Delaware Truck Weight Limits

How much a truck can weigh in Delaware

Delaware sits at 80,000 pounds on the Interstate and state highways (21 Del. C. 4503). Live-haul poultry trucks running under 150 miles off the Interstate get 90,000. Overweight fines start at 2.3 cents a pound for the first 5,000 over and jump to 5.75 cents a pound above that, doubling for a repeat offense. Single axle is 20,000, tandem 34,000.

Axles, off-Interstate, and permits

• Off the Interstate: 80,000 lb (90,000 lb for live-haul poultry trucks under 150 mi, off the Interstate, plus a 3% variance)
• Single axle: 20,000 lb
• Tandem axle: 34,000 lb
• With a permit: 90,000 lb for live-haul poultry within 150 mi off the Interstate (21 Del. C. 4501/4502); higher only by oversize/overweight permit
• Section 4503 governs Interstate limits; 4502 non-Interstate. Poultry exception at 4501(f)/4502(c)(6) requires MCSAP compliance, non-Interstate routing, bridge-limit adherence, and 96-inch minimum axle spacing. Permits issued under 4504.

Posted bridge and road limits

Delaware posts weight-limited bridges and roads with MUTCD signs; TONS are short tons of 2,000 lb, so 'WEIGHT LIMIT 15 TONS' = 30,000 lb. A posted limit overrides your legal gross - a fully legal 80,000-lb rig cannot cross a bridge posted lower and must detour. Overweight on a posted structure is enforced under Chapter 45 with the 4508 per-pound fines, plus liability for damage.

What running heavy costs

First offense: 2.3 cents/lb for excess up to 5,000 lb, then 5.75 cents/lb on the excess above 5,000 lb, or up to 30 days (21 Del. C. 4508). Second and subsequent offenses double the rates to 5.75 cents and 11.5 cents/lb, up to 60 days. Example first offense at 8,000 over: 5,000 x 2.3c ($115) + 3,000 x 5.75c ($172.50) = about $287.

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