West Virginia Truck Weight Limits

How much a truck can weigh in West Virginia

Combinations run the federal 80,000 pounds on the main routes, but West Virginia's secondary roads and bridges post lower, so read the sign before you commit. The standout is coal: on the Coal Resource Transportation roads a 6-axle truck can permit up to 120,000 pounds, 126,000 with the 5% tolerance (W. Va. Code 17C-17A). Those coal-road overweight fines are mandatory and can't be waived.

Axles, off-Interstate, and permits

• Off the Interstate: 80,000 lb for combinations on primary routes. Secondary roads run lower (single-unit tandem 60,000 lb, tri-axle straight truck 70,000 lb, each plus a 10% tolerance), and many secondary bridges are posted below the legal max.
• Single axle: 20,000 lb
• Tandem axle: 34,000 lb
• With a permit: Coal Resource Transportation System (CRTS): a 6-axle truck can permit up to 120,000 lb gross on designated coal-haul roads, plus a 5% tolerance to about 126,000 lb.
• The general fine schedule is fixed by W. Va. Code 17C-17-14 and every bracket above matches the code text. Article 17 of Chapter 17C runs from section 1 to section 14, so there is no 17C-17-19 to check it against. The coal schedule (17C-17A-10) is confirmed from the state code.

Posted bridge and road limits

Bridges and local roads post MUTCD 'WEIGHT LIMIT X TONS' signs (short tons). West Virginia posts a lot of secondary-road bridges, so a fully legal 80,000 lb truck can be blocked and forced to detour. The posted limit overrides the legal max, and crossing over it carries the penalty plus liability for damage.

What running heavy costs

On Coal Resource Transportation System roads the schedule is steep (WV Code 17C-17A-10): 1, 3, 7, 10, 15, 30, then 45 cents per overweight pound by bracket, escalating on a repeat within two years. Off the coal roads the penalty is a flat amount per bracket, not a per-pound rate (WV Code 17C-17-14): $20 up to 4,000 lb over, $25 at 4,001-5,000, $100 at 9,001-10,000, $165 at 10,001-11,000, $400 at 19,001-20,000, $525 at 20,001-21,000, $900 at 29,001-30,000, $1,200 at 30,001-40,000, $1,400 at 40,001-50,000, and $1,600 at 50,001 and over. An out-of-state truck is impounded until the fine is paid or a bond of double the fine is posted.

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