Truck weight limits
Texas
✓ Sources verifiedEditorial review pending credentialed reviewer2 primary sources
Texas mirrors the federal Interstate limits: 80,000 lb gross, 20,000 lb single axle and 34,000 lb tandem (each including all enforcement tolerances), with the bridge formula governing axle groups. Legal dimensions are 102 inches wide and 14 feet high; loads beyond either threshold need a TxDMV oversize/overweight permit. Natural-gas and battery-electric trucks get a 2,000 lb gross allowance, capped at 82,000 lb (§ 621.101(b-1)).
At a glance
Max gross weight80,000 lb
Max single axle20,000 lb
Max tandem axle34,000 lb
Permit (width)102 in
Permit (height)14 ft
vs. federal gross0 lb
1 Limits and thresholds
| Property | Value | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Max gross weight | 80,000 lb[1]Including all enforcement tolerances. NG/EV trucks may add 2,000 lb, capped at 82,000 lb — § 621.101(b-1). | § 621.101(b) |
| Max single axle | 20,000 lb[1] | § 621.101(a)(1) |
| Max tandem axle | 34,000 lb[1] | § 621.101(a)(2) |
| Oversize permit above (width) | 102 in[1]Excludes federally/DPS-designated safety devices. | § 621.201(a) |
| Oversize permit above (height) | 14 ft[1]Above 13'6" the operator must verify every vertical clearance en route — § 621.207(b). | § 621.207(a) |
| CDL disqualification — first major | 1 year for a first conviction while operating a CMV or a non-CMV; 3 years if operating a CMV transporting placarded hazardous materials. Applies to alcohol/controlled-substance influence, 0.04+ BAC in a CMV, test refusal, leaving the scene, using the vehicle in a felony, driving while disqualified, and causing a fatality by negligent operation.[2]Federal floor. A state may impose longer periods but may not go below this; verify state law before relying on it. | § 383.51(b), Table 1 |
| CDL disqualification — lifetime | Life for a second conviction of any combination of the Table 1 major offences in a separate incident. A state MAY reinstate after 10 years following an approved rehabilitation programme — § 383.51(a)(6) — but not after a subsequent disqualifying conviction. Felony manufacture/distribution of a controlled substance, and severe forms of human trafficking, draw life with NO 10-year reinstatement.[2]Federal floor. The 10-year reinstatement is permissive — states are not required to offer it. | § 383.51(a)(6), (b) Table 1 items (9)–(10) |
2 Sources
- Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 621 — General Provisions Relating to Vehicle Size and Weight — Texas Legislature
- 49 CFR § 383.51 — Disqualification of drivers — U.S. Government Publishing Office
Review record
Every figure above was transcribed from the primary source cited beside it and carries a pinpoint locator. Editorial review by a credentialed reviewer is pending.