Tennessee Truck Weight Limits

How much a truck can weigh in Tennessee

Tennessee holds the federal 80,000, 20,000 single, 34,000 tandem (T.C.A. 55-7-203). Overweight itself is a Class C misdemeanor with no per-pound schedule in the statute (55-7-206). The real money is the excess-weight tax: 10 cents a pound over your licensed weight, an axle limit, a posted road-and-bridge limit, or a permit weight (55-4-113). Twelve thousand pounds over your licensed weight is $1,200, billed to the company as a separate overweight assessment on top of the driver's citation.

Axles, off-Interstate, and permits

• Off the Interstate: 80,000 lb
• Single axle: 20,000 lb
• Tandem axle: 34,000 lb
• With a permit: Nothing routine above 80,000. Heavier loads move by oversize/overweight permit only.
• T.C.A. 55-7-206 sets no cents-per-pound formula and no $5,000 ceiling. It makes the violation a Class C misdemeanor, and the only dollar figures in it are $25 for a 55-7-203(3)-only violation, $1,000 under 55-7-204, and $50 to $100 for excess width or height. The money comes from the excess-weight tax in T.C.A. 55-4-113, assessed at 10 cents per pound of excess weight and billed to the carrier as a separate overweight assessment.

Posted bridge and road limits

Tennessee posts load-limited bridges and roads on MUTCD R12 signs. WEIGHT LIMIT X TONS is short tons (2,000 lb), so 15 TONS means 30,000 lb. A posted limit overrides the legal max: a legal 80,000-lb truck cannot cross a bridge posted below its weight and must detour. Crossing a posted structure over the limit is a separate offense and can carry liability for damage to the bridge.

What running heavy costs

A weight violation is a Class C misdemeanor (T.C.A. 55-7-206). Tennessee's code does not set the graduated cents-per-pound schedule some guides quote; the court sets the penalty. Confirm the current amount with the court.

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