Amended in Assembly August 18, 2014

Amended in Assembly June 25, 2014

Amended in Senate May 12, 2014

Amended in Senate April 29, 2014

Senate BillNo. 1175


Introduced by Senator Walters

February 20, 2014


An act to amend Section 35401.5 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1175, as amended, Walters. Vehicles: length limitations: motorsports.

Existing law generally prohibits a vehicle from exceeding a length of 40 feet, and a combination of vehicles from exceeding a total length of 65 feet, with various specific exceptions. Existing law, until January 1, 2016, exempts from these provisions a combination of vehicles consisting of a truck tractor semitrailer combination with a kingpin to rearmost axle measurement limit of not more than 46 feet, a trailer length of not more than 56 feet, and used exclusively or primarily in connection with motorsports, as defined.

This bill would extend the operation of that exemption indefinitely. In order to comply with the terms of that exemption, the bill would require a permit issued by the Department of Transportation for the operation of that combination of vehicles on a specific route. The bill would require the Department of Transportation to conduct field tests of the truck tractor semitrailer combination for motorsport trucks with a trailer length of 56 feet to evaluate their performance onbegin delete all segments of interstate highways andend delete transition routes connecting tobegin delete sanctioned motorsport racecourses.end deletebegin insert the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.end insert The bill wouldbegin delete provide thatend deletebegin insert requireend insert a permit to operate the above-described combination of vehicles on a specific routebegin delete would be requiredend deletebegin insert for a motorsport event, as specified. The bill would provide that the permit requirement for routes to or from the Auto Club Raceway at Ponoma, the Sonoma Raceway, and the Auto Club Speedway at Fontana would only applyend insert untilbegin delete eitherend delete field tests by the Department of Transportation determine that no additional projects need to be performed on that particular routebegin insert for the respective racewayend insert, or, if projects are required to be performed on the route, until those projects are completed. The bill would require the department to update the transition routes to reflect road projects completed since the 1990s and to update the transition routes every 5 years thereafter. The bill would require the department to develop new transition routesbegin insert, as necessary,end insert for the truck tractor semitrailer combination for motorsport trucks with a trailer length of 56 feet. The bill would require, no later than January 1, 2017, the department to submit a report to the Legislature that includes the results of the field testsbegin insert for the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, the Sonoma Raceway, and the Auto Club Speedway in Fontanaend insert, an overview of the related roadway improvements identified and made, and, in consultation with the Department of the California Highway Patrol, a recommendation as to whether the 56 foot trailer length should be reauthorized. The bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 35401.5 of the Vehicle Code is amended
2to read:

3

35401.5.  

(a) A combination of vehicles consisting of a truck
4tractor and semitrailer, or of a truck tractor, semitrailer, and trailer,
5is not subject to the limitations of Sections 35400 and 35401, when
6operating on the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of
7Interstate and Defense Highways or when using those portions of
8federal-aid primary system highways that have been qualified by
9the United States Secretary of Transportation for that use, or when
10using routes appropriately identified by the Department of
P3    1Transportation or local authorities as provided in subdivision (c)
2or (d), if all of the following conditions are met:

3(1) The length of the semitrailer in exclusive combination with
4a truck tractor does not exceed 48 feet. A semitrailer not more than
553 feet in length shall satisfy this requirement when configured
6with two or more rear axles, the rearmost of which is located 40
7feet or less from the kingpin or when configured with a single axle
8which is located 38 feet or less from the kingpin. For purposes of
9this paragraph, a motortruck used in combination with a semitrailer,
10when that combination of vehicles is engaged solely in the
11transportation of motor vehicles, camper units, or boats, is
12considered to be a truck tractor.

13(2) Neither the length of the semitrailer nor the length of the
14trailer when simultaneously in combination with a truck tractor
15exceeds 28 feet 6 inches.

16(b) Subdivisions (b), (d), and (e) of Section 35402 do not apply
17to combinations of vehicles operated subject to the exemptions
18provided by this section.

19(c) Combinations of vehicles operated pursuant to subdivision
20(a) may also use highways not specified in subdivision (a) that
21provide reasonable access to terminals and facilities for purposes
22limited to fuel, food, lodging, and repair when that access is
23consistent with the safe operation of the combinations of vehicles
24and when the facility is within one road mile of identified points
25of ingress and egress to or from highways specified in subdivision
26(a) for use by those combinations of vehicles.

27(d) The Department of Transportation or local authorities may
28establish a process whereby access to terminals or services may
29be applied for upon a route not previously established as an access
30route. The denial of a request for access to terminals and services
31shall be only on the basis of safety and an engineering analysis of
32the proposed access route. If a written request for access has been
33properly submitted and has not been acted upon within 90 days of
34receipt by the department or the appropriate local agency, the
35access shall be deemed automatically approved. Thereafter, the
36route shall be deemed open for access by all other vehicles of the
37same type regardless of ownership. In lieu of processing an access
38application, the Department of Transportation or local authorities
39with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions may
40provide signing, mapping, or a listing of highways as necessary
P4    1to indicate the use of specific routes as terminal access routes. For
2purposes of this subdivision, “terminal” means either of the
3following:

4(1) A facility where freight originates, terminates, or is handled
5in the transportation process.

6(2) A facility where a motor carrier maintains operating
7facilities.

8(e) Nothing in subdivision (c) or (d) authorizes state or local
9agencies to require permits of terminal operators or to charge
10terminal operators fees for the purpose of attaining access for
11vehicles described in this section.

12(f) Notwithstanding subdivision (d), the limitations of access
13specified in that subdivision do not apply to licensed carriers of
14household goods when directly en route to or from a point of
15loading or unloading of household goods, if travel on highways
16other than those specified in subdivision (a) is necessary and
17incidental to the shipment of the household goods.

18(g) (1) Notwithstanding Sections 35400 and 35401, a
19combination of vehicles consisting solely of a truck tractor
20semitrailer combination with a kingpin to rearmost axle
21measurement limit of not more than 46 feet, a trailer length of not
22more than 56 feet, and used exclusively or primarily in connection
23with motorsports, may operate on the routes identified in
24subdivision (a) as well as on any other routes authorized for that
25purpose by the Department of Transportation in consultation with
26the Department of the California Highway Patrol, when issued a
27permit as set forth in paragraph (3). As used in this subdivision,
28“motorsports” means an event, and all activities leading up to that
29event, including, but not limited to, administration, testing, practice,
30promotion, and merchandising, that is sanctioned under the
31auspices of the member organizations of the Automobile
32Competition Committee for the United States.

33(2) (A) The Department of Transportation shall conduct field
34tests of the truck tractor semitrailer combination authorized under
35paragraph (1) for motorsport trucks with a trailer length ofbegin insert not
36more thanend insert
56 feet to evaluate their performance onbegin delete all segments
37of the National Network andend delete
transition routes connecting to
38begin delete sanctioned motorsport racecourses.end deletebegin insert the Auto Club Speedway in
39Fontana.end insert

P5    1(B) (i) The Legislature finds and declares that the Department
2of Transportation established the existing transition routes
3described in subparagraph (A) based on records from the 1990s.

4(ii) The Department of Transportation shall update the transition
5routes to reflect road projects completed since the 1990s and shall
6update the transition routes every five years thereafter.

7(iii) The Department of Transportation shall develop new
8transition routesbegin insert, as necessary,end insert for the truck tractor semitrailer
9combination authorized under paragraph (1) for motorsport trucks
10with a trailer length ofbegin insert not more thanend insert 56 feet.

11(C) The Department of Transportation shall, no later than
12January 1, 2017, submit a report to the Legislature, in compliance
13with Section 9795 of the Government Code, that includes the
14results of the field testsbegin insert for the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona,
15the Sonoma Raceway, and the Auto Club Speedway in Fontanaend insert
,
16an overview of the related roadway improvements identified and
17made, and, in consultation with the Department of the California
18Highway Patrol, a recommendation as to whether thebegin insert maximumend insert
19 56 foot trailer length should be reauthorized.

20(D) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code,
21the requirement for submitting a report under this paragraph is
22inoperative on January 1, 2019.

23(3) begin delete(A)end deletebegin deleteend deletePermits for a combination of vehicles consisting solely
24of a truck tractor semitrailer combination with a kingpin to rearmost
25axle measurement limit of not more than 46 feet, a trailer length
26of not more than 56 feet, for use exclusively or primarily in
27connection with motorsports, to operate on the routes identified
28in subdivision (a) as well as on any other routes authorized for that
29purpose, as provided in paragraph (1), shall be issued by the
30Department of Transportation, pursuant to Article 6 (commencing
31with Section 35780) of Chapter 5.begin delete Permits shall be required to be
32issuedend delete
begin insert The permit requirementend insert for travel on a specific routebegin insert to or
33from the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, the Sonoma Raceway,
34or the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, shall apply onlyend insert
untilbegin delete eitherend delete
35 field testsbegin insert for each of those racewaysend insert by the Department of
36Transportation determine that no additional projects need to be
37performed onbegin delete thatend deletebegin insert the specificend insert route, or, if projects are required to
38be performed on thebegin insert specificend insert route, until those projects are
39completed.

begin delete

P6    1(B) Upon a determination based on field tests that no projects
2need to be performed on a specific route, or upon completion of
3projects for that route, permits for the operation of vehicles as
4described in subparagraph (A) shall no longer be required.

end delete

5(h) The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:

6(1) In authorizing the use of 53-foot semitrailers, it is the intent
7of the Legislature to conform with Section 31111(b)(1)(C) of Title
849 of the United States Code by permitting the continued use of
9semitrailers of the dimensions as those that were in actual and legal
10use on December 1, 1982, and does not intend this action to be a
11precedent for future increases in the parameters of any of those
12vehicles that would adversely affect the turning maneuverability
13of vehicle combinations.

14(2) In authorizing the department to issue special transportation
15permits for motorsports, it is the intent of the Legislature to
16conform with Section 31111(b)(1)(F) of Title 49 of the United
17States Code. It is also the intent of the Legislature that this action
18not be a precedent for future increases in the distance from the
19kingpin to the rearmost axle of semitrailers and trailers that would
20adversely affect the turning maneuverability of vehicle
21combinations.



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