Nebraska Administrative Code
Topic - TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Title 408 - NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - OPERATIONS DIVISION
Chapter 3 - PERMITS FOR MOVEMENT OF OVERWEIGHT AND/OR OVERDIMENSIONAL VEHICLES AND LOADS
Section 408-3-001 - DEFINITIONS

001.01 AXLE GROUP: An assemblage of two or more consecutive axles considered together in determining their combined load effect on a bridge or pavement structure.

001.02 CONNECTING MECHANISM: An arrangement of parts interconnecting two or more consecutive axles to the frame of a vehicle in such a manner as to equalize the load between axles.

001.03 DEPARTMENT: The Department of Transportation of the State of Nebraska acting directly or through its duly authorized officers or agents.

001.04 DIVISIBLE LOAD: Any load consisting of a product, material, or equipment which can be reduced in weight and/or size to the specified regulatory limit.

001.05 DUMMY AXLE: A single axle attached to a vehicle or vehicle combination in a manner so that it does not articulate or substantially equalize the load and does not carry at least the lesser of 8,000 pounds or 8 percent of the gross weight of the vehicle or vehicle combination.

001.06 ESCORT VEHICLE: Escort vehicle, as used in these rules shall mean a single vehicle (standard size truck or car) at least 60 inches wide. The vehicle shall have clearly visible and operating yellow or amber flashing, rotating or strobe lighting the base of which shall be mounted a minimum of 53 inches above the roadway on top of the vehicle and be of sufficient size to be seen at a distance of not less than 800 feet. "OVERSIZE LOAD" signs shall be displayed on the escort vehicle at a location clearly visible from the front and from the rear and the signs shall be no less than 5 feet long by 12 inches high with 8-inch letters. Red flags shall be required on all four corners of the escort vehicle. Escort vehicle may also be required to maintain radio communication with the operator of the permitted vehicle.

001.07 FLAG: A plain red cloth or orange, fluorescent cloth marker having a minimum size of 18 inches square in good repair and free of printing or other markings.

001.08 GROSS WEIGHT: The weight of a vehicle and/or vehicle combination with or without load.

001.09 HEIGHT: The total vertical dimension of any vehicle above the ground surface including any load and load-holding device thereon.

001.10 HIGHWAY: The entire width between the boundary limits of any roadway that is on the State and/or Federal system of roadways when any part thereof is open to the public for the purposes of vehicular traffic.

001.11 HOLIDAY/LONG HOLIDAY: Standard dates listed on the Department's website. Travel is restricted for all over-dimensional permitted vehicles on Holidays and Long Holidays. The specific hours of restriction for each Holiday/Long Holiday are shown on the Department's website and will be designated on each permit.

001.12 INTERSTATE: Interstate shall mean Nebraska's National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as identified in § 39-2103 and § 39-2104

001.13 LENGTH: The total longitudinal dimension of any vehicle or combination of vehicles, including any load or load-holding devices thereon.

001.14 LOAD: A weight or quantity or anything which cannot be readily reduced in size resting upon something else regarded as its support.

001.15 LONG COMBINATION VEHICLE (LCV): Any combination of a truck-tractor and two or more trailers or semi-trailers.

001.16 NON-DIVISIBLE LOAD: A vehicle or load that cannot be dismantled, disassembled, or reduced in size or weight without great difficulty to meet the statutory size and/or weight limits.

001.17 MANUFACTURED HOUSING (CABIN TRAILER/HOUSE TRAILER/MOBILE HOME/MANUFACTURED HOME/TRAILER COACH): A vehicle or device, other than a motor vehicle, for human occupancy which can be drawn by a motor vehicle.

001.18 MOTOR VEHICLE: A vehicle which is propelled by any power other than muscular power.

001.19 OWNER: A person, other than a lien-holder, having property in or title to a vehicle, including a person entitled to the use and possession of a vehicle subject to a security interest in another person, but excluding a lessee under a lease not intended as security.

001.20 PERMIT APPLICANT (APPLICANT): An individual, firm, partnership, corporation or association making application for a special permit to transport a vehicle, combination of vehicles, and/or load which is overweight or overdimensional and under whose authority and responsibility such vehicle or load is transported.

001.21 PERMITTEE: An applicant for a special permit who has received written permission to make an oversize and/or overweight movement.

001.22 POLE CAR: An escort vehicle traveling in front of the permitted load or permitted vehicle that has a height pole attached to the front of the escort vehicle that is used to verify the clearance of overhead obstructions during the transport of overdimensional loads. The measured height at the top of the height pole shall be a minimum of three inches higher than the highest point of the permitted load. A height pole is a measuring device that is precisely attached to the front of a pilot car vehicle that is used to measure the height of overhead obstructions during the transport of over-dimensional loads.

001.23 SELF-PROPELLED SPECIALIZED MOBILE EQUIPMENT: Equipment, including self-propelled oil well servicing units, designed to be on a short chassis to accommodate off-road usage and which cannot be broken down or is not divisible because of its original equipment design.

001.24 SIGNS: Signs posted on an overdimensional vehicle or vehicle combination to warn the public and the authorities about an approaching overdimensional vehicle. Signs shall read "OVERSIZE LOAD." Signs other than those required in Section 001.06, shall be no less than 7 feet long and 18 inches high. The signs shall be constructed of yellow material with black letters at least 10 inches high.

001.25 SEMI-TRAILER: A vehicle designed for carrying persons or property and drawn by a truck tractor on which part of its weight and load rests.

001.26 SINGLE AXLE: An assembly of two or more wheels, whose centers are in one transverse vertical plane or may be included between two parallel transverse vertical planes 40 inches apart extending across the full width of the vehicle.

001.27 SINGLE AXLE WEIGHT: The total weight transmitted to the road by a single axle.

001.28 SPECIAL PERMIT: A written authorization to move or operate on a highway a vehicle, combination of vehicles or vehicles with indivisible load of size and/or weight exceeding the limits prescribed for vehicles in regular operation.

001.29 SUPERLOAD: A vehicle or vehicle combination transporting a nondivisible load that is in excess of any of the following dimensions or gross weight:

16 feet in width;

15 feet, 11 inches in height;

150 feet in length; and/or Gross weight over 160,000 pounds.

001.30 TANDEM AXLE: Any two consecutive axles whose centers are more than 40 inches and not more than 96 inches apart, measured to the nearest inch between any two adjacent axles in the series, and are individually attached to and/or articulated from a common attachment to the vehicle including a connecting mechanism designed to equalize the load between axles.

001.31 TANDEM AXLE WEIGHT: The total weight transmitted to the road by two or more consecutive axles whose center may be included between parallel transverse vertical planes spaced more than 40 inches and not more than 96 inches apart, extending the full width of the vehicle.

001.32 THREE AXLE GROUP: Any group of three axles where the distance between the extremes of the first and third axle is at least 96 inches.

001.33 TIRE, PNEUMATIC: A tire of rubber or other resilient material which depends upon compressed air for support of a load.

001.34 TRAILER: A vehicle designed for carrying persons or property and drawn by a motor vehicle which carries no part of the weight and load of the trailer on its own wheels.

001.35 TRAVELED WAY: The portion of the roadway for the movement of vehicles, exclusive of shoulders and auxiliary lanes.

001.36 TRUCK: A motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.

001.37 TRUCK-TRACTOR: A motor vehicle designed for drawing other vehicles, but not for a load other than a part of the weight of the vehicle and load drawn.

001.38 VEHICLE: A device in, upon or by which any person or property may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.

001.39 WIDTH: The total outside transverse dimension of vehicle including any load or load-hold devices thereon but excluding approved safety devices and tire bulge due to load.