S 0762 General Bill, By Land

Similar(H 4012)
 A Bill to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Article 71
 to Chapter 3, Title 56, so as to provide for the issuance of a special license
 plate for forest product haulers; to amend Section 56-3-120, relating to
 exemptions from registering and licensing vehicles, so as to exempt certain
 knuckleboom loaders from registration and licensing; to amend Section
 56-5-4090, as amended, relating to the length of load on certain pole trailers
 and carriers, so as to delete restrictions to the hours certain vehicles can
 travel on the State's highways; to amend Section 56-5-4630, relating to the
 attachment of a lamp or flag on loads extending certain lengths beyond the bed
 or body of a motor vehicle, so as to revise the dimensions of the flag that
 must be attached to the load; and to amend Section 58-23-50, relating to
 certain forms of transportation that are exempted from Public Service
 Commission regulations, so as to exempt the transportation of logs from
 Commission regulation.

   04/18/95  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-21
   04/18/95  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation SJ-21

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 71 TO CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE FOR FOREST PRODUCT HAULERS; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-120, RELATING TO EXEMPTIONS FROM REGISTERING AND LICENSING VEHICLES, SO AS TO EXEMPT CERTAIN KNUCKLEBOOM LOADERS FROM REGISTRATION AND LICENSING; TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-4090, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE LENGTH OF LOAD ON CERTAIN POLE TRAILERS AND CARRIERS, SO AS TO DELETE RESTRICTIONS TO THE HOURS CERTAIN VEHICLES CAN TRAVEL ON THE STATE'S HIGHWAYS; TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-4630, RELATING TO THE ATTACHMENT OF A LAMP OR FLAG ON LOADS EXTENDING CERTAIN LENGTHS BEYOND THE BED OR BODY OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, SO AS TO REVISE THE DIMENSIONS OF THE FLAG THAT MUST BE ATTACHED TO THE LOAD; AND TO AMEND SECTION 58-23-50, RELATING TO CERTAIN FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION THAT ARE EXEMPTED FROM PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION REGULATIONS, SO AS TO EXEMPT THE TRANSPORTATION OF LOGS FROM COMMISSION REGULATION.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Chapter 3, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

Section 56-3-7650. The department shall issue a special motor vehicle license plate to identify intrastate unmanufactured forest product haulers. A one-time fee for the issuance of this special plate is thirty dollars."

SECTION 2. Section 56-3-120 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-3-120. The following vehicles shall be are exempt from registration and licensing under this chapter:

(1) Any such a vehicle driven, operated, or moved upon a highway in conformance with pursuant to the provisions of this chapter relating to nonresidents or under temporary permits issued by the department as herein authorized;

(2) any implement of husbandry, including a knuckleboom loader mounted on a trailer or straight truck, whether of a type otherwise subject to registration and license which is only incidentally is operated or moved upon a highway;

(3) Any a special mobile equipment vehicle which is only occasionally is moved over a highway and every such special mobile equipment vehicle of the State, any department or agency thereof, or its departments, agencies, or any of the political subdivisions of the State, their departments and agencies; and

(4) Any such a vehicle owned and operated by the government of the United States."

SECTION 3. Section 56-5-4090, of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 122 of 1991, is further amended to read:

"Section 56-5-4090. (A) During daylight hours only, The limitations as to length of vehicles and loads stated in Sections 56-5-4060 and 56-5-4080 do not apply to a load upon a pole trailer or self-propelled pole carrier when transporting poles, logs, pipes, or structural material which cannot be dismembered. No pole, log, pipe, or other material exceeding eighty feet in length may be transported unless a permit has first been obtained as authorized in Section 56-5-4170.

(B) The provisions of this section do not apply to a pole trailer or self-propelled pole carrier operated by a utility company when transporting a pole to replace a damaged one."

SECTION 4. Section 56-5-4630 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-5-4630. Whenever the load upon any a vehicle extends to the rear four feet or more beyond the bed or body of the vehicle there must be displayed at the extreme rear end of the load, at the times specified in Section 56-5-4450, a red light or lantern plainly visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the sides and rear. The red light or lantern required under this section is in addition to the red rear light required upon every vehicle. At any other time there must be displayed at the extreme rear end of the load a red flag or cloth not less than twelve inches by twenty-four twelve inches and so hung that making the entire area is visible to the driver of a vehicle approaching from the rear.

Utility companies when responding to an emergency situation such as caused by storms or accidents are exempt from the provisions of this section."

SECTION 5. Section 58-23-50 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 58-23-50. (A) Nothing in Articles 1 to 11 of this chapter do not applies apply to:

(1) motor vehicles while used exclusively for transporting persons to and from schools, Sunday Schools, churches, or religious services, or to or from picnics or upon special prearranged excursions,;

(2) or to the United States mail carriers operating star routes, while engaged solely in carrying mail,;

(3) or to farmers or dairymen hauling dairy or farm products,;

(4) or to persons transporting agricultural livestock and poultry feeds, including ingredients,;

(5) or to any other persons engaged in hauling perishable products of the farm or dairy products for hire from the farm to the first market when sold in South Carolina,;

(6) or to lumber haulers engaged in transporting lumber and logs from the forest to the shipping points in this State,;

(7) or haulers engaged in transporting logs, chips, or wood residues,;

(8) or any a vehicle engaged in the business of hauling, towing, or transporting wrecked or damaged vehicles;

(9) or vehicles used in ridesharing,;

(10) or to single-source lessors of vehicles and drivers who lease the motor vehicles and drivers to uncertificated motor vehicle carriers that conduct transportation of property (other than used household goods) in furtherance of and within the scope of their nontransportation primary enterprises, when the period of the lease is for thirty days or more, the lessee maintains insurance coverage for the protection of the public, a copy of the lease is carried in the motor vehicle during the period of the lease, and there is displayed on both sides of the motor vehicle a placard identifying the lessee.

(B) For the purposes of this section, perishable products of the farm include hay and straw."

SECTION 6. Upon approval by the Governor, this act takes effect January 1, 1996.