348.10 Special limitations on load.
(1) No person, without a permit therefor, may operate on a highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles with any load thereon extending more than 3 feet beyond the front of the foremost vehicle, except as provided in s. 348.07 (2) (j) and (k), and except that a vehicle carrying another vehicle equipped with a crane or boom which extends more than 3 feet beyond the front of the foremost vehicle may be operated without permit if the total length of the vehicle or combination of vehicles, measuring from the end of the foremost projection of the load to the rear of the rearmost vehicle, does not exceed statutory length limitations.
(2) No person shall operate a vehicle on a highway unless such vehicle is so constructed and loaded as to prevent its contents from dropping, sifting, leaking or otherwise escaping therefrom.
(3) No person may operate on a highway any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer carrying logs unless the logs are transported within a cargo body or are securely fastened to the vehicle by chains, steel cables or other attachment devices of equivalent strength whose safety is approved by the department.
(3m) No person may operate on a highway any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer carrying junk or scrapped vehicles unless one of the following conditions is satisfied:
(a) Each junk or scrapped vehicle is securely fastened to the vehicle carrying the load by chains, steel cables or other attachment devices of equivalent strength whose safety is approved by the department. In this paragraph, “securely fastened" means that each tier of junk or scrapped vehicles is secured by at least 2 chains, steel cables or other attachment devices across the axis of its width.
(b) The vehicle carrying the load is equipped with stakes which are securely fastened by chains, steel cables or other attachment devices of equivalent strength whose safety is approved by the department and the top of the load is lower than the top of the stakes.
(c) The vehicle carrying the load is equipped with sides, sideboards or side stakes and with a rear endgate, endboard or rear stakes. These devices shall be of sufficient strength and height to prevent the cargo from shifting upon or falling from the vehicle. No device may have any aperture large enough to permit cargo in contact with one or more of the devices to pass through the aperture.
(4) All other provisions notwithstanding, no person shall operate on a highway any trailer or semitrailer when the gross weight of the trailer or semitrailer exceeds the empty weight of the towing vehicle, unless the trailer or semitrailer is equipped with brakes as provided in s. 347.35 (3) (a) and (b).
(5) The load imposed upon trailers, semitrailers, recreational vehicles, or mobile homes shall be distributed in a manner that will prevent side sway under all conditions of operation:
(a) All items of load carried by any trailer, semitrailer, recreational vehicle, or mobile home, except bulk material such as sand, gravel, dirt not in containers, shall be secured to, on or in the trailer, semitrailer, recreational vehicle, or mobile home in such manner as to prevent shifting of the load while the trailer, semitrailer, recreational vehicle, or mobile home is being drawn by a towing vehicle.
(b) Boats of any type transported on a trailer or semitrailer being drawn by a towing vehicle shall be secured in position at bow and stern by attachments of such strength and design as to prevent the boat from shifting its position on the trailer or becoming separated from the trailer while being transported thereon.
(c) The load carried by any trailer, semitrailer, recreational vehicle, or mobile home shall be so positioned that a weight of not less than 35 pounds is imposed at the center of the point of attachment to the towing vehicle when parked on a level surface.
History: 1983 a. 78; 1983 a. 192 s. 304; 1985 a. 161; 1991 a. 249; 1993 a. 401; 2007 a. 11; 2013 a. 369.