October 6, 2011 - Introduced by Senators Lazich, Lasee and Galloway, cosponsored
by Representatives Petrowski, Endsley, Stone, Ripp, Farrow, A. Ott and
Tranel. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Elections.
SB222,1,5 1An Act to amend 348.25 (3), 348.25 (8) (a) 3., 348.25 (8) (b) 3. (intro.), 348.25 (8)
2(d), 348.26 (1), 348.26 (2), 348.27 (1) and 348.28 (1); and to create 348.25 (8) (a)
34., 348.25 (8) (b) 4., 348.26 (8), 348.27 (17) and 348.29 of the statutes; relating
4to:
permits for overweight vehicles or vehicle combinations transporting sealed
5containers or vehicles in international trade.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, with limited exceptions, no person may operate on a
highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles that exceeds certain statutory weight
limits unless the person obtains a permit issued by the Department of
Transportation (DOT) or a local authority, as applicable.
This bill allows DOT to issue overweight permits for vehicles or vehicle
combinations (vehicles) that have six or more axles and that are transporting sealed
loads. The bill defines a "sealed load" as a container or vehicle, being transported in
international trade, that has been sealed with a tamper-evident seal. The permit
does not authorize the operation of any vehicle at a maximum gross weight in excess
of 90,000 pounds. Permit applications must be made electronically to DOT utilizing
an electronic process prescribed by DOT.
The bill further specifies that, as with all other vehicle size or weight permits,
if DOT issues an agricultural emergency permit or farm machinery permit, the
permit must be carried on the vehicle during operation.
Under current law, if any bill introduced in either house of the legislature
directly or indirectly establishes an exception to vehicle weight limitations, DOT

must prepare a report, containing specified information, relating to the bill within
six weeks after the bill is introduced and before any vote is taken on the bill. This
bill directs DOT not to prepare such a report on this bill because DOT recently
completed the Wisconsin Truck Size and Weight Study that contained the same or
similar information that would be contained in a report on this bill.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB222, s. 1 1Section 1. 348.25 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB222,2,132 348.25 (3) The department shall prescribe forms for applications for all single
3trip permits the granting of which is authorized by s. 348.26 (2) to (7) and for those
4annual, consecutive month or multiple trip permits the granting of which is
5authorized by s. 348.27 (2) and (4) to (15). The department shall prescribe an
6electronic application process for permits the granting of which is authorized by ss.
7348.26 (8) and 348.27 (17).
The department may impose such reasonable conditions
8prerequisite to the granting of any permit authorized by s. 348.26 or 348.27 and
9adopt such reasonable rules for the operation of a permittee thereunder as it deems
10necessary for the safety of travel and protection of the highways. The department
11may limit use of the highways under any permit issued to specified hours of the day
12or days of the week. Local officials granting permits may impose such additional
13reasonable conditions as they deem necessary in view of local conditions.
SB222, s. 2 14Section 2. 348.25 (8) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB222,2,1815 348.25 (8) (a) 3. For Except as provided in subd. 4., for a vehicle or combination
16of vehicles, the weight of which exceeds any of the provisions of s. 348.15 (3), 10% of
17the fee specified in par. (b) 3. for an annual permit for the comparable gross weight,
18rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
SB222, s. 3
1Section 3. 348.25 (8) (a) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
SB222,3,22 348.25 (8) (a) 4. For a permit issued under s. 348.26 (8), $30.
SB222, s. 4 3Section 4. 348.25 (8) (b) 3. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB222,3,64 348.25 (8) (b) 3. (intro.) For Except as provided in subd. 4., for a vehicle or
5combination of vehicles, the weight of which exceeds any of the provisions of s. 348.15
6(3):
SB222, s. 5 7Section 5. 348.25 (8) (b) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
SB222,3,88 348.25 (8) (b) 4. For a permit issued under s. 348.27 (17), $300.
SB222, s. 6 9Section 6. 348.25 (8) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB222,3,1310 348.25 (8) (d) For the purpose of computing the fees under this subsection, if
11the vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeds weight limitations, no fee in addition
12to the fee under par. (a) 3. or 4., (b) 3. or 4., or (bm) shall be charged if the vehicle also
13exceeds length, width or height limitations or any combination thereof.
SB222, s. 7 14Section 7. 348.26 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB222,3,2115 348.26 (1) Applications. All applications under subs. (2) to (7) for single trip
16permits for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles or loads shall be made
17upon the form prescribed by the department and shall be made to the officer or
18agency designated by this section as having authority to issue the particular permit
19desired for use of the particular highway in question. All applications under sub. (8)
20shall be made to the department utilizing an electronic process prescribed by the
21department.
SB222, s. 8 22Section 8. 348.26 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB222,4,923 348.26 (2) Permits for oversize or overweight vehicles or loads. Except as
24provided in sub. subs. (4) and (8), single trip permits for oversize or overweight
25vehicles or loads may be issued by the department for use of the state trunk highways

1and by the officer in charge of maintenance of the highway to be used in the case of
2other highways. Such local officials also may issue such single trip permits for use
3of state trunk highways within the county or municipality which they represent.
4Every single trip permit shall designate the route to be used by the permittee.
5Whenever the officer or agency issuing such permit deems it necessary to have a
6traffic officer escort the vehicle through the municipality or county, a reasonable fee
7for such traffic officer's services shall be paid by the permittee. All moneys received
8from fees imposed by the department under this subsection shall be deposited in the
9general fund and credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.395 (5) (dg).
SB222, s. 9 10Section 9. 348.26 (8) of the statutes is created to read:
SB222,4,1711 348.26 (8) Permits for the transportation of sealed loads in international
12trade.
(a) The department may issue single trip permits for the transportation of
13a sealed load, as defined in s. 348.27 (17) (a), to applicants eligible for an annual or
14consecutive month permit under s. 348.27 (17), subject to the same requirements and
15limitations for annual and consecutive month permits described in s. 348.27 (17). A
16permit under this subsection may be issued only by the department, regardless of the
17highways to be used.
SB222,4,1918 (b) A person issued a permit under this subsection shall use the automated
19routing system specified in s. 348.25 (11).
SB222, s. 10 20Section 10. 348.27 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB222,5,221 348.27 (1) Applications. All applications for annual, consecutive month or
22multiple trip permits for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles or loads
23shall be made to the officer or agency designated by this section as having authority
24to issue the particular permit desired for use of the particular highway in question.
25All applications under subs. (2) and (4) to (15) shall be made upon forms prescribed

1by the department. All applications under sub. (17) shall be made utilizing an
2electronic process prescribed by the department.
SB222, s. 11 3Section 11. 348.27 (17) of the statutes is created to read:
SB222,5,74 348.27 (17) Permits for the transportation of sealed loads in international
5trade.
(a) In this subsection, "sealed load" means a load consisting of a container
6or vehicle, being transported in international trade, that has been sealed with a
7tamper-evident seal affixed at the time of initial loading.
SB222,5,178 (b) The department may issue annual or consecutive month permits for the
9transportation of a sealed load in a vehicle or vehicle combination that has 6 or more
10axles and that exceeds the maximum gross weight limitations under s. 348.15 (3) (c)
11if the vehicle or vehicle combination does not exceed the maximum gross weight
12limitations under s. 348.29. Notwithstanding s. 348.15 (8), any axle of a vehicle or
13vehicle combination that does not impose on the highway at least 8 percent of the
14gross weight of the vehicle or vehicle combination may not be counted as an axle for
15the purposes of this paragraph. A permit issued under this subsection does not
16authorize the operation of any vehicle or vehicle combination at a maximum gross
17weight in excess of 90,000 pounds.
SB222, s. 12 18Section 12. 348.28 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB222,5,2019 348.28 (1) Permits issued under ss. 348.25, 348.26 and 348.27 (1) to (10), (12)
20to (13), and (15)
shall be carried on the vehicle during operations so permitted.
SB222, s. 13 21Section 13. 348.29 of the statutes is created to read:
SB222,6,3 22348.29 Weight limitations for certain permits. Notwithstanding s. 348.15
23(3) (c), for any vehicle or vehicle combination operating under a permit issued under
24s. 348.26 (8) or 348.27 (17), the gross weight imposed on the highway by any group
25of 6 or more consecutive axles of a vehicle or combination of vehicles may not exceed

1the maximum gross weights in the following table for each of the respective distances
2between axles and the respective numbers of axles of a group: [See Figure 348.29
3following]
SB222,6,5 5Figure 348.29:
SB222, s. 14 2Section 14. Nonstatutory provisions.
SB222,7,93 (1) Exception to review by the department of transportation.
4Notwithstanding section 13.096 (2) of the statutes, the department of transportation
5shall not prepare a report on this bill under section 13.096 (2) and (3) of the statutes
6because the department recently completed the Wisconsin Truck Size and Weight
7Study, with a final report dated June 15, 2009, that contained the same or similar
8information that would be contained in a report on this bill under section 13.096 (2)
9and (3) of the statutes.
SB222, s. 15 10Section 15. Effective date.
SB222,7,1211 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 7th month beginning after
12publication.
SB222,7,1313 (End)
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