39:4-54. Trailers; number permitted; towing methods; auxiliary axles; converter dolly

  No motor vehicle shall be used on the public highways while drawing more than 2 motor-drawn vehicles.  A  "double saddle-mount,"  herein defined, means mounting the front of a motor vehicle by use of a coupling device, known as a "saddle-mount,"  on the rear of a towing vehicle and mounting the front of another motor vehicle by use of another  "saddle-mount"  on the rear of the towed vehicle.  The director by regulation may prescribe standards to insure the sufficiency of the coupling, or  "saddle-mount," devices, the lighting, braking and towing methods in double saddle-mount operations or in any other combination of 2 motor-drawn vehicles.  In no event shall the over-all length of a double saddle-mount operation or any other combination of vehicles exceed the over-all length limitation prescribed in Revised Statutes 39:3-84 for combinations of vehicles, and any violation thereof shall be subject to the penalty provided in this Title for violations of the over-all length limitation  in said section.

    Trailers shall, when operated on the highways of this State, be connected to  the towing vehicle by at least one chain or cable, in addition to the hitch  bar, of sufficient strength to hold the motor-drawn vehicle on a hill if the  hitching bar becomes disconnected, or shall be provided with an adequate device  to prevent its rolling backward.

    An attachable auxiliary motor vehicle axle, herein defined, means a single axle mounted on 2 or more wheels, an equal number of wheels on each side, which  may be attached, and at times dismounted, to a truck or truck tractor to form a  tandem axle.

    When a tandem axle is thus formed, the allowable gross weight thereon shall  be the same as set forth in Revised Statutes 39:3-84 for tandem axles, if the  centers of the axles are on or between 2 parallel transverse vertical planes  spaced 40 inches, but less than 96 inches apart. Violations of the allowable  gross weight shall be treated in the same manner and be subject to the same  penalty as provided in Revised Statutes 39:3-84.3.

    An attachable auxiliary axle, upon proof of ownership satisfactory to the director, may be registered on a gross weight basis in the same manner as commercial vehicles under Revised Statutes 39:3-20 and shall display one registration plate or tab of a classification to be determined by the director and located on the auxiliary axle in a manner as may be prescribed by the director.  Unless so registered and displaying a registration plate or tab no such attachable auxiliary axle owned by a resident of this State shall be operated on the highways of this State, and no such attachable auxiliary axle owned by a non-resident shall be operated on the highways of this State unless registered in accordance with the laws respecting the registration of motor vehicles of the State, Territory, Federal district of the United States or province of the Dominion of Canada, or foreign country, in which the non-resident resides, if such registration is required therein, and which has conspicuously displayed thereon an identification marker if furnished by said jurisdiction.

    When an attachable auxiliary axle registered under this Title is operated on  a highway in conjunction with a tractor-semitrailer combination, and one unit  of the combination is registered in this State and the other in a foreign  jurisdiction, known as a  "mixed combination," the registered weight of the  auxiliary axle may be added to the registered weight of the New Jersey registered unit in determining if the over-all registered weight conforms with the  "mixed combination"  registration requirements of Revised Statutes 39:3-20.  If the over-all registered weight of the auxiliary axle and the New Jersey registered unit is less than   1/2   the combined gross weight of the entire combination, then the owner, lessee and bailee shall be subject to the penalty formula set forth in Revised Statutes 39:3-20.

    When an auxiliary axle or a converter dolly registered under this Title appears on a highway as part of a tractor-semitrailer combination or a combination of 2 motor-drawn vehicles registered in a foreign jurisdiction or jurisdictions, the entire combination shall be deemed to be of foreign origin and the registration requirements as to  "mixed combinations"  shall not apply,  provided the auxiliary axle or converter dolly is registered with the director  for a gross weight of 10,000 pounds.

    A converter dolly, herein defined, means an attachable auxiliary frame with  hitch bar and fifth wheel with the axle or axles mounted on 2 or more wheels,  an equal number of wheels on each side, which may be attached, and at times  dismounted, to a semitrailer to form a trailer.

    A converter dolly, upon proof of ownership satisfactory to the director, may  be registered on a gross weight basis in the same manner as commercial vehicles  under Revised Statutes 39:3-20 and shall display one registration plate or tab  of a classification to be determined by the director and located on the dolly  in a manner as may be prescribed by the director. Unless so registered and  displaying a registration plate or tab no such converter dolly owned by a  resident of this State shall be operated on the highways of this State, and no  such converter dolly owned by a non-resident shall be operated on the highways  of this State unless registered in accordance with the laws respecting the  registration of motor vehicles of the State, Territory, Federal district of the  United States or province of the Dominion of Canada, or foreign country, in  which the non-resident resides if such registration is required therein, and  which has conspicuously displayed thereon an identification marker if furnished  by said jurisdiction.

    It shall be unlawful for any combination of 2 motor-drawn vehicles registered under this Title having gross weight of load and vehicles in excess of the gross weight provided on the registration certificates to be operated on  the highways of this State.  In any violation thereof, the owner, lessee and  bailee shall be subject to the penalty formula provided in Revised Statutes  39:3-20.

    In any combination of 2 motor-drawn vehicles, with or without use of a converter dolly, and part or parts of the combination is registered in New Jersey and part or parts in a foreign jurisdiction or jurisdictions, the registration requirements as to  "mixed combinations"  and the penalty formula for violations thereof as provided in Revised Statutes 39:3-20 shall apply.

    An auxiliary axle or converter dolly, for the purposes of this section shall  not be considered a  "vehicle"  or  "motor vehicle"  as defined in Revised  Statutes 39:1-1.

    A person violating this section, except as specifically provided herein, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $100.00.  In default of the payment thereof, there shall be imposed imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 10 days.