§ 38-670. Height and length of vehicles and loads.

(a)

No vehicle shall exceed a height of 14 feet.

(b)

No vehicle shall exceed a length of 40 feet extreme overall dimension and no motor home shall exceed a length of 45 feet extreme overall dimension, exclusive of front and rear bumpers, except when operated in combination with another vehicle as provided in this section. No combination of vehicles, unless otherwise exempted in this section, shall exceed an overall length of 65 feet, exclusive of front and rear bumpers.

(c)

No combination of vehicles coupled together shall 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, however, 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 his farming or ranching operations; and

(6)

As provided in subsections (b), (d)—(f) of this section.

(d)

The following combination vehicles are specialized equipment and may exceed an overall length of 65 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.

(e)

A saddle-mount vehicle is specialized equipment and may not exceed an overall length of 97 feet pursuant to the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Section 658.13.

(f)

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.

(Ord. No. 85-218, § 2, 1995; Code 1985, § 10.13.011; Ord. No. 02-236, § 49, 12-17-2013)

State law reference

Similar provisions, NMSA 1978, § 66-7-404.