Section 348.175. Seasonal operation of vehicles hauling peeled or unpeeled forest products cut crosswise or abrasives or salt for highway winter maintenance.

  The transportation of peeled or unpeeled forest products cut crosswise or of abrasives or salt for highway winter maintenance in excess of gross weight limitations under s. 348.15 shall be permitted during the winter months when the highways are so frozen that no damage may result thereto by reason of such transportation. If at any time any person is so transporting such products or abrasives or salt upon a class “A" highway in such frozen condition then that person may likewise use a class “B" highway without other limitation, except that chains and other traction devices are prohibited on class “A" highways but such chains and devices may be used in cases of necessity. On the first day that conditions warrant their determination of such frozen condition and freedom of damage to such highways by transportation, the officers or agencies in charge of maintenance of highways shall declare particular highways, or highways within areas of the state, as eligible for increased weight limitations, and each declaration shall be effective as of 12:01 a.m. on the 2nd day following the declaration. Such declaration shall include the maximum weight on each axle, combination of axles and the gross weight allowed. Any person transporting any such product over any highway of this state under this section is liable to the maintaining authority for any damage caused to such highway. This section does not apply to the national system of interstate and defense highways, except for the I 39 corridor and the I 41 corridor.

1983 a. 531 ; 1991 a. 316 ; 1995 a. 113 ; 2005 a. 167 ; 2009 a. 28 ; 2015 a. 55 , 360 . The phrase “peeled or unpeeled forest products cut crosswise" does not encompass wood chips. The phrase instead invokes images of logs, posts, poles, or similar pieces of timber, with or without bark, and cut to length. State v. T. P. Trucking, 2006 WI App 98 , 293 Wis. 2d 273 , 715 N.W.2d 736 , 05-2496 .