Farm Machinery on Missouri Highways

1
Farm Machinery on Missouri Highways

• Chapter 304, Missouri Statutes Traffic
  Regulations
• 304.001(9) Off-Road VehiclesExcludes farm-type
  tractors and other self-propelled equipment for
  harvesting and transporting farm or forest
  products
• 304.011 Slow SpeedFarm Implements
• 304.029 Operation of Low-Speed Vehicles
• Chapter 307, Missouri Statutes Vehicle
  Equipment Regulations

2
City/County DOT Options

• 304.029(8) Nothing in this section shall
  prevent county or municipal governments from
  adopting more stringent local ordinances
  governing low- speed vehicle operation if the
  governing body of the county or municipality
  determines that such ordinances are necessary in
  the interest of public safety
• 304.029(8) The department of transportation
  (DOT) may prohibit the operation of low-speed
  vehicles on any highway under its jurisdiction if
  it determines that the prohibition is necessary
  in the interest of public safety

3
City Optional Traffic Regulations

• 304.120 Municipalities may
• Make additional rules of the road or traffic
  regulations to meet their needs and traffic
  conditions
• Limit the use of certain designated streets and
  boulevards to passenger vehicles
• Require the use of signaling devices on all motor
  vehicles

4
Regulations as to Height, Width, Length of
Vehicles

• Maximum Width
• Maximum width of any vehicle on supplementary
  highways 10 miles from interstates and designated
  or primary highways . . . . . 8'
• Maximum width of any vehicle on interstates and
  certain designated highways . . . . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  8½'
• Maximum Height
• Maximum height of any vehicle outside of a
  commercial
• zone on designated highways. . . . 14
• Maximum height of any vehicle in a commercial
  zone. . 15'
• Maximum height on all other highways . . . 13½'
• Maximum Length of any single vehicle 45 feet
• Missouri Department of Revenue,
  http//www.dor.mo.gov/mvdl/drivers/dlguide/chapter
  15.pdf
• Chapter 304.170

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Exemptions from Size Limits

• Farm machinery driven occasionally for short
  distances
• Vehicles temporarily transporting farm machinery
• Implement dealers delivering or moving farm
  machinery for repair
• Note These exemptions do not include interstate
  highways

6
Overdimension Loads (OD)

• No OD permits are needed on Missouri state
  highways for farmers occasionally and temporarily
  transporting an agricultural implement for a
  short distance on a state highway, or
  transporting hay as a farm product. OD permits
  are always required on the federal highway
  (interstate) system, plus a 10 mile radius of
  surrounding highways.
• Farm drivers must operate safely and in
  compliance with applicable rules and laws at all
  times or the OD permit will be voided.
• Depending on the dimensions of the load and time
  of the movement, when traveling under an OD or OW
  permit, visible warning signs, flags, and
  lighting (when required due to darkness or
  weather) may be needed on the rear of the vehicle
• This includes transporting hay

7
Overweight Loads (OW)

• Farmers must comply with the maximum legal weight
  limits or obtain an OW permit.
• Overweight loads are not exempt and always
  require a proper OW permit.

8
304.170 (12)

• (1) Except as hereinafter provided, these
  restrictions shall not apply to agricultural
  implements operating occasionally on the highways
  for short distances, or to self-propelled
  hay-hauling equipment or to implements of
  husbandry, or to the movement of farm products as
  defined in section 400.9-109, RSMo, or to
  vehicles temporarily transporting agricultural
  implements or implements of husbandry or
  roadmaking machinery, or road materials or towing
  for repair purposes vehicles that have become
  disabled upon the highways or to implement
  dealers delivering or moving farm machinery for
  repairs on any state highway other than the
  interstate system.

9
304.170 (12)

• (2) Implements of husbandry and vehicles
  transporting such machinery or equipment and the
  movement of farm products as defined in section
  400.9-109, RSMo, may be operated occasionally for
  short distances on state highways when operated
  between the hours of sunrise and sunset by a
  driver licensed as an operator or chauffeur.

10
304.170

• 13. As used in this chapter the term "implements
  of husbandry" means all self-propelled machinery
  operated at speeds of less than thirty miles per
  hour, specifically designed for, or especially
  adapted to be capable of, incidental
  over-the-road and primary offroad usage and used
  exclusively for the application of commercial
  plant food materials or agricultural chemicals,
  and not specifically designed or intended for
  transportation of such chemicals and materials.
• 14. The purpose of this section is to permit a
  single trip per day by the implement of husbandry
  from the source of supply to a given farm.

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Tractors exempt--designation of truck routes by
commission

• 304.260. Farm tractors when using the highways in
  traveling from one field or farm to another, or
  to or from places of delivery or repair are
  exempt from the provisions of the law relating to
  registration and display of number plates, but
  shall comply with all the other provisions
  hereof.
• The state highways and transportation commission
  shall have the power and authority to prescribe
  the type of road upon which such tractors may be
  used and may exclude the use of such tractors or
  the use of trucks of any particular weight from
  the use of certain designated roads or types of
  roads, by the posting of signs along or upon such
  roads or any part thereof.

12
Special permits for oversize or overweight loads

• 304.200. 1. The chief engineer of the state
  department of transportation, for good cause
  shown and when the public safety or public
  interest so justifies, shall issue special
  permits for vehicles or equipment exceeding the
  limitations on width, length, height and weight
  herein specified, or which are unable to maintain
  minimum speed limits.
• Such permits shall be issued only for a single
  trip or for a definite period, not beyond the
  date of expiration of the vehicle registration,
  and shall designate the highways and bridges
  which may be used pursuant to the authority of
  such permit.

13
304.200(2) Special permits for oversize or
overweight loads

• The chief engineer of the state department of
  transportation shall upon proper application and
  at no charge issue a special permit to any person
  allowing the movement on state and federal
  highways of farm products between sunset and
  sunrise not in excess of fourteen feet in width.
• Special permits allowing movement of oversize
  loads of farm products shall allow for movement
  between sunset and sunrise, subject to
  appropriate requirements for safety lighting on
  the load, appropriate limits on load dimensions
  and appropriate consideration of high traffic
  density between sunset and sunrise on the route
  to be traveled.

14
307.127 Slow-moving equipment, emblem required
on, when

• 1. No person shall operate on any public highway
  of this state any slow-moving vehicle or
  equipment after sunset to one-half hour before
  sunrise, any animal-drawn vehicle, or any other
  machinery, designed for use or normally operated
  at speeds less than twenty-five miles per hour,
  including all road construction or maintenance
  machinery except when engaged in actual
  construction or maintenance work either guarded
  by a flagman or clearly visible warning signs,
  which normally travels or is normally used at a
  speed of less than twenty-five miles per hour
  unless there is displayed on the rear thereof an
  emblem as described in, and displayed as provided
  in subsection 2 in this section.
• The requirement of such emblem shall be in
  addition to any lighting devices required by
  section 307.115.

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307.127 Slow-moving equipment, emblem required
on, when

• 2. The emblem required by subsection 1 of this
  section shall be of substantial construction, and
  shall be a basedown equilateral triangle of
  fluorescent yellow-orange film or equivalent
  quality paint with a base of not less than
  fourteen inches and an altitude of not less than
  twelve inches.
• Such triangle shall be bordered with reflective
  red strips having a minimum width of one and
  three-fourths inches, with the vertices of the
  overall triangle truncated such that the
  remaining altitude shall be a minimum of fourteen
  inches. Such emblem shall be mounted on the rear
  of such vehicle near the horizontal geometric
  center of the rearmost vehicle at a height of not
  less than four feet above the roadway, and shall
  be maintained in a clean, reflective condition.
• The provisions of this section shall not apply to
  any vehicle or equipment being operated on a
  gravel or dirt-surfaced public highway.

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307.127 Slow-moving equipment, emblem required
on, when

• 4. No emblem shall be required on machinery or
  equipment pulled or attached to a farm tractor
  providing the machinery or equipment does not
  extend more than twelve feet to the rear of the
  tractor and permits a clear view of the emblem on
  the tractor by vehicles approaching from the
  rear.

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307

• 307.025. The subsequent provisions of this
  chapter with respect to equipment and lights on
  vehicles shall not apply to agricultural
  machinery and implements, road machinery, road
  rollers, traction engines, motorized bicycles or
  farm tractors except as in this chapter made
  applicable.

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Driving Farm Machinery on the Highway

• Red flag atop a pole (12-14 ft. high)
• Lights At least one lighted lamp exhibiting a
  white light visible from a distance of 500 ft. to
  the front of the farm vehicle, AND a lamp
  exhibiting a red light visible from a distance of
  500 ft. to the rear, and such lamps shall exhibit
  lights to the sides of such vehicle
• SMV Emblem Missouri requires the SMV emblem on
  all slow-moving vehicles or equipment after
  sunset to one-half hour before sunrise (normally
  operated at speeds less than 25 m.p.h.)
• Source Missouri State Highway Patrol, Farm
  Safety brochure http//www.mshp.dps.mo.gov/MSHPWe
  b/Publications/Brochures/SHP-434.pdf

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Tractor Lights

• Missouri law also requires a tractor to be
  equipped with at least one white light visible
  from 500 feet to the front and at least one red
  light visible 500 feet to the rear.

20

• All tractors on Missouri highways from sunset to
  one-half hour before sunrise must have a Slow
  Moving Vehicle emblem.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  (OSHA) regulations require any tractor operated
  by an employee to be equipped with a SMV emblem

21
Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL) Requirements
for Farm Trucks

• The farmer operating their farm vehicle as a
  farm-vehicle-driver are exempt from the CDL
  requirements if
• Farmer transports their own agricultural
  products, farm machinery, farm supplies as a
  private carrier to/from their farm (Not operating
  as a for-hire carrier or other than farm use),
  and
• Is within 150 miles of the farmers farm, and
• The driver is a farmer, family member of the
  farmer, or an employee of the farm, operating a
  farm vehicle, and
• Is not required to be placarded under the
  Hazardous Materials Transportation Act.

22
Tractors and Rollover Protective Structure
Standard (ROPS)

• The standard requires that all tractors
  manufactured after Oct. 26, 1976 and used by
  employees must have rollover protective
  structures
• Don't wear a seat belt if your tractor is not
  equipped with a protective structure

23
Highway Accidents Injuries Involving Farm
Equipment

• In 2005, two people were killed and 82 were
  injured in crashes involving farm equipment on
  Missouri highways
• Farm equipment can travel on every Missouri road
  except for interstate highways
• Farm equipment has to follow the same traffic
  laws that cars and trucks...except they have to
  have that slow moving vehicle sign on the back