CHAPTER 187. MOVEMENT OF SPECIAL VEHICLES
UPON STATE HIGHWAYSSec.
187.1. Purpose; authority.
187.2. Definitions.
187.3. General conditions.
187.4. Permit requirements.
187.5. Enforcement.Authority The provisions of this Chapter 187 issued under the Vehicle Code, 75 Pa.C.S. § § 4921 and 6103, unless otherwise noted.
Source The provisions of this Chapter 187 adopted November 28, 1980, effective November 29, 1980, 10 Pa.B. 4470, unless otherwise noted.
§ 187.1. Purpose; authority.
(a) Purpose. It is in the public interest to regulate the use of State highways by special vehicles to facilitate the movement of traffic. This chapter will establish under what conditions special vehicles may travel upon State highways. Nothing contained in this chapter is intended to relax existing safety requirements.
(b) Authority. These regulations are authorized by 75 Pa.C.S. § § 4921 and 6103.
§ 187.2. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Department—The Department of Transportation of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Freeway—A limited access highway to which the only means of ingress and egress is by interchange ramps.
Highway—The entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. The term includes a roadway open to the use of the public for vehicular travel on grounds of a college or university or public or private school or public or historical park.
Implement of husbandry—A vehicle designed or adapted and determined by the Department to be used exclusively for agricultural operations and only incidentally operated or moved upon highways.
Overwidth—The width of any vehicle including the permissible load or loads carried thereon excluding mirrors or sunshades, which exceeds either the general eight foot width limit or the special vehicle width limits specified in section 4921 of the act.
Permit—A special hauling permit issued by the Department pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 49, Subchapter D of the Vehicle Code, for the movement of an overlength, overwidth, overheight or overweight vehicle, or combination of vehicles, including the nondivisible load thereon, on State highways other than the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Permit office—Any of the various engineering or maintenance district offices of the Department.
Special mobile equipment—Vehicles not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or property and only incidentally operated or moved over a highway, including but not limited to: ditch digging apparatus, well boring apparatus; earth moving and road construction and maintenance machinery, such as asphalt spreaders, bituminous mixers, bucket loaders, snowplows, ditchers, graders, finishing machines, road rollers, scarifiers, earthmoving carryalls, scrapers, power shovels and draglines; and self-propelled cranes and tractors, other than truck tractors. The term does not include house trailers, dump trucks; truck-mounted transit mixers, cranes or shovels; or other vehicles designed for the transportation of persons or property to which machinery has been attached.
Special vehicle—An implement of husbandry wider than eight feet but not exceeding 174 inches in width; a vehicle loaded with vegetable produce or forage crops wider than eight feet but not exceeding 120 inches in width; or special mobile equipment wider than eight feet but not exceeding 110 inches in width.
Sunrise—The time designated by the National Weather Bureau at which the sun can first be seen on the horizon.
Sunset—The time designated by the National Weather Bureau at which the sun can last be seen on the horizon.
Vehicle—Every device which is or may be moved or drawn upon a highway, except devices used exclusively upon rails or tracks.§ 187.3. General conditions.
The following conditions shall apply to special vehicles moving upon State highways:
(1) Movement upon certain highways restricted. Restrictions shall be as follows:
(i) A special vehicle shall not be operated on any freeway without a permit. Issuance of a permit is conditioned upon the ability of the special vehicle to maintain the minimum posted speed limit along a freeway.
(ii) A special vehicle shall not exceed any weight limit posted on a bridge or highway under authority of 75 Pa.C.S. § 4902; however, persons may apply to the Department or local authorities, whichever is responsible for the posting, for a permit to exceed the posted weight. The Department or local authorities may require such undertaking or security as they deem necessary to cover the cost of repairs and restoration necessitated by the movement.
(2) Movement during inclement weather prohibited. A special vehicle shall not be operated on any State highway during unfavorable weather or road conditions. For the purpose of this chapter, unfavorable weather or road conditions shall include:
(i) Snow covered highways or shoulders.
(ii) Icy pavement, until the highway has been cindered or salted.
(iii) Driving rain, fog, snow storm, or other atmospheric conditions which restrict visibility to less than 1,000 feet.
(3) Movement during certain holiday periods prohibited. A special vehicle shall not be operated on any State highway during the following holidays, except in an emergency requiring immediate movement for protection of life or property:
(i) New Year’s Day—January 1.
(ii) Memorial Day—last Monday in May.
(iii) Independence Day—July 4.
(iv) Labor Day—first Monday in September.
(v) Thanksgiving Day—fourth Thursday in November.
(vi) Christmas Day—December 25.
(4) Movement during certain hours prohibited. Movement during certain hours shall be prohibited as follows:
(i) A special vehicle shall not be operated on any State highway from sunset to sunrise under any circumstances.
(ii) A special vehicle shall not be operated on any State highway in an urbanized area from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. nor from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Urbanized area maps are available at Department permit offices.
(5) Other requirements. A special vehicle shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Vehicle Code and this title, including, but not limited to, 75 Pa.C.S. § 4529 (relating to slow moving vehicle emblem); 75 Pa.C.S. § 4303 and § 175.122 (relating to general requirements); 75 Pa.C.S. § 4502 and § 175.62 (relating to general requirements for braking systems); and 75 Pa.C.S. § 4921 (relating to limitations on operation of special vehicles).
§ 187.4. Permit requirements.
(a) When permit required. A permit shall be required for the movement of a special vehicle on a State highway whenever the special vehicle or its operation does not comply with the restrictions contained in 75 Pa.C.S. § 4921(b) (relating to limitations on operation of special vehicles). A permit shall be required for:
(1) A special vehicle which exceeds the applicable width limitation specified in 75 Pa.C.S. § 4921(b) that is:
(i) A truck exceeding 8 feet in width, unless loaded with vegetable produce or forage crops.
(ii) An implement of husbandry that is either:
(A) Exceeding 8 feet in width, unless loaded with vegetable produce or forage crops.
(B) Exceeding 10 feet, except when being driven, hauled or towed between either:
(I) Parts of one farm owned or operated by the owner of the implement of husbandry.
(II) Farms owned or operated by the owner of the implement of husbandry located not more than 25 miles apart.
(III) Farms, or a farm and a place of business of a mechanic or dealer in implements of husbandry, located not more than 50 miles apart for the purpose of buying, selling, trading, loaning and leasing, demonstrating, repairing or servicing the implement of husbandry.
(C) Exceeding 14 feet, 6 inches in width.
(iii) Special mobile equipment exceeding 9 feet, 2 inches, in width.
(2) A special vehicle driven, hauled, or towed on a freeway.
(b) Securing permits. Procedures for securing permits are outlined in Chapter 179 (relating to oversize and overweight loads and vehicles), a copy of which is available from any permit office.
§ 187.5. Enforcement.
Any violation of this chapter shall constitute grounds for imposition of any fines, imprisonment, and other penalties provided by law.
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