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<br /> Comprehensive Review of <br /> S olid W aste Collection and Disposal Options <br /> <br />v2.1 82 10/22/12 <br />6.3.1 Collections Fleet Modifications and Capital Expenditures <br />6.3.1.1 NCDOT Overweight Regulations <br />North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) imposes weight limits on commercial <br />vehicles traveling on state highways, roadways, and bridges for the protection of the traveling <br />public, prevention of damage to this infrastructure, and to promote efficient operation of the <br />public transportation system. As described in the North Carolina General Statute 20-118, these <br />weight limits are determined by the gross weight transmitted to the road by a combination of the <br />vehicle’s axles. For the purposes of the Town’s collection vehicles, these combinations are <br />2-axles and 3-axles respectively. Gross weight is defined as the axle weight plus any load <br />carried by that axle, or distributed across a combination of axles. <br /> The single-axle weight limit is 20,000 pounds (10 tons); <br /> The tandem-axle weight limit is 38,000 pounds (19 tons); and, <br /> The gross weight imposed on the highway by any axle group is determined by the <br />distance in feet between axles. <br />- 2-axle vehicles range between 38,000 and 40,000 pounds <br />- 3-axle vehicles range between 38,000 and 60,000 pounds <br /> <br />Under the current disposal practice involving Town collection vehicles transporting MSW to the <br />Orange County Landfill, these weight restrictions are rarely monitored and enforced due to the <br />limited travel on state roadways beyond the Town limits. However, these state-enforced weight <br />restrictions become more of a concern while transporting collected waste a longer distance to a <br />transfer station. Annual and trip-specific overweight permits are issued by NCDOT; however, <br />upon further discussions with NCDOT permitting staff, waste collection vehicles are not <br />applicable because their operation and loads are deemed to be potentially further divisible in <br />order to meet NCDOT weight limits. <br />A $500 fine may be levied for an overweight violation. Further civil penalties are assessed of <br />$0.04 per pound for the first 1,000 pounds; $0.06 per pound for the next 1,000 pounds; and $0.10 <br />per pound for each additional pound. <br />6.3.1.2 Residential Collection Vehicles <br />The Town’s existing residential rear loader collection trucks have a rated capacity of 18 to 20 <br />cubic yards (cy). According to data provided by the Town, the tare (i.e., empty) weights of these <br />single-axle and tandem-axle residential rear loader vehicles range between 20,000 and 28,000 <br />pounds (10 to 14 tons). Based on the known tare weight of the Town’s collection vehicles and <br />their waste hauling capacities, several vehicles are subject to potential overweighting depending <br />upon their axle configuration and the load weight distributed across their axles. For example: <br /> The average tare weight of a Town tandem axle vehicle is approx. 24,850 pounds;