While Colorado truck drivers and commercial truck carriers must follow U.S. Federal regulations, there are also some unique rules of the road specific to our state – from Colorado Commercial Driver’s License Manual regulations to weight limitations to winter driving restrictions. Any trucker and truck carrier with routes through Colorado, interstate or intrastate, must understand and abide by these Colorado laws. Learn more below about the specifics, and work with a Colorado truck accident lawyer who understands the nuances of local rules/regulations, and holds truck carriers accountable for crashes that circumvented state and Federal law.
Colorado State Laws: Trucking FAQs
According to the 2014 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Colorado had fatality rates just below the national average. But averages don’t tell the whole story. In 2011, 46 large truck fatalities occurred in the state; in 2012, there were 51. And those statistics don’t account for the thousands of Colorado truck and bus crashes that resulted in injury. Due to the sheer size of these 10,000+ pound vehicles and the nature of the driving over mountain passes and steep ascents and declines, an accident with a semi truck or other commercial vehicle can cause serious physical injuries, brain and spinal cord trauma or even paralysis. These are the trucking injury cases our Colorado truck accident attorney typically handles.
A driver typically needs to have a CDL to operate any vehicle involved in commerce that:
- Has either a GVWR or GCWR exceeding 26,000 lbs.;
- Transports placarded quantities of hazardous materials, regardless of the GVWR or GCWR of the vehicle being operated; or
- Is a vehicle that is or was originally designed to transport 16+ passengers, including the driver.
Learn more at the Colorado State Patrol website.
VEHICLE WEIGHT LIMITS
Interstate (I-70, I-25, I-76) | Non-Interstate | |
Single Axel Limit | 20,000 lbs | 20,000 lbs |
Tandem Axel Limit | 36,000 lbs | 40,000 lbs |
Gross Weight Limit | 80,000 lbs (subject to Federal bridge weight formula) | 85,000 lbs (subject to Federal bridge weight formula) |
Note: Triple Axles (or more) do not have a defined limit but the vehicle(s) still cannot exceed gross weight limits.
For a more comprehensive diagram of Colorado truck regulations related to weight, height and length, please visit the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Winter driving conditions can be expected in the Colorado mountains as early as September and as late as May. Truckers must be prepared to drive safely at all times and in all conditions. As a result, Colorado has a long-standing “chain law”, which is especially important on Interstate 70 (I-70) from September to May. All trucks with a GCWR/GVWR of 16,001 pounds or more on I-70 in either direction between milepost 133 (Dotsero) and milepost 259 (Morrison) must carry sufficient chains (traction devices) for the type of vehicle being driven to be in compliance with the chain law requirements should they go into effect.
The Colorado Motor Carrier Association is a 501(c)6 membership organization, established in 1939 to unite the trucking industry and its business strength through the State of Colorado. The CMCA provides:
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technical assistance to members seeking information and clarification on compliance, regulatory and safety issues;
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more than 50 training classes per year;
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member-only benefit programs to help save time and money for the trucking business; and
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a sounding board for trucking issues in the state of Colorado.
For more information, please visit the