ASSEMBLY, No. 573
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION
By Assemblywoman TURNER
An Act concerning commercial motor vehicles and amending P.L.1950, c.142 and R.S.39:5-1.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 5 of P.L.1950, c.142 (C.39:3-84.3) is amended to read as follows:
5. a. [Officers shall have authority as set forth in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subsection to require the driver, operator, owner, lessee or bailee of any vehicle or combination of vehicles found on any public road, street, or highway or any public or quasi-public property in this State to facilitate and permit the measurement or weighing of the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, for the purpose of determining whether the size or weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, is in excess of that permitted in this Title:
(1) Officers of the Division of State Police shall have the exclusive authority to conduct random roadside examinations for the purpose of determining whether size or weight is in excess of that permitted in this Title, and officers of the Division of State Police shall have the authority, with or without probable cause to believe that the size or weight is in excess of that permitted, to require the driver, operator, owner, lessee or bailee, to stop, drive or otherwise move to a location for measurement or weighing and submit the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, to measurement or weighing;
(2) Police or peace officers or inspectors appointed by any municipality or county shall have the authority to require the driver, operator, owner, lessee or bailee to stop, drive or otherwise move to a location for measurement or weighing and submit the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, to measurement or weighing, only if the officer has probable cause to believe that the size or weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, is in excess of that permitted by this Title; and
(3) The Division of State Police and the director shall have the exclusive authority to establish and operate locations for the measurement and weighing of vehicles, including load and contents, and all measuring and weighing devices or scales employed at such locations shall be approved and certified by the State Superintendent of Weights and Measures or the State Superintendent's agent. Copies of documents displaying the State Superintendent's seal or certification shall be prima facie evidence of the reliability and accuracy of the measuring or weighing devices or scales utilized.]
Any State Police officer or any police or peace officer or inspector appointed by any municipality or county is authorized to require the driver, operator, owner, lessee or bailee of any vehicle or combination of vehicles found on any public road, street or highway or on any public or quasi-public property in this State to stop and submit the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, to measurement or weighing to determine whether the size or weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, is in excess of that permitted in this Title, by means of measuring or weighing devices or scales approved and certified by the State Superintendent of Weights and Measures or his agent. Copies of documents displaying the seal or certification of the State Superintendent of Weights and Measures shall be prima facie evidence of the reliability and accuracy of the measuring or weighing devices or scales utilized in the enforcement of this Title. The driver, operator, owner, lessee or bailee of a vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, that is to be measured or weighed may be required to drive or otherwise move the vehicle or combination of vehicles to a location, as directed by the officer or inspector, where the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, can be measured or weighed, as described in this section.
b. Whenever the officer, upon measuring or weighing a vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, determines that the size or weight is in excess of the limits permitted in this Title, the officer or inspector shall require the driver, operator, owner, lessee or bailee to stop the vehicle or combination of vehicles in a suitable place and remain in that place until a portion of the load or contents of the vehicle or combination of vehicles is removed by the driver, operator, owner, lessee, bailee or duly appointed agent thereof, as may be necessary to conform or reduce the size or weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, to those limits as permitted under this act, or permitted by the certificate of registration for the vehicle or combination of vehicles, whichever may be lower. All materials so unloaded or removed shall be cared for by the driver, owner, operator, lessee or bailee of the vehicle or combination of vehicles, or duly appointed agent thereof, at the risk, responsibility and liability of the driver, owner, operator, lessee, bailee or duly appointed agent thereof.
c. No vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be deemed to be in violation of the weight limitation provision of this act, when, upon examination by the officer, the dispatch papers for the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, show it is proceeding from its last preceding freight pickup point within the State of New Jersey by a reasonably expeditious route to the nearest available scales or to the first available scales in the general direction towards which the vehicle or combination of vehicles has been dispatched, or is returning from such scales after weighing-in to the last preceding pickup point.
d. When the officer determines that a vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, is in violation of the weight limitations of this Title as provided at paragraph (1) of subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84; paragraph (2) of subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84; paragraph (3) of subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84; or paragraph (5) of subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84 relative to maximum gross axle weights, but is within the permissible maximum gross vehicle weight of this Title as provided at paragraph (4) of subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84 or paragraph (5) of subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84, whichever is applicable, the driver, operator, owner, lessee, bailee or duly appointed agent thereof shall be permitted, before proceeding, to redistribute the weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles or the load or contents of the vehicle or combination of vehicles so that no axle or combination of consecutive axles are in excess of the limits set by this act, in which event there is no violation.
e. When the officer determines that a vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, is in violation of the height, width or length limits of this Title as provided at subsection a. of R.S.39:3-84, the driver, operator, owner, lessee or bailee of the vehicle or combination of vehicles or duly appointed agent thereof shall be permitted, before proceeding, to adjust, reduce or conform the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, so that the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, are not in excess of the height, width, or length limits set by this act, in which event there is no violation.
f. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to a vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, found or operated on any highway in this State which is part of or designated as part of the National Interstate System, as provided at 23 U.S.C.§103(e). No arrest shall be made or summons issued for a violation of the weight limitations provided in this act at subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84 where the excess weight is no more than 5% of the weight permitted, provided the gross weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, does not exceed the maximum gross weight of 80,000 pounds as set forth at paragraph (4) of subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84.
g. Any person who presents to the officer, or has in his possession, or who prepares false dispatch papers, that is to say, dispatch papers which do not correspond to the cargo carried, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $100.00.
h. Any driver of a vehicle or combination of vehicles who fails or refuses to stop and submit the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, to measurement or weighing, as provided in this Title, or otherwise fails to comply with the provisions of this section, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $200.00.
i. The owner, lessee, bailee or any one of the aforesaid of any vehicle or combination of vehicles found or operated on any public road, street or highway or on any public or quasi-public property in this State in violation of the height, width or length limits as set forth in subsection a. of R.S.39:3-84 shall be fined not less than $150.00 nor more than $500.00.
j. The owner, lessee, bailee or any one of the aforesaid of any vehicle or combination of vehicles found or operated on any public road, street or highway or on any public or quasi-public property in this State, with a gross weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, in excess of the weight limitations as provided at subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84 or section 3 of P.L.1950, c.142 (C.39:3-84.1) shall be fined an amount equal to $0.02 per pound for each pound of the total excess weight; provided the total excess weight is 10,000 pounds or less, or shall be fined an amount equal to $0.03 per pound for each pound of the total excess weight; provided the total excess weight is more than 10,000 pounds, but in no event shall the fine be less than $50.00. However, in the case of any vehicle or combination of vehicles carrying a sealed ocean container, either the shipper, the consignee or both, shall be liable for a violation of the weight limitations as provided at subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84 relative to maximum gross axle weights.
k. Whenever a vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load or contents, is found to be in violation of any two or more of the weight limitations as provided at subsection b. of R.S.39:3-84 or section 3 of P.L.1950, c.142 (C.39:3-84.1), the fine levied shall be only for the violation involving the greater or greatest excess weight.
(cf: P.L.1994, c.60, s.33)
2. R.S.39:5-1 is amended to read as follows:
39:5-1. Except as otherwise provided, the enforcement of this subtitle shall be vested in the director and the police or peace officers of, or inspectors duly appointed for that purpose by, any municipality or county or by the State. [Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize police or peace officers or inspectors appointed by any municipality or county to conduct random roadside examinations of any vehicle.]
(cf: P.L.1994, c.60, s.34)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would authorize municipal and county police or other law enforcement officers or inspectors to conduct inspections of commercial motor vehicles.
Prior to July 1, 1994 municipal and county police officers or inspectors had authority to conduct such inspections. A law enacted in 1994, P.L.1994, c.60, gave the State Police exclusive authority to conduct such inspections. Since that time there has been an exponential expansion of truck traffic on State highways which are local in nature, in particular, Routes 31 and 206. Given this increased traffic and related safety issues, and the limited availability of State Police officers to conduct inspections, it is appropriate to reauthorize local officials to conduct such inspections in order to ensure the safety of the motorists who must use these highways as local roads.
Authorizes local officials to inspect commercial motor vehicles.