Purpose: protect roads and bridges
- The Letter of Instruction orders enforcement to prevent the unnecessary destruction of roads caused by users who fail to observe load capacities of public roads and bridges.
- Enforcement focuses on preventing damage arising from non-observance of authorized load capacities.
Scope: freight trucks and other cargo vehicles
- The Letter of Instruction orders a stop of the movement of all freight truck and other vehicles carrying logs and other cargoes on public highways, roads and bridges.
- The stop applies when vehicles carry beyond the permissible weights authorized in the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
- The load limits stated are enforced as maximum allowable loads for the listed vehicle types.
- Owners and operators must obtain permits for vehicle types not covered by the listed categories before traveling on national roads.
Maximum load limits by vehicle type
- A truck with two axles is limited to a maximum load of .15 tons, gross weight.
- A truck with tandem rear axles is limited to a maximum load of .15 tons, gross weight.
- A truck with semi-trailer is limited to a maximum load of .27 tons, gross weight.
- Movement is prohibited when the actual load exceeds these maximum allowable limits tied to the Letter of Instruction’s enforcement scheme.
Permit requirement for extraordinary vehicle types
- For extraordinary types of vehicles not included in the listed categories, owners or operators must first obtain a prior permit.
- The permit must specify the maximum load capacity allowable for the vehicle to carry over national roads.
- Permits must be obtained from the Bureau of Public Highways before making any trip.
Authority to enforce and apply penalties
- The Secretary of National Defense must impose and enforce penalties against violators of the Letter of Instruction.
- Enforcement requires immediate operational controls against freight trucks and cargo vehicles caught violating load capacity limits.
- The penalty structure escalates based on the number of violations.
Penalties by violation count
- For first violations, the Secretary of National Defense must stop all freight trucks and other vehicles caught violating the load capacity limitation.
- For first violations, the Secretary must compel the violating vehicles to comply, with movement suspended until compliance is achieved.
- For second violations, the Secretary must detain the vehicle and the cargo of freight trucks or other vehicles caught violating the instructions for the second time.
- For third violations, the Secretary must detain or order the detention of two persons: the president or the general manager of the corporation that owns or operates the freight trucks.
- For third violations, detained persons remain in detention until otherwise ordered by the Secretary of National Defense.