Oversize load checker: width, height and weight against the limits

The limits the checker uses

• Width: 102 inches on the National Network, including the Interstate. Source
• Gross weight: 80,000 lb on the Interstate, and less where the bridge formula says so. Source Source
• Height: no federal limit; each state sets its own. Source The checker has verified limits for Texas, 14 ft Source; California, 14 ft Source; and Pennsylvania, 13 ft 6 in. Source

For other states, the checker shows the height you entered and tells you to check the state's limit. Length limits vary by state and by trailer type, and axle weights need their own check, so neither is in this tool; use the bridge formula calculator for axle groups.

Worked example EXAMPLE

A dozer on a lowboy measures 10 ft wide and 13 ft 8 in high, with the whole rig at 82,000 lb. It is 18 inches over the 102-inch width limit and 2,000 lb over the 80,000 lb gross limit, so it needs oversize and overweight permits. In Texas, 13 ft 8 in is under the 14 ft limit, so height isn't a problem there; in Pennsylvania it is 2 inches over 13 ft 6 in. The same load can be legal for height in one state and over in the next.

Measuring the load

• Width: the widest point of the load or vehicle, including anything that sticks out, such as tracks, blades or mirrors on the cargo.
• Height: from the road surface to the highest point, with the load sitting on the trailer as it will travel.
• Weight: the whole rig, loaded, from a certified scale if you can. Machine brochures leave out attachments and fuel.

Permits are written to the dimensions you give. A load that measures different from its permit is treated as out of compliance.

Getting permits

Each state on the route issues its own permit, and each sets its own rules on routes, travel times, signs, flags, lights and escorts. Texas issues them through TxDMV Source; Kansas uses its online K-TRIPS system and generally keeps over-width and over-length loads off the road from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise. Source Routine permits can be quick; very large or heavy loads may need route surveys and bridge reviews that take much longer. Who orders them is covered in who handles oversize permits and escorts.

Making a load legal instead

Sometimes a few inches decide whether a load needs a permit. A lower deck can bring a tall machine under the height limit: a load that is over on a flatbed may be legal on a step deck or lowboy. Folding mirrors, removing a bucket or lowering a boom can bring width or height down. Splitting a load that can be split avoids an overweight permit altogether. Permits are for loads that can't reasonably be made smaller; check whether yours can first, because a legal load moves without permit travel windows, escort costs or route limits.

Escorts and travel restrictions

The permit decides whether you need escort vehicles, how many and where they ride, and when you may travel. Wider and taller loads usually need more escorts, and many states restrict oversize travel at night, on weekends and on holidays. The checker doesn't give escort thresholds, because they differ by state and road type; the permit is the authority. Plan the trip around the permit's travel windows, not the driving hours alone.

What the result means

Red means at least one dimension or the weight is over a limit checked, and the move needs permits. Green means the load is within the width, weight and state height limits checked; length, axle weights and local restrictions such as posted bridges still apply. A grey result means width and weight are legal but the state's height limit isn't in the tool yet; check it with the state before you go.

When you dispatch with us, we confirm dimensions, permits and escorts before an oversize load reaches you, and you approve every move. See oversize and heavy haul dispatch or send an application.