§ 179.1. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
AASHTO—The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, located at 444 North Capitol Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20001.
Across—From one side to the opposite side of a vehicle or highway.
Act—75 Pa.C.S. § § 101—9910 (relating to the Vehicle Code).
Along—In a line parallel with the length or direction of a vehicle or highway.
Axle—Load-bearing wheels in a transverse line across the full width of a vehicle.
Axle group—A group of axles in which every axle is located within 8 feet of another axle.
Base of operations—A temporary location at or near the job site used for the storage of equipment and materials for the job.
Brake retarder—A mechanical device which is designed to supplement a vehicle’s service brakes by producing a retarding torque about one of the rotating components in a vehicle, converting kinetic energy to heat and thereby retarding the forward motion of a vehicle.(i) An engine-brake retarder converts a diesel engine from a power-producing motor to a power-expending air compressor by changing the timing of the opening of the engine exhaust valves.
(ii) An exhaust-brake retarder constricts the flow of exhaust gases through the manifold, increasing the system back pressure and keeping the engine exhaust valves from closing at designed intervals.
(iii) An hydraulic brake retarder converts kinetic energy to heat by shearing a liquid with a rotating component inside a chamber.
Central Permit Office—The office which administers this chapter, located at:Department of Transportation
Central Permit Office
400 North Street, 6th Floor
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120-0041
Combination—Two or more vehicles physically interconnected in tandem.
Commonwealth—The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
County office—Any of the various maintenance district offices of the Department.
Department—The Department of Transportation of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
District office—Any of the various engineering district offices of the Department.
Escort—A convoying vehicle or vehicles manned by the Department personnel, uniformed Pennsylvania State Police or local police which accompanies a permitted vehicle.
Gross weight—The combined weight of a vehicle or combination of vehicles and its load and driver.
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.
House trailer—Includes the following:(i) A trailer which is designed, constructed and equipped as a dwelling place, living abode or sleeping place, either permanently or temporarily, and is equipped for use as a conveyance on streets and highways.
(ii) A trailer containing a chassis and exterior shell designed and constructed for use as a house trailer, as defined in subparagraph (i), but which is used permanently or temporarily for advertising, sales, display or promotion of merchandise or services, or for another commercial purpose except the transportation of property.
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.
Mobile home—A trailer designed and used exclusively for living quarters or commercial purposes which exceeds the maximum size limitations prescribed by the act for operation on a highway and is only incidentally operated on a highway.
Nondivisible—Incapable of being divided into parts or dismembered without substantially damaging its usefulness or value.
Operating rating—The absolute maximum permissible load level to which a structure may be subjected under normal circumstances without exceeding its structural capacity.
Oversize—The length, width or height of a mobile home or vehicle or combination of vehicles, including the load or loads carried thereon, excluding mirrors or sunshades, which exceeds the applicable maximum length, width or height specified in Chapter 49, Subchapter B of the act (relating to width, height and length).
Overweight—The gross weight of a mobile home or vehicle or combination of vehicles, including the load carried thereon, which exceeds the applicable maximum gross weights specified in Chapter 49, Subchapter C of the act (relating to maximum weights of vehicles).
Permit—(i) A special hauling permit issued by the Department under Chapters 19, Subchapter C and 49 of the act (relating to permits; and size, weight and load) and this chapter, for the movement of a mobile home or oversize or overweight vehicle, or combination, including the load thereon, on State highways under the Department’s jurisdiction.
(ii) An oversize or overweight permit issued by another State authorizing movement along Pennsylvania State highways under terms and conditions outlined in an executed multistate permit agreement.
(iii) An oversize or overweight permit issued by the Department authorizing movement along another State’s highways under terms and conditions outlined in an executed multistate permit agreement.
Permit service—A commercial enterprise that makes application for a permit for another person, firm, copartnership, association or corporation.
Person—A natural person, proprietorship, firm, partnership, association or corporation.
Pilot car—A convoying vehicle provided by the permittee, in order to warn the traveling public of an oversize vehicle or slow moving overweight vehicle, in accordance with § 179.10 (relating to general conditions).
Registered gross weight—The maximum gross weight at which a vehicle or combination is registered in this Commonwealth to operate upon a highway.
Registered person—A person registered with the Department under the provisions of § 179.4 (relating to registration; surety bond and registration agreement).
Registration—A registration under the provisions of § 179.4, which shall be in addition to the registration requirements of the act.
Roadway—That portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the sidewalk or shoulder.
Responsible motor carrier—An owner, lessee or sublessee of a motor vehicle.
Revocation—Revocation of the registration agreement.
Semitrailer—A trailer so constructed that some part of its weight rests upon or is carried by the towing vehicle.
Shoulder—The portion of the highway, contiguous to the roadway, for accommodation of stopped vehicles, for emergency use and for lateral support of the roadway.
Single axle—An axle located over 8 feet from another axle.
Single-trip special hauling book permit or book permit—A permit which is validated by the district office by telephone and completed, prior to movement, by the permittee according to § 179.14 (relating to single-trip special hauling book permits for oversize movements).
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: ditchdigging 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, earth moving carryalls, scrapers, power shovels and drag lines; 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.
Structure—A tunnel, bridge or culvert including supports, which spans or provides passage over or under a waterway, a railroad or other obstruction.
Sunrise—The time designated by the National Weather Service at which the sun can first be seen on the horizon.
Sunset—The time designated by the National Weather Service at which the sun can last be seen on the horizon.
Super load—A vehicle or combination or load having a gross weight exceeding 201,000 pounds, a total length exceeding 160 feet, or a total width exceeding 16 feet; except that the following shall not be considered a super load:(i) A building moved under § 179.11(b) (relating to special vehicle—load restrictions).
(ii) A vehicle or combination moved across the highway under sections 4965 or 4966 of the act (relating to single permits for multiple highway crossings and permit for movement of quarry equipment).
(iii) A dragline moved across the highway under the permit.
Supplement—An amendment to a special hauling permit.
Suspension—Refusal by the Department to issue a permit or to authorize continued operation under authority of the permit for a prescribed period of time, including a penalty prescribed by § 179.14(m) and § § 179.16(a) and 179.18 (relating to penalties and enforcement; and sanctions for violations).
Traffic protector guide rail device—An instrument approved by the Department, which is placed around the extremities of a protruding dozer blade, as specified in § 179.11.
Trailer—A vehicle designed to be towed by a motor vehicle.
Urbanized area—A location, identified on Department Form M-938, in which travel under permit is restricted, as specified in § 179.10(7)(ii) when highways are congested with traffic.
Vehicle—Every device which is or may be moved or drawn upon a highway, except devices used exclusively upon rails or tracks.
Source The provisions of this § 179.1 adopted June 4, 1976, effective June 5, 1976, 6 Pa.B. 1287; amended August 5, 1977, effective August 6, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2192; amended May 26, 1978, effective May 27, 1978, 8 Pa.B. 1471; amended April 25, 1980, effective May 1, 1980, 10 Pa.B. 1686; renumbered May 16, 1981, 11 Pa.B. 1678; amended January 20, 1984, effective March 21, 1984, 14 Pa.B. 224; amended October 11, 1985, effective October 12, 1985, 15 Pa.B. 3654; readopted December 2, 1988, effective December 3, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 5364; amended May 14, 1993, effective August 13, 1993, 23 Pa.B. 2334; amended September 2, 2011, effective September 3, 2011, 41 Pa.B. 4772. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (229727) to (229731).
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