What is heavy haul, wide load and oversize load?
In Utah the legal (this means no permit is required) maximum load width is 8’6”, the legal maximum load height is 14’, the legal overall semitrailer maximum length is 48′ on some routes and 53′ on others (plus front 3’ and rear 6’ over hang ) and the legal weight is 80,000 lbs. GVW (gross vehicle weight).
Please be aware the above sizes and weights are to be used as indicators only. Note that permits may be required when your load on the semitrailer exceeds any of these weight and dimension maximums.
Utah has numerous oversize and overweight loads due to the evolving Uinta Oil industry. Great Western Transportation knows the permit requirements for Utah, plus all US states and Canadian provinces. For you this means one call to Great Western Transportation will immediately answer your freight questions. Also the complex matter of booking pilot cars or flag cars, is thoroughly addressed when booking a heavy haul load through Great Western Transportation.
The following are several heavy haul, oversize and overweight freight cases related to the oil industry and construction machinery moves.
1-Your non-divisible Komatsu PC228 excavator weighs 53,000 lbs, so in this case your load will be overweight! Why, the Komatsu PC228 only weighs 53,000 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 86,000 lbs and on the high end will be 91,000 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. The excavator will ideally be driven onto a RGN (removable gooseneck trailer) as it is easy to drive onto a RGN type trailer.
A permit will be required for the Komatsu PC228 excavator load, because it’s overweight and it is a heavy haul load.
2-Your non-divisible oil field tank is 9’ wide! The oil field tank is considered an over width load when on a trailer, since the maximum legal width of a load is 8’ 6”. If the oil field tank weighs 25,000 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 oil field tank is oversize.
3-Your non-divisible drilling rig substructure 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 drilling rig substructure will be placed, thus it is 14.5’ or 15’ off the ground in terms of height.
At this point lets define what non-divisible means according to the Utah DOT (Department of Transportation).
Non-divisible load or vehicle: means any vehicle or load exceeding statutory size or weight limits (or both) and whose parts are fixed and attached in a manner that simulates the operational configuration and cannot be transported safely or without damage if dismantled or divided. A single unit (such as a mobile crane, drilling rig, concrete pumper, or well service unit) may be configured and equipped only as necessary for operating upon the highway.
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 Komatsu PC228 excavator, the oil field tank and the drilling rig substructure 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.
Utah 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 Utah DOT “Permission to Move an Oversize/Overweight Load” is a fairly complex and out of the scope of this article. However some of the basic dimension and weight questions the State of Utah Department of Transportation will ask are:
- Description of Load
- Width
- Height
- Overall Length
- Single Vehicle Length
- Number of Axles
- Gross Weight
Utah Oversize Signs
All trucking companies in Utah 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.
To haul heavy loads safely takes the proper equipment, an experienced driver, the right load securement, approved routes, the required pilot cars, all permits that are required, full insurance coverage and strict adherence to regulations and safety precautions.
For all your heavy haul, oversize or wide load shipping needs in: Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Provo, West Jordan, Orem, Sandy, Ogden, St. George and Layton, contact Great Western Transportation. Plus, heavy haul trucking for all the Uinta Basin locations.
Major Oil and Gas Fields in Utah
- Anschutz Ranch East Field
- Bluebell Field
- Brundage Canyon Field
- Buzzard Bench Field
- Drunkards Wash Field
- Flat Rock Field
- Greater Aneth Field
- Helper Field
- Monument Butte Field
- Natural Buttes Field
- Nine Mile Canyon Field
- Peter’s Point Field
- Wonsites Valley Field
