Pennsylvania Truck Weight Limits

How much a truck can weigh in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania caps you at 80,000 pounds (75 Pa.C.S. 4941). Go over the legal gross and the fine doubles: figure $150 plus $150 for every 500 pounds past the first 3,000 over, so 20,000 pounds heavy runs about $5,250. Posted bridges are their own violation under 4902, and a permit will not get you across one rated lower. Short 2.5-mile excess-damage permits can reach 125,000 pounds.

Axles, off-Interstate, and permits

• Off the Interstate: 80,000 lb
• Single axle: 20,000 lb (steering); up to 22,400 lb on other single axles spaced over 8 ft
• Tandem axle: 34,000 lb
• With a permit: 125,000 lb gross under a short-haul (max 2.5-mi) excess-damage permit (75 Pa.C.S. 4961); routine hauling permits otherwise stay at or near 80,000
• Gross-weight fine doubling applies specifically when the load exceeds the 4941(a) statutory maximum, per 4945; the base $75/$75-per-500 rate applies to registered-weight-only overages. Excess-damage permit at 4961(d) requires a letter of credit and repair liability.

Posted bridge and road limits

Pennsylvania posts weight-restricted highways and bridges under 75 Pa.C.S. 4902; TONS are short tons. Ignore a posted restriction and it's a summary offense at $75; run over a posted gross weight and it's $150 plus $150 for each 500 lb past 3,000 over the posted limit. A permit does not override a lower posted bridge - you apply separately to the posting authority. PennDOT also runs 'posted and bonded' roads where haulers post a bond for road damage.

What running heavy costs

Gross: $75 plus $75 for each 500 lb (or part) over the first 3,000 lb of excess; the fine doubles when you exceed the 80,000-lb legal maximum, so effectively $150 plus $150 per 500 lb over 3,000 (75 Pa.C.S. 4945). 20,000 lb over runs about $5,250. Axle: $100 plus $100 per 500 lb over the first 2,000 lb of excess. Wheel: $100 plus $100 per 200 lb over the first 200 lb.

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