New Mexico § 66-7-404 - Height and length of vehicles and loads

§ 66-7-404. Height and length of vehicles and loads

A. A vehicle shall not exceed a height of fourteen feet. B. A vehicle shall not exceed a length of forty feet extreme overall dimension and

no motor home shall exceed a length of forty-five feet extreme overall dimension,

exclusive of front and rear bumpers, except when operated in combination with another

vehicle as provided in this section. A bus may exceed a length of forty-five feet when operating on national network

highways. A combination of vehicles, unless otherwise exempted in this section, shall not

exceed an overall length of sixty-five feet, exclusive of front and rear bumpers. C. A combination of vehicles coupled together shall not consist of more than two units,

except: (1) a truck tractor and semitrailer shall be permitted to pull one trailer; (2) a vehicle shall be permitted to pull two units, provided that the middle unit

is equipped with brakes and has a weight equal to or greater than the last unit and

the total combined gross weight of the towed units does not exceed the manufacturer's

stated gross weight of the towing units; (3) a double or triple saddle-mount or fifth wheel mount of vehicles in transit by

driveaway-towaway methods shall be permitted; (4) vehicles and trailers operated by or under contract for municipal refuse systems; (5) farm trailers, implements of husbandry and fertilizer trailers operated by or

under contract to a farmer or rancher in farming or ranching operations; and (6) as provided in Subsections D through G of this section. D. Exclusive of safety and energy conservation devices, refrigeration units and other

devices such as coupling devices, vehicles operating a truck tractor semitrailer or

truck tractor semitrailer-trailer combinations on the interstate highway system and

those qualifying federal aid primary system highways designated by the secretary of

the United States department of transportation, pursuant to the federal Surface Transportation

Assistance Act of 1982, 1 Public Law 97-424 , Section 411, and on those highways designated by the department of transportation

by rule may exceed an overall length limitation of sixty-five feet, provided that

the length of the semitrailer in a truck tractor semitrailer combination does not

exceed fifty-seven feet six inches and the length of the semitrailer or trailer in

a truck tractor semitrailer-trailer combination does not exceed twenty-eight feet

six inches. The department of transportation shall adopt rules and regulations granting reasonable

access to terminals, facilities for food, fuel, repairs and rest and points of loading

and unloading for household goods carriers to vehicles operating in combination pursuant

to this subsection. As used in this subsection, “ truck tractor ” means a non-cargo carrying power unit designed to operate in combination with a

semitrailer or trailer, except that a truck tractor and semitrailer engaged in the

transportation of automobiles may transport motor vehicles on part of the truck tractor. E. The following combination vehicles are specialized equipment and may exceed an

overall length of sixty-five feet pursuant to the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Section 658.13 : (1) automobile transporters; (2) boat transporters; (3) beverage semitrailers; and (4) munitions carriers using dromedary equipment. F. A saddle-mount vehicle is specialized equipment and may not exceed an overall length

of ninety-seven feet pursuant to the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Section 658.13 . G. Notwithstanding any other subsection of this section, a trailer or semitrailer

combination of such dimensions as those that were in actual and lawful use in this

state on December 1, 1982 may be lawfully operated on the highways of this state. 1

26 U.S.C.A. § 4051 et seq.