.1-180—
One hundred two inches; (3) other vehicles—Ninety-six
inches. (Code 1959, § 18-34.)
Sec. 18-135. Height of vehicles; damage to overhead obstruction;
notice of damage to overhead bridges,
etc.[274]
(a) No vehicle, unladen or with load, shall exceed a
height of thirteen feet, six inches.
(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to
require either public authorities or railroad companies to provide
vertical clearances of overhead bridges or structures in
excess of twelve feet, six inches, or to make any changes in
the vertical clearance of existing overhead bridges or structures
crossing streets or highways. The operator or owner of
vehicles operating on streets or highways shall be held
financially responsible for any damage to overhead bridges
or structures that result from collisions therewith.
(c) The operator or owner of any vehicle colliding with
any overhead bridge or structure shall immediately notify,
either in person or by telephone, the public authority or railroad
company owning or maintaining such overhead bridge
or structure, or a police officer, of the fact of such collision,
and his name, address, operator's or chauffeur's license number
and the registration number of his vehicle. Failure to give
such notice immediately, either in person or by telephone, shall
constitute a violation of this chapter. (Code 1959, § 18-135;
6-21-65, § 21.)
Sec. 18-136. Length of vehicles—Generally; special permits.[275]
Except for passenger busses, no motor vehicle exceeding a
length of thirty-five feet shall be operated upon a street within
this city. The actual length of any combination of vehicles
coupled together, including any load thereon, shall not exceed
a total of fifty-five feet, and no tolerance shall be allowed
thereon; provided, that the city manager, when good cause
is shown, may issue a special permit for combinations in
excess of fifty-five feet, including any load thereon, where
the objects to be carried can not be moved otherwise; and
passenger busses in excess of thirty-five feet, but not exceeding
forty feet, may be operated on the streets of this city,
when authorized pursuant to section 46.1-180 of the Code of
Virginia. (Code 1959, § 18-136; 6-21-65, § 22.)
Sec. 18-137. Same—Mobile homes or house trailers.[276]
The actual length of any combination of a towing vehicle
and any mobile home or house trailer, coupled together, shall
not exceed a total length of fifty-five feet, including coupling.
(Code 1959, § 18-137.)
Sec. 18-138. Size limitations inapplicable to farm machinery
and fire-fighting equipment.[277]
The limitations upon size of vehicles prescribed in sections
18-134 to 18-136 and sections 18-139 and 18-140 shall not
apply to farm machinery other than farm tractors when such
machinery is temporarily propelled, hauled, transported or
moved upon any street by a farm machinery distributor or
dealer or by a farmer in the ordinary course of business, nor
to fire-fighting equipment of any county, city, town or firefighting
company or association. (Code 1959, § 18-138; 6-21-65,
§ 23.)
Sec. 18-139. Extension of loads beyond front of vehicles.[278]
No train of vehicles or a vehicle operated alone shall carry
any load extending more than three feet beyond the front
thereof. (Code 1959, § 18-139.)
Sec. 18-140. Extension of loads beyond sides.[279]
No vehicle shall carry any load extending more than six
inches beyond the line of the fender or body; provided, that
such load shall not exceed a total outside width as prescribed
by section 18-134. (Code 1959, § 18-140; 6-21-65, § 24.)
Sec. 18-141. Vehicles having more than one trailer, etc., attached
thereto.[280]
No motor vehicle shall be driven upon a street drawing or
having attached thereto more than one motor vehicle, trailer
or semitrailer unless such vehicle is being operated under a
special permit from the state highway commission, but this
limitation shall not apply between sunrise and sunset to such
farm trailers or semitrailers being moved from one farm to
another farm owned or operated by the same person within
a radius of ten miles; provided, that this limitation shall
not apply to a combination of vehicles coupled together by a
saddle mount device used to transport motor vehicles in a
drive-away service from factory to dealer when not more
than two saddle mounts are used and such use is in conformity
with safety regulations adopted by the superintendent.
(Code 1959, § 18-141; 6-21-65, § 25.)
Sec. 18-142. Connection between vehicles.[281]
The connection between any two vehicles, one of which is
towing or drawing the other on a street, shall consist of a
fifth wheel, drawbar or other similar device not to exceed ten
feet in length from one vehicle to the other and such two
vehicles shall in addition to such drawbar or other similar
device be equipped at all times when so operated on a street
with an emergency chain. (Code 1959, § 18-142.)
Sec. 18-143. Same—In case of breakdown.[282]
The provisions of section 18-142 shall not apply in case of
a bona fide emergency resulting from a mechanical breakdown
or an accident when such vehicle is being towed to the nearest
garage or repair shop which can furnish the required
service. In any such case, such connection may consist solely
of a chain, rope or cable of not over fifteen feet in length
between vehicles; provided, that a licensed operator shall be
at the controls of the towed vehicle to brake, steer and control
the lights thereof. (Code 1959, § 18-143.)
Sec. 18-144. Towing unlicensed or uninspected motor vehicle.[283]
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit towing
an unlicensed motor vehicle or motor vehicle which has
not been inspected. (Code 1959, § 18-144.)
Sec. 18-145. Weight of vehicles and loads.
The maximum gross weight and axle weight to be permitted
on the road surface of any street in the city shall be in accordance
with the provisions of Code of Virginia, section
46.1-339.[284]
(Code 1959, § 18-145.)
Sec. 18-146. When weight and load limits may be decreased.[285]
The city manager and the chief of police, in their discretion,
may make, promulgate and enforce rules and regulations
decreasing the weight and load limit specified in Code of Virginia,
section 46.1-339, for a total period not to exceed ninety
days in any calendar year, when operation over streets by
reason of deterioration, rain, snow or other climatic conditions
will seriously damage such streets unless such weights
are reduced. The city manager shall cause to be erected signs
stating the weight specified in such rule or regulation at each
end of the section of the street affected and no such rule or
regulation shall be effective until such signs are erected. Any
person violating such rules and regulations shall be punished
as provided in section 18-22. (Code 1959, § 18-146.)
Sec. 18-147. Permits for vehicles of excessive size and
weight.[286]
(a) The city manager and the chief of police may, in their
discretion, upon application in writing and good cause being
shown therefor, issue a special permit, in writing, authorizing
the applicant to operate or move a vehicle upon the streets
of a size or weight exceeding the maximum specified in this
article. Every such permit may designate the route to be
traversed and contain any other restrictions or conditions
deemed necessary by the city manager and the chief of police.
(b) Provided, however, that the city manager and the
chief of police, upon application in writing made by the owner
or operator of three axle trucks hauling road construction
materials and having a gross weight not exceeding forty-three
thousand nine hundred pounds, a single axle weight not exceeding
eighteen thousand pounds, and a tandem axle weight
not exceeding thirty-two thousand pounds, shall issue to such
owner or operator, without cost, a permit in writing authorizing
the operation of such vehicles upon the streets. No such
permit shall designate the route to be traversed, nor contain
restrictions or conditions not applicable to other vehicles in
their general use of the highways; provided further, that the
city manager and the chief of police, upon application in
writing made by the owner or operator of three-axle vehicles
used exclusively for the mixing of concrete in transit and
having a gross weight not exceeding fifty thousand pounds,
a single axle weight not exceeding eighteen thousand pounds,
and a tandem axle weight not exceeding thirty-six thousand
pounds, shall issue to such owner or operator, without cost, a
permit in writing authorizing the operation of such vehicles
upon the streets. No such permit shall designate the route to
be traversed nor contain restrictions or conditions not applicable
to other vehicles of this weight in their general use
of the highways.
(c) Provided further, that the city manager and the chief
of police, upon application in writing, made by the owner or
operator of vehicles used exclusively for the hauling of coal
from a mine or other place of production to a preparation
plant or railroad, shall issue to such owner or operator, without
cost, a permit in writing authorizing the operation of
three-axle vehicles having a gross weight not exceeding
fifty thousand pounds, a single axle weight not exceeding
twenty-four thousand pounds and a tandem axle weight not
exceeding forty thousand pounds, and shall issue such permit
for two-axle vehicles having a gross weight not exceeding
thirty-six thousand pounds and a single-axle weight not exceeding
twenty-four thousand pounds.
(d) Every permit required by this section shall be carried
in the vehicle to which it refers and shall be open to inspection
by any police officer, and any person violating any of the
terms or conditions of such special permit shall be punished
as provided in section 18-22. (Code 1959, § 18-147.)
Sec. 18-148. Weighing vehicles.[287]
An officer authorized to enforce the law under this chapter,
having reason to believe that the weight of a vehicle and load
is unlawful, is authorized to weigh the same. If the place
where the vehicle is stopped is ten miles or less from a permanent
weighing station, the officer may, and upon demand
of the driver, shall require the vehicle to proceed to such
station. If the distance to the nearest permanent weighing
station is more than ten miles, such vehicle may be weighed
by loadometers. Any operator who fails or refuses to drive
his vehicle to such permanent weighing station or upon such
scales or loadometers upon the request and direction of the
officer to do so, shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not
less than ten dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, which
penalty shall be in addition to any other penalties prescribed
for exceeding the maximum gross weight permitted or for
any other violation. Should the officer find that the weight of
any vehicle and its load is greater than that permitted by this
article, or that the weight of the load carried in or on such
vehicle is greater than that which the vehicle is licensed to
carry, he may require the driver to unload, at the nearest
place where the property unloaded may be stored or transferred
to another vehicle, such portion of the load as
may be necessary to decrease the gross weight of the vehicle
to the maximum therefore permitted by this article. If the
driver of an overloaded vehicle is convicted, forfeits bail or
purchases an increased license as a result of such weighing,
the court in addition to all other penalties shall assess and
collect a weighing fee of two dollars from the owner or
operator of the vehicle. (Code 1959, § 18-148.)
