What is heavy haul, wide load and oversize load?
In North Dakota the legal (which means no permit required) maximum load width is 8’6”, the legal maximum load height is 14’, the legal overall (includes any front/rear overhang) semitrailer maximum length is 75’ and the legal weight is 80,000 lbs. GVW (gross vehicle weight).
Please be aware these sizes and weights are to be used as warning that permits may be required when your load on the semitrailer exceeds any of these weight and dimension maximums. North Dakota has numerous oversize and overweight loads due to the new Bakken Oil industry. Great Western Transportation knows the permit requirements for North Dakota, 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 related to the oil industry.
1-Your non-divisible frack equipment weighs 57,600 lbs, so in this case your load will be overweight! Why, the frack equipment only weighs 57,600 lbs you may ask. However the additional weight of the tractor trailer of 33,000 lbs to 38,000 lbs, must be added to the total weight (aka GVW). This means on the low end the GVW will be 90,600 lbs and on the high end will be 95,600 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. This means a specialized type of trailer will be needed to transport this load. This is where the term heavy haul is introduced. This type of specialized trailer in trucking industry speak is called a “heavy haul trailer”. These are trailers that can 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 frack equipment load, because it’s overweight.
2-Your non-divisible derrick is 10’ wide! The derrick is considered an over width load when on a trailer, since the maximum legal width of a load is 8’ 6”. If the derrick 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 the derrick is oversize.
3-Your non-divisible mud pump is 13’ high at its highest dimension. At first you may think that’s OK, because the 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 mud pump will be placed, thus it is 14.5’ or 15’ off the ground in terms of height.
Lets clarify what non-divisible means in North Dakota, according to the ND DOT.
“Non-divisible load” means a load which cannot be readily or reasonably dismantled and which
is reduced to a minimum practical size and weight.
So in our cases the above loads could not have been broken down or split up to reduce the overall dimensions or weight. In all cases, the frack equipment, the derrick and the mud pump cannot be broken down into smaller pieces.
To be eligible for an oversize or overweight permit, the main criterion is that the load be non-divisible, that is, that it cannot be reduced down and transported on a legal tractor trailer.
North Dakota Permits
Oversize and over width permits are required for freight that is over the dimensional maximums in terms of 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 ND 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 North Dakota Department of Transportation will ask are:
- Axle spacing measurements (axle center to axle center)
- Weight per axle
- Total number of axles – truck and trailer
- Tire width from side wall – millimeters or inches
- Load height, length and width
- Overall height, width, length and gross vehicle weight of truck/trailer with load
- Overhang to front and rear, when applicable
North Dakota Oversize Signs
All trucking companies in North Dakota 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 stating:
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/or an overweight permit if GVW is over 80,000 lbs.
For all your heavy haul, oversize or wide load shipping needs in: Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Williston, Mandan and Minot contact Great Western Transportation. Plus, heavy haul trucking for all the Bakken Shale oil field locations.
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