Overweight Permits: Does Your New Transportation Company Need Them?
by Elliot Simpson
If you and your drivers use flatbed trailers and trucks to transport goods across your city, you may need to get overweight permits soon. Overweight permits allow you and your drivers to safely and legally haul extremely heavy loads within your community. If you don't obtain the permits you need to operate your vehicles properly, your company may be at risk of fines. Learn why you and your drivers need overweight permits below.
What Are Overweight Permits?
Heavy-haulers, such as flatbed trailers and gooseneck trailers, allow you and other transportation companies to load and transport goods of all sizes, including cranes, heavy equipment, and tree logs. However, states require all transportation companies to obtain overweight permits for their vehicles and trailers.
Overweight permits cover vehicles that reach or surpass a specific weight, axle count, and load capacity. For example, the permits allow vehicles that have gross weights of 80,000 pounds or more to operate on the road. Single-axle vehicles with weights of 20,000 pounds or more require permits before they can travel on the road. Transportation companies that use tandem axle trailers for their trucks may also need permits to operate on the road if their vehicles' weight capacities exceed 34,000 pounds.
If your heavy-haulers fall into any of the weight categories above, obtain your overweight permits today.
How Do You Apply for Overweight Permits?
You obtain the overweight permits you need for each of your trucks through your state's Department of Transportation (DOT) division, or you can contact a permit provider online. If you don't have time to visit your state's DOT, obtain your permits online.
An online permit provider will need to know the types of heavy-haulers you plan to cover. If possible, make a list of every heavy-hauler and its weight capacity before you contact a provider. A provider can use the information to complete permit forms and paperwork.
A provider may also need to inspect your vehicles in person before they issue you the proper permits. The inspection ensures each of your vehicles meets the correct weight requirements for your state. You must obtain the correct permit for each vehicle before you can safely haul loads on the road.
An online permit provider will also discuss other information with you when you contact them for services, including when and how to maintain your permits.
Learn more about overweight permits by contacting a permit provider near you.
Share
About Me
Do you use a taxi service often? Do you know how to pick and choose which taxi service you use? Are there any taxi sharing groups in your area that you can take part in to save on the cost of transportation each day? Are there safety measures that you should take each time you get in a taxi? You will find the answers to many of questions about using a taxi service around town on my website. It is my hope that the many things that I have learned about using a taxi for the past 56 years can help you during your taxi use.