R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-25-13: Axle load limit.

(a) The gross weight imposed on the highway by the wheels of any one axle of a vehicle shall not exceed twenty-two thousand four hundred pounds (22,400 lbs.).

(b) For the purposes of this chapter, “axle load” is defined as the total load transmitted to the road by all wheels whose centers are included between two (2) parallel transverse vertical planes forty inches (40″) apart, extending across the full width of the vehicle.

(c) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-25-14.