What is Oversize/Overweight freight?
Hauling Oversize/Overweight freight like heavy equipment, machinery, or mobile homes, is a profitable trucking business, but you’re required to meet specific legal requirements and safety regulations to run your business operations across all states. The primary requirements that you must meet to transport heavy and oversized loads include getting permits in the states you intend to run your business, safety banners, flags, escort vehicles, etc. If you want to start an Oversize/Overweight freight transportation business, you must know how to get a permit.
What is Oversize/Overweight Freight?
Any shipment or loaded vehicle that exceeds legal size (length, height, and width) and weight determined by the state is categorized as an Oversize/Overweight freight. It’s also known as a wide load. For example, the legal vehicle size of a semi-trailer is 53 feet (13.5 feet in height and 8.5 feet in width), and the maximum gross vehicle weight is 80 000 pounds. Anytime the weight or size of this vehicle or its load surpasses these limits, it will be considered as Oversize/Overweight freight, and a permit will be mandatory to haul it. In most states, any load taller than 8.5 feet is likely to be considered an oversized load. Loads longer than 48 feet or heavier than 46000 pounds are also considered Oversize/Overweight loads. The requirements for a load to be an Oversize/Overweight load vary from state to state. One of the significant factors considered in determining freight size and weight limits is the size of roadways. In most states, the width of a typical interstate lane is around 12 feet, while in some states, the size of roadways is even narrowed. <strong>Common Oversize/Overweight Freight and Loads
- Manufacturing Equipment
- Construction Equipment
- Mobile, portable, and prefabricated homes
- Heavy Vehicles like trucks and boats
- Construction materials
<strong>How Much Does an Oversize/Overweight Freight Permit Cost?</strong> The permit cost varies state by state. The average cost of an Oversize/Overweight freight permit is around $15 to $70 for a single trip. States consider a wide range of factors in determining the permit fees, such as the size and weight of the load, dimension of load, and nature of the trip. Some states offer discounts if you get wide load permits frequently. You can consider annual permits if you haul similar loads over the same routes throughout the year. <strong>What Other Requirements do You Need to Meet to Haul an Oversize/Overweight Load?</strong> Besides Permit, each state has different requirements for the transportation of oversize or overweight freight, such as:
- Load Scheduling
Most states have fixed the time to transport oversize/overweight loads. These time limitations are for safety reasons. In most states, the wide loads can be transported only at night, on holidays, or on weekends. With a pilot vehicle, truckers can transport wide loads between 30 minutes after the sunset to 30 minutes before the sunrise. So, you must schedule your load according to the time restrictions to avoid any inconvenience.
- Escort Vehicles
In some states, escort vehicles are a legal requirement to transport any oversize/overweight freight. These are common passenger cars that travel around the vehicle carrying a wide load banner to alert other drivers and create a protection zone around the load. In most of the states, you need escort vehicles to transport almost any wide load. While in some states, the use of escort vehicles is mandatory only for loads that surpass 10 to 12 feet in height.
- Safety Equipment
Some states require the use of safety equipment as an alerting signal and a way to communicate with other drivers that you’re hauling an Oversize/Overweight Freight. The standard safety equipment to transport wide loads includes flags, banners, and lights. In almost all the states, it’s a legal requirement to place a black and yellow “Oversize/Overweight Load” banner at the front or rear of the vehicle. If you’re moving at night, you must place lights on the flags to make them visible to the other drivers. <strong>Do You need a Permit for each state if You are transporting an Oversize/Overweight freight through several states?</strong> Yes! You need Permit for each state you’re traveling in. Most states offer automated permitting, which means you can apply online to get the Permit, but the requirements and information that each state requires may differ. The permitting process is complicated and may take months to complete if you apply for the wide load permits across multiple states. However, a wide range of companies can handle the permitting process for You and make sure you can get permits within the schedule so you can move loads without any difficulty. If you haul oversize/overweight freight frequently, try to keep your track record good through adherence to permit regulations. It will help you avoid heavy fines and get discounts on permit fees. If you want your permit application approved as soon as possible, always provide authentic information related to your trip and load dimensions. Before starting your trip, don’t forget to do a thorough route optimization with load scheduling so you can avoid any traffic bottlenecks. Start your trip after at least 30-40 minutes of the allowed time to avoid any violation of time restrictions. Be sure to check that you have completed all the requirements and formalities before leaving the pick location. Failure to follow the protocols can leave your wide load stranded for days and also result in large fines.