Current law authorizes local authorities to designate highways under their
jurisdiction as class "B" highways. With limited exceptions, the maximum gross
weight and per-axle vehicle weight permitted for vehicles on a class "B" highway is
60 percent of the weight allowed by statute if the vehicle were operating on a highway
that is not designated as a class "B" highway.
This bill generally eliminates the statutory per-axle weight limit, and
increases the gross weight limit, for implements of husbandry, including agricultural
CMVs. Under the bill, the gross weight for an implement of husbandry operated on
a highway without a permit may not exceed 92,000 pounds. However, the
elimination of the per-axle weight limit and the increased gross weight limit do not
apply on interstate highways or where a highway is posted with special weight
limits. Also under the bill, lower weight limits for class "B" highways do not apply
to implements of husbandry. However, all of these provisions in the bill relating to
changes in weight limits for implements of husbandry apply only for a period of
approximately 18 months after the bill's effective date.

Under the bill, because an agricultural CMV is an implement of husbandry,
various provisions of current law that apply to implements of husbandry also apply
to agricultural CMVs, including the following:
1. An agricultural CMV is exempt from motor vehicle registration with DOT.
2. There is no width limitation for an agricultural CMV temporarily operated
on a highway in the course of performance of its work.
3. There is no length limitation for an agricultural CMV that is a single vehicle
or two-vehicle combination and that is temporarily operated on a highway.
4. There is no height limitation for an agricultural CMV temporarily operated
on a highway.
However, all of the provisions in the bill relating to agricultural CMVs apply
only for a period of approximately 18 months after the bill's effective date.
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.
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:
AB842,1 1Section 1. 340.01 (1o) of the statutes is created to read:
AB842,3,32 340.01 (1o) "Agricultural commercial motor vehicle" means a commercial
3motor vehicle to which all of the following apply:
AB842,3,54 (a) The vehicle is substantially designed or equipped, or materially altered
5from its original construction, for the purpose of agricultural use.
AB842,3,66 (b) The vehicle was designed and manufactured primarily for highway use.
AB842,3,97 (c) Unless the vehicle was manufactured prior to 1970, the vehicle was
8manufactured to meet federal motor vehicle safety standard certification label
9requirements as specified in 49 CFR 567.
AB842,3,1010 (d) The vehicle is used exclusively in the conduct of agricultural operations.
AB842,4,2
1(e) The vehicle is directly engaged in harvesting farm products, directly applies
2fertilizer, spray, or seeds to a farm field, or distributes feed to livestock.
AB842,2 3Section 2. 340.01 (1o) of the statutes, as created by 2013 Wisconsin Act .... (this
4act), is repealed.
AB842,3 5Section 3. 340.01 (24) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
AB842,4,76 340.01 (24) (a) Subject to par. (b), "implement of husbandry" means all of the
7following:
AB842,4,108 1. A self-propelled or towed vehicle that is manufactured, designed, or
9reconstructed to be used and that is exclusively used in the conduct of agricultural
10operations. An "implement of husbandry" may include any of the following:
AB842,4,1111 a. A farm tractor.
AB842,4,1712 b. A self-propelled combine; a self-propelled forage harvester; self-propelled
13fertilizer or pesticide application equipment but not including manure application
14equipment; towed tillage, planting, and cultivation equipment and its towing power
15unit; or another self-propelled vehicle that directly engages in harvesting farm
16products, directly applies fertilizer, spray, or seeds but not manure, or distributes
17feed to livestock.
AB842,4,1918 c. A farm wagon, farm trailer, manure trailer, or trailer adapted to be towed by,
19or to tow or pull, another implement of husbandry.
AB842,4,2120 2. A combination of vehicles in which each vehicle in the vehicle combination
21is an implement of husbandry as described in subd. 1.
AB842,4,2222 3. An agricultural commercial motor vehicle.
AB842,4,2523 (b) Except as provided in par. (a) 3., "implement of husbandry" does not include
24a vehicle that, notwithstanding s. 340.01 (8), is a commercial motor vehicle under 49
25CFR 390.5
.
AB842,4
1Section 4. 340.01 (24) (a) 3. of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin Act
2.... (this act), is repealed.
AB842,5 3Section 5 . 340.01 (24) (b) of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin Act ....
4(this act), is amended to read:
AB842,5,75 340.01 (24) (b) Except as provided in par. (a) 3., "implement "Implement of
6husbandry" does not include a vehicle that, notwithstanding s. 340.01 (8), is a
7commercial motor vehicle under 49 CFR 390.5.
AB842,6 8Section 6. 341.01 (2) (am) of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin Act
9103
, is repealed.
AB842,7 10Section 7. 348.15 (9) of the statutes is created to read:
AB842,5,1411 348.15 (9) (a) Notwithstanding sub. (3) (b) and (c), but subject to par. (c), there
12is no weight limitation per wheel, axle, or group of axles, and no gross weight
13limitation other than that specified in par. (b), for an implement of husbandry
14operated on a highway.
AB842,5,1615 (b) The gross weight for an implement of husbandry operated on a highway
16without a permit may not exceed 92,000 pounds.
AB842,5,1917 (c) This subsection does not apply on any highway that is a part of the national
18system of interstate and defense highways or that is posted with a weight limitation
19as provided in s. 348.17 (1).
AB842,8 20Section 8. 348.15 (9) of the statutes, as created by 2013 Wisconsin Act .... (this
21act), is repealed.
AB842,9 22Section 9. 348.16 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB842,6,323 348.16 (2) Except as provided in sub. (3) and s. 348.175 and subject to any
24modifications made by a city of the first class pursuant to s. 349.15 (3), no person,
25without a permit therefor, shall operate on a class "B" highway any vehicle or

1combination of vehicles imposing wheel, axle, group of axles, or gross weight on the
2highway exceeding 60 percent of the weights authorized in s. 348.15 (3). This
3subsection does not apply to an implement of husbandry.
AB842,10 4Section 10 . 348.16 (2) of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin Act ....
5(this act), is amended to read:
AB842,6,116 348.16 (2) Except as provided in sub. (3) and s. 348.175 and subject to any
7modifications made by a city of the first class pursuant to s. 349.15 (3), no person,
8without a permit therefor, shall operate on a class "B" highway any vehicle or
9combination of vehicles imposing wheel, axle, group of axles, or gross weight on the
10highway exceeding 60 percent of the weights authorized in s. 348.15 (3). This
11subsection does not apply to an implement of husbandry.
AB842,11 12Section 11. 348.17 (5) of the statutes is renumbered 348.17 (5) (a) and
13amended to read:
AB842,6,2114 348.17 (5) (a) From September 1 to December 31 of each year, no permit shall
15be required for the transportation of corn, soybeans, potatoes, vegetables, or
16cranberries from the field to storage on the grower's owned or leased land, from the
17field to initial storage at a location not owned or leased by the grower, or from the field
18to initial processing in a vehicle or combination of vehicles having a registered gross
19weight of 50,000 pounds or more or described in s. 340.01 (24) (b)
that exceeds the
20weight limitations under s. 348.15 by not more than 15 percent. and that satisfies
21any of the following:
AB842,6,23 22(b) This subsection does not apply to the national system of interstate and
23defense highways, except for that portion of I 39 between USH 51 and I 90/94.
AB842,12 24Section 12. 348.17 (5) (a) 1. and 2. of the statutes are created to read:
AB842,6,2525 348.17 (5) (a) 1. Has a registered gross weight of 50,000 pounds or more.
AB842,7,3
12. Is a motor truck, farm truck, road tractor, truck tractor, or farm truck tractor
2or such a vehicle combined with a semitrailer, trailer, or farm trailer, when the
3vehicle or combination is a commercial motor vehicle operated on a highway.
AB842,13 4Section 13. 348.17 (6) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB842,7,85 348.17 (6) (a) 2. Is described in s. 340.01 (24) (b) a motor truck, farm truck, road
6tractor, truck tractor, or farm truck tractor or such a vehicle combined with a
7semitrailer, trailer, or farm trailer, when the vehicle or combination is a commercial
8motor vehicle operated on a highway
.
AB842,14 9Section 14. 348.17 (6) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB842,7,1310 348.17 (6) (a) 3. Is an implement of husbandry as defined in s. 340.01 (24) (a).
11This subdivision does not apply from the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB
12inserts date], to the first day of the 20th month beginning after the effective date of
13this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date].
AB842,15 14Section 15 . Nonstatutory provisions.
AB842,7,1715 (1) Notwithstanding section 13.096 (2) of the statutes, the department of
16transportation shall not prepare a report on this bill under section 13.096 (2) and (3)
17of the statutes.
AB842,16 18Section 16. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the 30th day after the
19day of publication, except as follows:
AB842,7,2020 (1) Section 15 (1 ) of this act takes effect on the day after publication.
AB842,7,2421 (2) The treatment of sections 340.01 (24) (b) (by Section 5 ) and 348.16 (2) (by
22Section 10) of the statutes and the repeal of sections 340.01 (1o) and (24) (a) 3. and
23348.15 (9) of the statutes take effect on the first day of the 20th month beginning after
24publication.
AB842,7,2525 (End)
Loading...
Loading...