AB 282

Under current law, no person may operate on a highway any single vehicle with

an overall length in excess of 45 feet or any combination of two vehicles (vehicle

combination) with an overall length in excess of 70 feet, unless a specific exception

applies or the person has a permit to exceed these lengths. Prior to the enactment

of

2011 Wisconsin Act 243

, effective November 1, 2012, there was an exception to the

general single vehicle length limit for each of the following:

1. A semitrailer operated as part of a vehicle combination if the semitrailer did

not exceed 53 feet, its kingpin-to-axle length did not exceed 43 feet, and it was

operated on a highway designated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) as a

long truck route or operated for not more than 15 miles on a highway providing access

to a long truck route or to certain services.

2. A semitrailer operated as part of a vehicle combination if the semitrailer did

not exceed 53 feet, its kingpin-to-axle length did not exceed 43 feet, and it was

operated on the state trunk highway system except those parts designated by DOT

by rule as ineligible for this length limit.

2011 Wisconsin Act 243

expanded the exception identified as 2., above, to also

apply to highways that are not state trunk highways and repealed the exception

identified as 1., above.

This bill recreates the exception identified as 1., above, effective retroactively

to the effective date of

2011 Wisconsin Act 243

.