The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has taken a first step in harmonizing size and weight limits in accordance with provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), according to information published July 29 in the Federal Register. The agency is proposing that width-exclusive devices be allowed to project 4" from the side of a commercial vehicle. Currently, the width is limited to 3".
In October 1999, a NAFTA committee issued a paper on vehicle performance criteria for vehicles that might be allowed to operate in the three NAFTA nations (Canada, Mexico, and the United States). The definition of overall width included “exclusive of devices or appurtenances at the sides of a truck, tractor, semitrailer, or trailer whose function is related to safe operation.
The primary objective of the committee is to seek areas within the range of vehicle weights and dimensions that can be harmonized among the participating nations. Exclusion of non-property-carrying devices, extending up to 3" from the side of a commercial vehicle, is based on agency policy and industry practice, but is not statutory and may be subject to change.
For more details, visit http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/.
