What Are the Legal Axle Weight Limits for Commercial Trucks?

Commercial trucks are essential for transporting goods across the country, but they must adhere to strict axle weight limits to prevent damage to infrastructure and ensure safety. Whether you're a fleet operator or an independent driver, understanding these limits can help you avoid costly fines, reduce equipment wear, and stay compliant with federal and state regulations.

What Are Axle Weight Limits?

Axle weight limits define how much weight a single axle or a group of axles can legally carry. These limits help:

• Protect roads and bridges from structural damage

• Prevent accidents caused by overloaded axles

• Maintain fair road usage standards across the commercial industry

  
  

Federal Axle Weight Limits (U.S.)

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) enforce the following maximum axle weight limits on the Interstate Highway System:

Axle Type	Max Legal Weight
Single Axle	20,000 lbs (9,072 kg)
Tandem Axle	34,000 lbs (15,422 kg)
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)	80,000 lbs (36,287 kg)

These standards are part of the Federal Bridge Formula, which also factors in axle spacing and the number of axles on a truck.

Weight in Pounds

80,000 | ██████████████████████████ GVW

60,000 |

40,000 | ███████████████ Tandem Axle

20,000 | ███████████ Single Axle

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Single Axle Tandem Axle Gross Vehicle Weight

State-Level Variations

Some states have higher or different axle and gross weight limits:

• Alabama: GVW up to 90,000 lbs on 5–6 axles Missouri Trucking Association.

• North Carolina: Single axle 22,000 lbs; tandem 42,000 lbs; GVW 90,000 lbs Missouri Trucking Association.

• Virginia: Single 24,000 lbs; tandem 44,000 lbs; GVW up to 100,000 lbs (depending on axles) Missouri Trucking Association.

• West Virginia: Single 22,000 lbs; tandem 42,000 lbs; GVW up to 90,000 lbs Missouri Trucking Association.

• Texas (permit-based): Single 25,000 lbs; tandem 46,000 lbs; tridem and more higher with engineering study.

U.S. States Axle Weight Limits for Commercial Trucks

State	Single Axle	Tandem Axle	Tridem Axle	Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
Alabama	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	42,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
Alaska	20,000 lbs	38,000 lbs	42,000 lbs	No defined upper limit
Arizona	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Arkansas	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	50,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
California	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Colorado	20,000 lbs	36,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Connecticut	22,400 lbs	36,000 lbs	Varies	73,000 lbs
Delaware	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	60,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
Florida	20,000 lbs	40,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Georgia	20,340 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Hawaii	22,500 lbs	34,000 lbs	42,500 lbs	11,250 lbs per tire
Idaho	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Illinois	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Indiana	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	48,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
Iowa	20,000 lbs	35,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Kansas	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	42,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
Kentucky	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	48,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
Louisiana	18,000 lbs	32,000 lbs	42,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
Maine	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	45,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
Maryland	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Massachusetts	18,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Michigan	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Minnesota	10,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	42,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
Mississippi	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Missouri	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Montana	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	131,060 lbs
Nebraska	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Nevada	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
New Hampshire	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
New Jersey	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
New Mexico	21,600 lbs	34,200 lbs	Varies	86,400 lbs
New York	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
North Carolina	20,000 lbs	38,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
North Dakota	20,000 lbs	17,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Ohio	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Oklahoma	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Oregon	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Pennsylvania	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Rhode Island	22,400 lbs	36,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
South Carolina	10,000 lbs	35,200 lbs	Varies	73,280 lbs
South Dakota	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Tennessee	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	54,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
Texas	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Utah	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Vermont	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Virginia	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs
Washington	20,000 lbs	Varies	Varies	105,500 lbs
West Virginia	20,000 lbs	34,000 lbs	Varies	80,000 lbs