Colorado Truck Weight Limits

How much a truck can weigh in Colorado

Colorado's non-overweight ceiling is 85,000 pounds on state highways and 80,000 on the Interstate (CRS 42-4-507, 42-4-508). Longer combination vehicles run up to 110,000 pounds on designated segments by permit. Overweight fines scale with the overage, from about 3 cents a pound at 3,000 over to 25 cents a pound past 19,750 over, and they double when you break a permit's weight limit (CRS 42-4-509, 42-4-510).

Axles, off-Interstate, and permits

• Off the Interstate: 85,000 lb (state non-overweight limit); longer combination vehicles up to 110,000 lb on designated segments by permit
• Single axle: 20,000 lb
• Tandem axle: 36,000 lb on the Interstate and 40,000 lb off it, on pneumatic tires (CRS 42-4-507(2)(c))
• With a permit: 110,000 lb for longer combination vehicles on designated Interstate/state segments (least of formula W=800(L+40) or the federal bridge formula); non-divisible superloads higher case-by-case
• Colorado adds up to 2,000 lb of allowable gross weight for a truck that has an alternative fuel system and runs on alternative fuel or on both alternative and conventional fuel (CRS 42-4-508(1.5)). That increase is written against the gross weight limits in subsection (1), which includes the Interstate formula in paragraph (1)(c), so it is not plainly off-Interstate only. Either way, a natural-gas or battery-electric power unit gets the same 2,000 lb on the Interstate under federal law, up to 82,000 lb (23 U.S.C. 127(s)). The per-pound overweight rates and the 16 percent surcharge are fixed by the penalty schedule at CRS 42-4-1701(4)(a)(II)(A). Tandem axle on pneumatic tires runs 36,000 lb on the Interstate and 40,000 lb off it (CRS 42-4-507(2)(c)).

Posted bridge and road limits

CDOT and local governments post bridges and roads with MUTCD 'WEIGHT LIMIT X TONS' signs; tons are 2,000-pound short tons. The posted limit overrides your legal or permit weight, so a legal load still cannot cross a lower-posted bridge and must detour. Crossing an overweight-posted bridge is a separate offense from a highway-overweight ticket and can leave the carrier liable for damage.

What running heavy costs

Graduated, rising with the overage (CRS 42-4-1701(4)(a)(II)(A)). $20 for 1-1,000 lb over and $25 for 1,001-3,000, then a per-pound scale: $0.03/lb at 3,001-5,000, $0.05/lb at 5,001-7,000, $0.07/lb at 7,001-10,000, $0.10/lb at 10,001-15,000, $0.15/lb at 15,001-19,750, and $0.25/lb above that, plus a surcharge of 16 percent of the fine. Fines double for weight over a permit's authorized limit (CRS 42-4-1701(4)(a)(III)). If your permit covers 200,000 lb to 500,000 lb and you cannot produce the required third-party weight documentation, you also pay $1 per pound over the permitted gross weight (CRS 42-4-510(12)(e)).

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