Oversize load dispatch that settles permits before your phone rings

Permits and escorts: who does what

Every state on the route issues its own oversize and overweight permit, and each has its own rules for escorts, signs, flags, lights and travel times. A load that needs one escort in one state can need two in the next, or a police escort in a city.

On most moves, the broker or shipper and the carrier agree up front who orders the permits and escorts and who pays for them. Many carriers use a permit service. Our job is to make sure that arrangement is settled, in writing on the rate confirmation, before you agree to the load.

Travel windows matter as much as the paperwork. Kansas, for example, generally keeps loads over legal length or width off the road from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise. Source We plan the days of travel around those windows, so the delivery date is realistic.

The full breakdown of who handles what is in our guide to oversize permits and escorts.

Heavy haul dispatch, step by step

Dimensions in writing. Length, width, height and weight of the piece, with attachments, from the shipper, not a guess from a photo.

Trailer match. The right deck height for the height limit, the right number of axles for the weight, and ramps or a detachable neck for loading.

Route and permits. The route each state will permit, which may not be the shortest, and the permit requirements along it. Borderline loads go through the oversize load checker and the bridge formula calculator.

Escorts and timing. Escort vehicles booked for the states that need them and travel days planned around permit windows.

Securement. At least four tiedowns on wheeled or tracked equipment of 10,000 lb or more, plus restraint on attachments. Source

Superloads and the slow lane

Past a certain size or weight, set by each state, a load becomes a superload. Superloads usually need engineering reviews of bridges on the route, route surveys, more escorts and sometimes utility crews to lift wires. Approval can take weeks, and the route can change several times before it is final.

Superload work pays for that patience, but it ties up a truck and a trailer for a long time. We tell you early when a move looks like a superload, roughly how long approvals may take, and what the waiting means for the rest of your schedule, so you can decide whether it is worth it.

Seasonal weight limits

In colder states, roads weaken as the ground thaws in late winter and spring, and many states and counties post seasonal weight restrictions on certain roads. A heavy move that is legal in October can be impossible on the same route in March. We check for seasonal restrictions on the route before we price the move.

What heavy haul shippers check

Equipment dealers, contractors and manufacturers look at your authority and safety record, liability and cargo insurance at the limits the machine's value demands, your trailer type and axle setup, and often photos of past loads. Many prefer carriers with heavy haul experience, and a damage claim on an expensive machine is hard to recover from.

We send your packet to brokers and shippers whose equipment fits your trailer and coverage. We also help you build the record that heavy haul runs on: clean deliveries, accurate arrival times and no surprises at the gate.

Heavy haul mistakes we help you avoid

• Trusting a brochure weight. Attachments, counterweights and buckets add tons. Get the real weight.
• Permitting the wrong dimensions. A permit for the wrong height or width is no permit at all.
• Missing a travel window. One state's weekend restriction can add two days to a three-day move.
• Forgetting the empty return. A long empty run home with a heavy trailer eats the profit. We plan the backhaul too.

You approve every heavy haul move

We call with the piece, its dimensions and weight, the trailer it needs, the route, the permits and escorts arranged, the travel days and the price, line by line. You decide whether the move fits your rig and your schedule.

Your yes puts the rate confirmation in your hands to sign. If the dimensions or the permit arrangement on paper differ from the call, don't sign and don't load. Call the desk. A no costs nothing, and we keep searching.

Heavy haul shippers remember carriers who arrive on time and deliver without a scratch. We protect that record by never offering a load your trailer, permits or schedule can't handle.

The heavy haul fee

Heavy haul pays the same tiers as every rig: 5% of gross for one truck on an MC older than 6 months, 7% while the MC is under 6 months, and 4% per truck for fleets of 2 or more while that limited-time rate lasts.

How pass-through permit and escort costs are treated is written into your dispatch agreement before you start, so the weekly invoice holds no surprises. No setup fee, no minimums, and no charge while you wait on permits. See the full dispatch fee breakdown.