(a) It is unlawful for any owner, lessee or borrower of a vehicle or combination of vehicles to operate on any highway other than the national system of interstate and defense highways that vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross weight in excess of the gross weight for which such vehicle or combination of vehicles is registered or in excess of any weight limitation set forth in this chapter, whether such limitation be specifically stated in this chapter or set by express authority granted this chapter: Provided, That if any vehicle is operated within the tolerances established in this section for the gross weight of that vehicle, then that vehicle shall be deemed for all purposes to be operating at the gross weight for which it is registered and the registered weight is deemed to include the ten percent tolerance associated with it under this section.

(b) Subject to the limit upon the weight imposed upon the highway through any one axle as set forth in section eight of this article, the total gross weight on vehicles or combination of vehicles operated on any highway other than the national system of interstate and defense highways shall be as follows:

(1) A single unit truck having one steering axle and two axles in tandem shall be limited to a maximum gross weight of sixty thousand pounds with a tolerance of ten percent.

(2) A single unit truck having one steering axle and three axles in tridem arrangement shall be limited to a maximum gross weight of seventy thousand pounds with a tolerance of ten percent.

(3) A single unit truck having one steering axle and four axles in quadem arrangement shall be limited to a maximum gross weight of seventy-three thousand pounds with a tolerance of ten percent.

(4) A tractor-semitrailer combination with five axles, a tractor-semitrailer combination with six or more axles, a single unit truck having one steering axle and two axles in tandem in combination with a trailer with two axles and a single unit truck having one steering axle and three axles in tridem in combination with a trailer with two axles, shall be limited to a maximum gross weight of eighty thousand pounds with a tolerance of ten percent