Ohio Truck Weight Limits

How much a truck can weigh in Ohio

Ohio holds 80,000 lb gross, 20,000 single, 34,000 tandem (ORC 5577.04). Fines are graduated: $80 for the first 2,000 lb over, then $100 plus a dollar per 100 lb up to 5,000 over, $130 plus $2 per 100 up to 10,000, and $160 plus $3 per 100 past that (ORC 5577.99). Big overloads can also carry up to 30 days in jail.

Axles, off-Interstate, and permits

• Off the Interstate: 80,000 lb, including the Ohio Turnpike; heavier requires a permit
• Single axle: 20,000 lb; a spread tandem 4 ft or more apart can carry up to 24,000 lb per axle within a 40,000 lb group
• Tandem axle: 34,000 lb (two axles 4 to 8 ft apart)
• With a permit: No routine tier above 80,000 lb; heavier loads need an oversize/overweight permit. The Ohio Turnpike holds a 127,400 lb interstate grandfather, but the Turnpike Commission set its own limit at 80,000 lb (permit above that) since 2013.
• The Ohio Turnpike aligned to the 80,000 lb state limit in 2013, so the 127,400 lb App. C grandfather is largely historical and not routinely available.

Posted bridge and road limits

Ohio posts bridges and local roads with 'WEIGHT LIMIT X TONS' signs, tons meaning 2,000-lb short tons, so 15 tons is 30,000 lb. A posted limit overrides the legal max, and a fully legal 80,000-lb truck may not cross a bridge posted below its weight. Crossing a posted structure over its rating is a separate offense, and you can be charged for the repair cost if you damage it.

What running heavy costs

Graduated under ORC 5577.99: $80 for the first 2,000 lb over; $100 plus $1 per 100 lb for 2,001-5,000 over; $130 plus $2 per 100 lb for 5,001-10,000 over (up to 30 days jail possible); $160 plus $3 per 100 lb past 10,000 over. Example: 6,000 lb over runs $130 + $120 = $250. No penalty if an axle is over by 1,000 lb or less and the next axle (not the front) is underloaded by the same amount.

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