Sec. 14-261a. Regulation of commercial vehicle combinations. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 14-261a. Regulation of commercial vehicle combinations. (a) A commercial vehicle combination may be operated by any person who holds an endorsed commercial driver's license or a CDL equivalent license on highways which are part of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways and those sections of the Federal-Aid Primary System which are divided highways with four or more lanes and full control of access, which highways and sections are designated by the Secretary of the federal Department of Transportation pursuant to the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982, as amended, provided the Commissioner of Transportation shall impose reasonable restrictions consistent with federal law. The Commissioner of Transportation may permit the operation of a commercial vehicle combination, defined as "specialized equipment" in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 23, Part 658, as amended, by any person holding a license to operate a commercial vehicle combination as provided in this section and semitrailers, as described in subsection (c) of section 14-262, on any other highway in order to allow the vehicle reasonable access to terminals, facilities for food, fuel, repairs and rest, and points of loading and unloading for household goods carriers. If a commercial vehicle combination consists of two semitrailers or a trailer drawing a semitrailer, such trailers shall be coupled by a converter dolly or a type of dolly approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

      (b) Any person operating a commercial vehicle combination or a semitrailer, as described in subsection (c) of section 14-262, in violation of any provision of subsection (a) of this section shall be fined one thousand dollars for each offense. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall also suspend, for sixty days, the motor vehicle registration certificate, privilege to operate or operator's license of any such person.

      (P.A. 83-21, S. 3, 5; P.A. 84-372, S. 3, 9; 84-546, S. 45, 173; P.A. 85-254; 85-613, S. 134; P.A. 89-171, S. 3, 5; P.A. 93-307, S. 8, 34; P.A. 98-91, S. 3; P.A. 07-167, S. 12.)

      History: (Note re P.A. 83-21, S. 3: The U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut granted the United States' motion for preliminary injunction enjoining the state from enforcing a prohibition on operation of commercial vehicle combinations on interstate highways and primary system highways designated pursuant to Section 411(e) of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982. U.S. v. State of Conn., D.C. Conn. 1983, 566 F. Supp. 571, affirmed 742 F.2d 1443); P.A. 84-372 deleted provision making section applicable only upon court enjoining enforcement of commercial vehicle combination prohibition, deleted Subdivs. (2) to (5), inclusive, changed numbering of remaining Subsecs. to lettering, authorized permits for operation of commercial vehicle combinations to license testing site and to reasonable access points in Subsec. (a), modified class 1A license requirements in Subsec. (b) and added Subsecs. (c), (d), (e) and (f), concerning, respectively, safety inspections, reporting, regulations and penalties; P.A. 84-546 made technical amendments to former Subdivs. (2) and (3) which failed to take effect, those Subdivs. having been deleted by P.A. 84-372; P.A. 85-254 amended Subsec. (b) by reducing the period during which an applicant must demonstrate he has not violated various traffic laws from five years to three years, inserted a new Subsec. (c) providing for recognition of reciprocal agreements governing licensing requirements and relettering the remaining subsections and amended Subdiv. (2) of the new Subsec. (d) by adding a Subpara. (C) allowing vehicles to operate with a certificate of inspection on the tractors only provided the operator of the vehicle has established a preventive maintenance program approved by the commissioner; P.A. 85-613 revised Subsec. (c) deleting former provision re recognition of reciprocal agreements between other states and adding language re issuance of Class 1A license to holder of license to operate a commercial vehicle combination issued by another state; P.A. 89-171 eliminated all references throughout the section to the issuance and holding of a class 1A license and authorized the operation of a commercial vehicle combination by any person who holds an endorsed commercial driver's license, CDL equivalent license, endorsed class 1 license or an operator's license issued by another state authorizing operation of such vehicle with an endorsement issued by the commissioner, required each person holding a valid class 1A license on June 1, 1989, to surrender such license to commissioner not later than December 31, 1989, who shall then issue an endorsement to such person, deleted Subsecs. (c) and (e) in their entirety, relettering remaining Subsecs., required the commissioner to adopt regulations to carry out purposes of this section and deleted reference to commissioner of transportation and made all technical changes as necessary; P.A. 93-307 amended Subsec. (a) by providing that the commissioner of transportation may permit the operation of a commercial vehicle combination defined as "specialized equipment" in the Code of Federal Regulations, effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 98-91 amended Subsecs. (a) and (e) to add references to semitrailers and increased fine in Subsec. (e) from $500 to $1,000; P.A. 07-167 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former Subdivs. (3) and (4) re holder of endorsed class 1 license or license issued by another state together with endorsement issued by commissioner, deleting remaining subdivision designators and making technical changes, deleted former Subsecs. (b) re endorsement, (c) re inspections and (d) re regulations, redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as new Subsec. (b) and made conforming changes therein.

      Subsec. (c):

      Cited. 199 C. 667.