Truck weight limits
Washington
✓ Sources verifiedEditorial review pending credentialed reviewer4 primary sources
Washington limits any single axle to 20,000 lb and allows two consecutive sets of tandem axles at 34,000 lb each. Gross weight is not a single figure: it comes from the bridge formula W = 500((LN/(N−1)) + 12N + 36) and reaches 105,500 lb for some six-or-more-axle combinations spaced 86 feet or greater — well above the 80,000 lb federal Interstate cap, which still governs on Interstate highways.
At a glance
Max gross weight—
Max single axle20,000 lb
Max tandem axle34,000 lb
Permit (width)—
Permit (height)—
vs. federal gross—
1 Limits and thresholds
| Property | Value | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Max single axle | 20,000 lb[1] | RCW 46.44.041 |
| Max tandem axle | 34,000 lb[1]Two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry 34,000 lb each. | RCW 46.44.041 |
| 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
- RCW 46.44.041 — Maximum gross weights — Washington State Legislature
- 49 CFR § 383.51 — Disqualification of drivers — U.S. Government Publishing Office
- WAC 204-24-050 — Use of tire chains or other traction devices — Washington State Patrol / Office of the Code Reviser
- RCW 46.61.410 — Maximum speed limits, when — Washington State Legislature, Office of the Code Reviser
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.