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339.01 OVERSIZE OR OVERWEIGHT VEHICLE OPERATION ON STATE ROUTES; STATE PERMIT.
   (a)   (1)   The Municipality, with respect to highways under their jurisdiction, upon application in writing, shall issue a special regional heavy hauling permit authorizing the applicant to operate or move a vehicle or combination of vehicles as follows:
         A.   At a size or weight of vehicle or load exceeding the maximum specified in Ohio R.C. 5577.01 to 5577.09, or otherwise not in conformity with Ohio R.C. 4513.01 to 4513.37.
         B.   Upon any highway under the jurisdiction of municipality except those highways with a condition insufficient to bear the weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles as stated in the application.
         C.   For regional trips at distances of 150 miles or less from a facility stated on the application as the applicant’s point of origin.
         D.   Issuance of a special regional heavy hauling permit is subject to the payment of a fee established by the municipality in accordance with this section.
      (2)   In circumstances where a person is not eligible to receive a permit under division (a)(1)A. of this section, the Municipality, with respect to highways under its jurisdiction, upon application in writing and for good cause shown, may issue a special permit in writing authorizing the applicant to operate or move a vehicle or combination of vehicles of a size or weight of vehicle or load exceeding the maximum specified in Ohio R.C. 5577.01 through 5577.09, or otherwise not in conformity with Ohio R.C. 4513.01 through 4513.37, upon any highway under its jurisdiction.
   (b)   (1)   Notwithstanding Ohio R.C. 715.22 and 723.01, the holder of a permit issued by the Ohio Director of Transportation under Ohio R.C. 4513.34 may move the vehicle or combination of vehicles described in the permit on any highway that is a part of the state highway system when the movement is partly within and partly without the corporate limits of the municipality. No local authority shall require any other permit or license or charge any license fee or other charge against the holder of a permit for the movement of a vehicle or combination of vehicles on any highway which is a part of the state highway system. The Ohio Director of Transportation shall not require the holder of a permit issued by the municipality to obtain a special permit for the movement of vehicles or combination of vehicles on highways within the jurisdiction of the municipality.
      (2)   Except as provided in Ohio R.C. 4513.34(B)(3), permits may be issued for any period of time not to exceed one year, as the local authority in its discretion determines advisable or for the duration of any public construction project.
   (c)   (1)   The application for a permit issued under this section shall be in the form that the Municipality prescribes. The Municipality may prescribe a permit fee to be imposed and collected when any permit described in this section is issued. The permit fee may be in an amount sufficient to reimburse the Municipality for the administrative costs incurred in issuing the permit, and also to cover the cost of normal and expected damage caused to the roadway or a street or highway structure as the result of the operation of the nonconforming vehicle or combination of vehicles.
      (2)   For the purposes of this section and of rules adopted by the Director under Ohio R.C. 4513.34, milk transported in bulk by vehicle is deemed a nondivisible load.
      (3)   For purposes of this section and of rules adopted by the Director under Ohio R.C. 4513.34, three or fewer aluminum coils, transported by a vehicle, are deemed a nondivisible load. The Director shall adopt rules establishing requirements for an aluminum coil permit that are substantially similar to the requirements for a steel coil permit under O.A.C. Chapter 5501:2-1.
   (d)   The Municipality shall issue a special regional heavy hauling permit under division (a)(1)A. of this section upon application and payment of the applicable fee. However, the Municipality may issue or withhold a special permit specified in division (a)(2) of this section. If a permit is to be issued, the Municipality may limit or prescribe conditions of operation for the vehicle and may require the posting of a bond or other security conditioned upon the sufficiency of the permit fee to compensate for damage caused to the roadway or a street or highway structure. In addition, the Municipality, as a condition of issuance of an overweight permit, may require the applicant to develop and enter into a mutual agreement with the Municipality to compensate for or to repair excess damage caused to the roadway by travel under the permit.
   (e)   Every permit issued under this section shall be carried in the vehicle or combination of vehicles to which it refers and shall be open to inspection by any police officer or authorized agent of any authority granting the permit. No person shall violate any of the terms of a permit.
   (f)   The Director of Transportation may debar an applicant from applying for a special permit under this section upon a finding based on a reasonable belief that the applicant has done any of the actions specified in Ohio R.C. 4513.34(F).
   (g)   Notice and procedures for debarment shall be as provided in Ohio R.C. 4513.34(G).
   (h)   (1)   No person shall violate the terms of a permit issued under this section that relate to gross load limits.
      (2)   No person shall violate the terms of a permit issued under this section that relate to axle load by more than 2,000 pounds per axle or group of axles.
      (3)   No person shall violate the terms of a permit issued under this section that relate to an approved route except upon order of a law enforcement officer or authorized agent of the issuing authority.
   (i)   A permit issued by the municipality under this section for the operation of a vehicle or combination of vehicles is valid for the purposes of the vehicle operation in accordance with the conditions and limitations specified on the permit. Such a permit is voidable by law enforcement only for operation of a vehicle or combination of vehicles in violation of the weight, dimension, or route provisions of the permit. However, a permit is not voidable for operation in violation of a route provision of a permit if the operation is upon the order of a law enforcement officer.
(ORC 4513.34)
   (j)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.99)
339.02 USE OF LOCAL STREETS; LOCAL PERMIT AND CONDITIONS.
   (a)   Use of Local Streets. No person shall operate a vehicle exceeding a size as specified in Section 339.03 or exceeding a gross weight of five tons, upon any street in the Municipality other than a State route, except those local streets designated as a truck route and marked as such by appropriate traffic signs, and except when such operation is necessary to load or unload property, to go to or from the usual place of storage of such vehicle or to perform any other legitimate business or act other than passage through the Municipality. Operators of vehicles so deviating from either a State route or a designated truck route within the Municipality shall confine such deviation to that required in order to accomplish the purpose of the departure.
   (b)   Local Permit and Conditions. 
      (1)   Upon application and for good cause, the Police Chief may issue a local permit authorizing an applicant to move an oversize or overweight vehicle or combination of vehicles upon local streets.
      (2)   No permittee shall be required to obtain a special permit from the Ohio Director of Transportation for the movement of the vehicle or combination of vehicles on streets or highways under local jurisdiction; however, the approval of the Ohio Director of Transportation shall be required for movement upon State routes as provided in Section 339.01.
      (3)   The Police Chief may grant a permit for a single or round trip, or for such period of time, not to exceed one year, as the Police Chief in his or her discretion deems advisable, or for the duration of any construction project. The Police Chief may limit or prescribe terms or conditions of operation for such vehicle or combination of vehicles by designating the route, hours, speed or such other restrictions as may be necessary for the preservation of the public peace, property, health and safety. The Police Chief may require the posting of bond or other security necessary to compensate for any damage to a roadway or road structure.
      (4)   For each such permit, the Police Chief shall charge ten dollars ($10.00), and for each hour of time or any part thereof spent by each police officer in supervising the movement of such vehicle, the applicant shall pay the sum of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per hour per officer. The charge can be prorated into fifteen minute increments.
      (5)   Signs shall be posted to apprise drivers of the limitations imposed by this section. Such signs shall be in accordance with the standards for traffic control devices of the State Department of Transportation. No driver shall disobey the instructions indicated on any such sign.
      (6)   Violation of any of the limitations, terms or conditions of the permit granted by the Police Chief shall be cause for immediate revocation or suspension of such permit, and denial of request for any future permit. Such violation shall also subject the violator to the penalty prescribed by Section 303.99.
339.03 MAXIMUM WIDTH, HEIGHT AND LENGTH.
   (a)   No vehicle shall be operated upon the public highways, streets, bridges, and culverts within this Municipality whose dimensions exceed those specified in this section.
   (b)   No such vehicle shall have a width in excess of:
      (1)   104 inches for passenger bus type vehicles operated exclusively within the Municipality.
      (2)   102 inches, excluding such safety devices as are required by law, for passenger bus type vehicles operated over freeways, and such other State roads with minimum pavement widths of 22 feet, except those roads or portions of roads over which operation of 102- inch buses is prohibited by order of the Director of Transportation.
      (3)   132 inches for traction engines.
      (4)   102 inches for recreational vehicles, excluding safety devices and retracted awnings and other appurtenances of six inches or less in width and except that the Director may prohibit the operation of 102-inch recreational vehicles on designated State highways or portions of highways.
      (5)   102 inches, including load, for all other vehicles, except that the Director may prohibit the operation of 102-inch vehicles on such State highways or portions of state highways as the Director designates.
   (c)   No such vehicle shall have a length in excess of:
      (1)   66 feet for passenger bus type vehicles and articulated passenger bus type vehicles operated by a regional transit authority pursuant to Ohio R.C. 306.30 to 306.54.
      (2)   45 feet for all other passenger bus type vehicles.
      (3)   53 feet for any semitrailer when operated in a commercial tractor-semitrailer combination, with or without load, except that the Director may prohibit the operation of any such commercial tractor-semitrailer combination on such State highways or portions of state highways as the Director designates.
      (4)   28½ feet for any semitrailer or trailer when operated in a commercial tractor- semitrailer-trailer or commercial tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination, except that the Director may prohibit the operation of any such commercial tractor-semitrailer- trailer or commercial tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination on such State highways or portions of state highways as the Director designates.
      (5)   A.   97 feet for drive-away saddlemount vehicle transporter combinations and drive- away saddlemount with fullmount vehicle transporter combinations when operated on any interstate, United States route, or State route, including reasonable access travel on all other roadways for a distance not to exceed one road mile from any interstate, United States route, or State route, not to exceed three saddlemounted vehicles, but which may include one fullmount;
         B.   75 feet for drive-away saddlemount vehicle transporter combinations and drive- away saddlemount with fullmount vehicle transporter combinations when operated on any roadway not designated as an interstate, United States route, or State route, not to exceed three saddlemounted vehicles, but which may include one fullmount.
      (6)   65 feet for any other combination of vehicles coupled together, with or without load, except as provided in division (c)(3) and (4), and in division (e) below.
      (7)   45 feet for recreational vehicles.
      (8)   50 feet for all other vehicles, except trailers and semitrailers, with or without load.
   (d)   No such vehicle shall have a height in excess of 13½ feet, with or without load.
   (e)   An automobile transporter or boat transporter shall be allowed a length of 65 feet, and a stinger-steered automobile transporter or stinger-steered boat transporter shall be allowed a length of 75 feet, except that the load thereon may extend no more than four feet beyond the rear of such vehicles and may extend no more than three feet beyond the front of such vehicles, and except further that the Director may prohibit the operation of a stinger-steered automobile transporter, stinger-steered boat transporter, or a B-train assembly on any State highway or portion of any state highway that the Director designates.
   (f)   (1)   The widths prescribed in division (b) of this section shall not include side mirrors, turn signal lamps, marker lamps, handholds for cab entry and egress, flexible fender extensions, mud flaps, splash and spray suppressant devices, and load-induced tire bulge.
      (2)   The widths prescribed in division (b)(5) of this section shall not include automatic covering devices, tarp and tarp hardware, and tiedown assemblies, provided these safety devices do not extend more than three inches from either side of the vehicle.
      (3)   The lengths prescribed in divisions (c)(2) to (c)(7) shall not include safety devices, bumpers attached to the front or rear of such bus or combination, non-property carrying devices or components that do not extend more than 24 inches beyond the rear of the vehicle and are needed for loading or unloading, B-train assembly used between the first and second semitrailer of a commercial tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination, energy conservation devices as provided in any regulations adopted by the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, or any noncargo-carrying refrigerator equipment attached to the front of trailers and semitrailers. In special cases, vehicles that dimensions exceed those prescribed by this section may operate in accordance with rules adopted by the Director.
   (g)   (1)   This section does not apply to fire engines, fire trucks, or other vehicles or apparatus belonging to the Municipality or to the volunteer fire department thereof or used by such department in the discharge of its functions. This section does not apply to vehicles and pole trailers used in the transportation of wooden and metal poles, nor to the transportation of pipes or well-drilling equipment, nor to farm machinery and equipment.
      (2)   The owner or operator of any vehicle, machinery, or equipment not specifically enumerated in this section but the dimensions of which exceed the dimensions provided by this section, when operating the same on the highways and streets of the Municipality, shall comply with the rules of the Director governing such movement. Any person adversely affected shall have the same right of appeal as provided in Ohio R.C. Chapter 119.
      (3)   This section does not require the Municipality or any railroad or other private corporation to provide sufficient vertical clearance to permit the operation of such vehicle, or to make any changes in or about existing structures now crossing streets, roads, and other public thoroughfares.
   (h)   As used in this section, "recreational vehicle" has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 4501.01.
(ORC 5577.05)
   (i)   No person shall violate any rule or regulation promulgated by the Director of Transportation in accordance with Ohio R.C. 5577.05.
(ORC 5577.06)
   (j)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on a second or subsequent offense, such person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(ORC 5577.99(C))
339.04 ROUTE AND LOAD INFORMATION.
   Drivers of vehicles described in this chapter shall be required, upon request by a police officer, to give full and true information as to the route they are following and the name of the consignor and consignee and place of delivery or removal and the location of any consignment being hauled or goods being removed, and upon a designation by such police officer of a route to be followed, shall immediately adopt and pursue such route.
339.05 WHEEL PROTECTORS.
   No person shall drive or operate, or cause to be driven or operated, any commercial car, trailer, or semitrailer, used for the transportation of goods or property, the gross weight of which, with load, exceeds three tons, upon the public highways, streets, bridges, and culverts within the Municipality, unless such vehicle is equipped with suitable metal protectors or substantial flexible flaps on the rearmost wheels of such vehicle or combination of vehicles to prevent, as far as practicable, the wheels from throwing dirt, water, or other materials on the windshields of following vehicles. Such protectors or flaps shall have a ground clearance of not more than one-third of the distance from the center of the rearmost axle to the center of the flaps under any conditions of loading of the vehicle, and they shall be at least as wide as the tires they are protecting. If the vehicle is so designed and constructed that such requirements are accomplished by means of fenders, body construction, or other means of enclosure, then no such protectors or flaps are required. Rear wheels not covered at the top by fenders, bodies, or other parts of the vehicle shall be covered at the top by protective means extending at least to the center line of the rearmost axle.
(ORC 5577.11)
339.06 VEHICLES TRANSPORTING EXPLOSIVES.
   (a)   Any person operating any vehicle transporting explosives upon a highway shall at all times comply with the following requirements:
      (1)   The vehicle shall be marked or placarded on each side and on the rear with the word “EXPLOSIVES” in letters not less than eight inches high, or there shall be displayed on the rear of such vehicle a red flag not less than 24 inches square marked with the word “DANGER” in white letters six inches high, or shall be marked or placarded in accordance with Section 177.823 of the United States Department of Transportation regulations.
      (2)   The vehicle shall be equipped with not less than two fire extinguishers, filled and ready for immediate use, and placed at convenient points on such vehicle.
(ORC 4513.29)
   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.99)
339.07 TOWING REQUIREMENTS; EXCEPTION TO SIZE AND WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS.
   (a)   (1)   When one vehicle is towing another vehicle, the drawbar or other connection shall be of sufficient strength to pull all the weight towed thereby, and the drawbar or other connection shall not exceed 15 feet from one vehicle to the other, except the connection between any two vehicles transporting poles, pipe, machinery, or other objects of structural nature which cannot readily be dismembered.
      (2)   When one vehicle is towing another and the connection consists only of a chain, rope, or cable, there shall be displayed upon such connection a white flag or cloth not less than 12 inches square.
      (3)   In addition to such drawbar or other connection, each trailer and each semitrailer which is not connected to a commercial tractor by means of a fifth wheel shall be coupled with stay chains or cables to the vehicle by which it is being drawn. These chains or cables shall be of sufficient size and strength to prevent the towed vehicle's parting from the drawing vehicle in case the drawbar or other connection should break or become disengaged. In case of a loaded pole trailer, the connecting pole to the drawing vehicle shall be coupled to the drawing vehicle with stay chains or cables of sufficient size and strength to prevent the towed vehicle's parting from the drawing vehicle.
      (4)   Every trailer or semitrailer, except pole and cable trailers and pole and cable dollies operated by a public utility as defined in Ohio R.C. 5727.01, shall be equipped with a coupling device which shall be so designed and constructed that the trailer will follow substantially in the path of the vehicle drawing it, without whipping or swerving from side to side. Vehicles used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage and supply and the farm, when drawn or towed on a street or highway at a speed of 25 miles per hour or less, and vehicles designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance of no more than ten miles and at a speed of 25 miles per hour or less, shall have a drawbar or other connection, including the hitch mounted on the towing vehicle, which shall be of sufficient strength to pull all the weight towed thereby. Only one such vehicle used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials as provided in this section may be towed or drawn at one time except as follows:
         A.   An agricultural tractor may tow or draw more than one such vehicle;
         B.   A pickup truck or straight truck designed by the manufacturer to carry a load of not less than one-half ton and not more than two tons may tow or draw not more than two such vehicles that are being used to transport agricultural produce from the farm to a local place of storage. No vehicle being so towed by such a pickup truck or straight truck shall be considered to be a motor vehicle.
(ORC 4513.32)
   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.99)
   (c)   Exception to Size and Weight Restrictions.
      (1)   The size and weight provisions of this chapter and Ohio R.C. Chapter 5577 do not apply to a person who is engaged in the initial towing or removal or a wrecked or disabled motor vehicle from the site of an emergency on a public highway where the vehicle became wrecked or disabled to the nearest site where the vehicle can be brought into conformance with the requirements of this chapter and Ohio R.C. Chapter 5577 or to the nearest qualified repair facility.
      (2)   Any subsequent towing of a wrecked or disabled vehicle shall comply with the size and weight provisions of this chapter and Ohio R.C. Chapter 5577.
      (3)   No court shall impose any penalty prescribed in Ohio R.C. 5577.99, or any substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, or the civil liability established in Ohio R.C. 5577.12 upon a person towing or removing a vehicle in the manner described in division (c)(1) of this section.
(ORC 5577.15)
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