A legal permit is needed for a vehicle like a wide-load truck that typically exceeds the dimensions for traveling on the road. The permit carries information on which route is supposed to be taken and what date and time the load is supposed to be traveling on the highway. Approximately 5 million permits are granted every year. The method by which permit prices are calculated for oversize loads varies on the regulations of the state, load dimensions, weight in tons, and weight increments.
Five top considerations for an oversize load
- Legal limits
All around the United States, the legal limits for logistics are almost the same in every state. In case, there are restrictions for other areas you will have to gather knowledge about transporting an oversize or wide load.
The maximum height limit is 13'6'' from the ground to the top of the load and the maximum legal width of the load is 8'5". The legal length varies according to the area and equipment type but the maximum legal load length in most areas is 55ft.
The truck going over the road can carry a load of a maximum legal weight of 80,000 lbs. When weight is factored on the truck and trailer, any load over 46-48,000 lbs is considered overweight.
Multiple pieces of freight cannot be combined for making the shipment over-dimensional or overweight. If the shipment can be split into parts, it must be shipped on several wide-load trucks to keep the shipment legal to be transported over the road. Any kind of freight which crosses the legal measurements is considered an oversize load.
- Are you carrying an oversize load
The weight restrictions are measured per axle as well as the total weight of the entire shipment. In many cases, the truckload does not exceed the weight limit but crosses the per-axle limits. The truckload can be adjusted for complying with the legal limit of transportation. The most common measurement that causes shipments to be oversized is width. Therefore, anything wider than 8.5 feet is oversized.
- Rules and Regulations for Travel Escorts
If the shipment is over 12 feet wide, there are travel escorts also known as pilot vehicles which accompany the truck.
Such pilot vehicles and travel escorts warn drivers of upcoming accidents, constructions, bridges, traffic jams, low wires, or any other hazards. These travel escorts also alert the public when an oversized vehicle is approaching. The requirements of the travel escorts vary according to the region and parameters of the shipment. The travel escorts serve as a buffer between oversize loads and other cars that are traveling near the oversize load. There are many cases when an escort vehicle is following both the front and back of the wide load. Therefore, it all depends on a variety of factors.
- What Factors will affect your schedule
In almost every state, an over-dimensional load can be transported in broad daylight, 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Many states do not allow oversized loads to travel on weekends and holidays. The drivers are required to understand the requirements of permits of every state and country and should have an exact route in mind. Therefore, in many instances, the DOT will require a specific route to be taken.
- Marking Requirements:
It is necessary that the oversized loads are marked properly so that other drivers can identify oversize loads. The size of the shipment indicates whether the vehicle requires a flag or a light. Typically, red flags and amber lights are put up so that the traffic can relatively identify the oversized load. The travel escorts that are traveling with the truck hauling an oversized load are also required to have flags on lights on their vehicles. There are several laws and restrictions in concern with shipments of wide loads, therefore it is important to be well-informed about the restrictions and specifications.
National Freight Logistics is a leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider that is offering industry-leading supply chain management services to shippers across the United States. Leveraging its nationwide branch network, National Freight Logistics nominates its services exclusively in road transportation, full truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), intermodal, and specialized hauling.