(1) No person, without a permit therefor, may operate on a highway any single vehicle with an overall length in excess of 40 feet or any combination of 2 vehicles with an overall length in excess of 65 feet, except as otherwise provided in subs. (2) and (2a) .
(2) The following vehicles may be operated without a permit for excessive length if the overall length does not exceed the indicated limitations:
(c) Forty five feet for mobile homes, motor homes, and motor buses.
(e) No limitation for implements of husbandry temporarily operated upon a highway.
(f) No overall length limitation for a tractor-semitrailer combination, a double bottom or an automobile haulaway when such tractor-semitrailer combination, double bottom or automobile haulaway is operated on a highway designated under sub. (4) .
(fm) No length limitation for a truck tractor or road tractor when such truck tractor or road tractor is operated in a tractor-semitrailer combination or as part of a double bottom or an automobile haulaway on a highway designated under sub. (4) .
(g) 48 feet for a semitrailer or trailer operated as part of a 2-vehicle combination, except as provided in par. (gr) .
(gm) 28 feet 6 inches for a semitrailer or trailer operated as part of a double bottom.
(gr) 53 feet for a semitrailer whose length from kingpin to axle does not exceed 43 feet and which is operated as part of a 2-vehicle combination on a highway designated under sub. (4) .
(h) 65 feet for articulated buses operated in urban areas.
(i) 58 feet for a vehicle combination consisting of a motor bus and trailer owned and operated by, and for the exclusive use of a nonprofit organization. This paragraph does not apply to trailers used for transporting recreational vehicles. As used in this paragraph, "nonprofit organization" means any organization described in section 501 (c) (3) of the internal revenue code which is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (a) of the internal revenue code.
(im) Seventy-five total feet for a 2-vehicle combination transporting livestock, if the trailer, measured as required by sub. (3) (b) , is not longer than 53 feet, and the trailer axles are either separated by at least 8 feet or are 3 axles in tandem, if the towing vehicle is not a motor truck, truck tractor, road tractor, or combination vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or actual gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less.
(j) 66 feet for an automobile haulaway plus an additional overhang of 4 feet to the front of the vehicle and 5 feet to the rear of the vehicle.
(2a) Tour trains consisting of 4 vehicles including the propelling motor vehicle may be operated as provided in s. 348.08 (1) (c) .
(3)
(a) The overall length of a mobile home shall be measured from the rear thereof to the rear of the vehicle to which it is attached.
(b)
1. Except as provided in subd. 2. , the length of a semitrailer or trailer shall be measured from the front thereof to the rear of the semitrailer or trailer or cargo, whichever is longer, excluding bumpers, stake pockets, air deflectors and refrigeration units.
2. The length of a semitrailer operated as the first trailing unit in a double bottom consisting of a truck tractor and 2 semitrailers does not include a frame extension bearing a fifth-wheel connection by which the 2nd trailing unit is drawn unless the frame extension is more than 8 feet in length. This subdivision does not affect the measurement of length from the front of the semitrailer to the rear of the cargo.
(c) The distance between a kingpin and semitrailer axle shall be measured as follows:
1. On a semitrailer having a tandem axle, from the kingpin to a point midway between the first and last axles of the tandem axle.
2. On a semitrailer not having a tandem axle, from the kingpin to the center of the rearmost axle.
(4) The secretary shall, by rule, designate the highways to which sub. (2) (f) , (fm) , (gm) and (gr) and s. 348.08 (1) (e) and (h) apply. The designation of highways under this subsection may not be inconsistent with the designation of highways made by the U.S. secretary of transportation under P.L. 97-424 , section 411. The secretary may also designate additional highways by rule. In adopting a rule designating other highways, which may include 2-lane highways, the secretary shall specify the factors which resulted in the determination to designate the highways. These factors shall include, but are not limited to, safety, economics, energy savings, industry productivity and competition. Vehicles to which sub. (2) (f) , (fm) , (gm) and (gr) and s. 348.08 (1) (e) and (h) apply may also operate on undesignated highways for a distance of 5 miles or less in order to obtain access to a designated highway or to reach fuel, food, maintenance, repair, rest, staging, terminal or vehicle assembly facilities or points of loading or unloading. The secretary may, by rule, designate an access route of more than 5 miles from a designated highway when the longer route provides safer and better access to a location which is within the 5-mile limit. Household goods carriers may operate between highways designated in this subsection and points of loading and unloading.
(5) As often as it deems necessary, the department shall publish maps required for its own use and for free distribution showing the highways designated under sub. (4) and such other main highways and other features as the department deems desirable.