What is heavy haul, wide load and oversize load?
In Texas the legal (no permit required) load width maximum is 8’6”, the legal load height maximum is 14’, the legal overall maximum (includes any front/rear overhang) semitrailer length is 65’ and the legal gross vehicle weight is 80,000 lbs.
Please be aware these numbers are to be used only as an indicator to raise a red flag when your freight on the semitrailer exceeds any of these weight and dimension maximums. This should warn you that your load may require a permit to be transported. Great Western Transportation knows permit requirements for Texas, all US states and Canadian provinces, so one call to Great Western Transportation will immediately answer your freight questions.
So let’s look at some heavy haul, oversize and overweight freight cases.
1-Your non-divisible drilling rig equipment weighs 58,500 lbs, thus in this case you will be overweight! Why it only weighs 58,500 lbs you may ask, but the additional weight of the tractor trailer of 33,000 lbs to 38,000 lbs (this is an average weight of a common semi-trailer, two vehicle combination), on the low end will be 91,500 lbs and on the high end will be 96,500 lbs. There is also a second issue that has to be addressed with this load, and that is the fact common flatbed trailers are rated to transport up to approximately 48,000 lbs, so a specialized type of trailer will have to be used. This is where the term heavy haul comes in. This type of trailer in trucking industry speak is called a heavy haul trailer. These are trailers built to transport loads above the 48,000 pound mark. Common weight hauling capacity of these trailers is 40,000 to 120,000 pounds. A permit will be required for the drilling rig equipment load, because it’s overweight.
2-Your non-divisible compressor is 10’ wide! This is considered an over width load when on a trailer, since the maximum legal width of a load is 8’ 6”. If the compressor weighs 39,000 lbs it can be transported by a standard flatbed trailer, as the average maximum trailer weight capacity is 48,000 lbs. This is not a heavy haul load, since no special flatbed trailer is required but it will require a permit, because its oversize.
3-Your non-divisible storage tank is 13’ wide at its widest dimension. At first you may think that’s OK, because maximum height is 14’, but it is oversize! This is because the trailer is generally 1.5 feet to 2 feet from the road at the trailer bed level, this is where the storage tank will be placed, thus it is 14.5’ or 15’ off the ground in terms of height.
Lets clarify what non-divisible means in Texas, according to the TX DOT.
—A load that cannot be reduced to a smaller dimension without compromising the integrity of the load or requiring more than eight hours of work using appropriate equipment to dismantle.
So in our cases the above loads could not have been divided or split up to reduce the overall dimensions or weight. In all cases, the drilling rig equipment, the compressor and the storage tank cannot be broken down into smaller pieces.
To be eligible for an oversize or overweight (or “extralegal”) permit, the main criterion is that the load be non-reducible, that is, that it cannot be reduced down and transported in a legal vehicle.
Texas Permits
Oversize and over width permits are required for freight that is over the dimensional maximums in terms width, height and length when loaded on a trailer. Overweight permits are required for loads that put the gross vehicle weight over the maximum weight limit. The process of getting a TX DOT Transportation Permit is fairly complex and out of the scope of this article. However some of the basic dimension and weight questions the State of Texas Department of Transportation will ask are:
Max. Height
Max. Width
Max. Length
Overhang: (Front)
Overhang: (Rear)
Trailer Ground Clearance:
All Axle Weight Information:
Texas Oversize Signs
All trucking companies in Texas involved in hauling oversize and overweight shipments must have amber colored strobe or flashing lights on top of the tractor trailer. Plus signs or banners on escort pilot car stating:
- WIDELOAD
- OVERSIZE LOAD
To summarize a heavy haul load is one that requires a special type of trailer that can support the weight of the load, and it will most likely due to dimensions require an oversize permit and an overweight permit if GVW is over 80,000 lbs.
For all your heavy haul, oversize or wide load shipping needs in: Houston, Austin, Beaumont, Dallas, and San Antonio contact Great Western Transportation. You can also request a free freight quote online
