OVERSIZE OR OVERWEIGHT VEHICLES AND LOADS

 

 

GENERAL PROCEDURE

The statutes of the State of Michigan authorize the Department of Transportation to issue special permits for the movement over state highways of vehicles or loads which exceed the size or weight limitations specified by law.

It is the purposeof the department to permit the movement of necessary overweight and oversize vehicles or loads consistent with the following obligations

 

A.Protection of the motoring public from potential traffic hazards.

B.Protection of highway surfaces, structures, and private property.

C.Provisions for a normal flow of traffic with a minimum of interference.

 

CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS

 

A.Permits are issued only to business entities or individuals actually doing the transporting. The transporting vehicles to be used must be owned by the applicant or operated under a bona fide lease or rental agreement.

 

B. The issuance of permits is limited to those vehicles and/or loads which cannot reasonably be divided, dismantled, reduced, or otherwise rearranged to conform to legal dimensions and/or weights as provided by law.

􀂃Loads shall be arranged to effect the minimum dimensions for height, length, or width. Staggered loading is not permitted. If a loaded commodity creates a single over-dimension, two or more commodities may be transported as one load provided the permit application so indicates, legal axle loadings are not exceeded, and no additional nonconforming dimensions of width, height, or length are created or made greater by the additional commodities. Permits will not be issued for the use ofdouble bottoms (truck tractor, semi-trailer and trailer or truck tractor and 2 semi-trailers, or truck and trailer or semi-trailer) except for the movement of loads that are overlength only.

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C. As a matter of general procedure, permits will not be issued for transportation of loads exceeding limitations specified in "Single Trips" below. Efforts should be made to move vehicles or loads exceeding these limitations by some means other than by highway or to dismantle the object being moved to comply with the limitations. However, issuance of permits may be considered for limited movement of special loads if all efforts to utilize other means of transportation have been exhausted and if the object being moved cannot feasibly be reduced to comply with the specified limitations. A complete written explanation is to be submitted with a properly completed application for further consideration.

 

It is not possible to give immediate attention to requests for permits in excess of the usual limitations (superloads, house moves). Applications and written explanations for special consideration must be on file in the Lansing permit office at least ten working days prior to the tentative date of movement.

 

D. Vehicle Gauge - The measurement across the vehicle from outside of tire to outside of tire on the self-propelled equipment or the trailer or semi-trailer or other towed equipment. This information is required for overweight loads only.

 

E. Weight – A request for an overweight permit will not be approved for a load consisting of more than one object, and in no event, shall any wheel load exceed 700 pounds per inch of tire width. However, permits will be approved for empty self-propelled earth moving equipment provided it does not exceed 850 pounds per inch of tire width.

 

F. Width – Permits will not be issued for widths in excess of 14 feet during the spring weight restriction period, except in a case of public emergency.

 

G. Height – Careful consideration must be given to any application requesting movement where the overall height exceeds 13 feet 6 inches because of possible overhead obstructions on proposed routes.

H. Escort Vehicles – An escort vehicle must be a passenger car or pickup truck with at least one flashing or rotating light on top of the cab. There will be displayed on the roof of the escort vehicle, an Oversize Load sign 5 feet long by 12 inches high with 8 inch high black letters on yellow background. All flashing or rotating amber lights shall be visible for a distance of 500 feet.

 

I. Permits are issued for daylight hours only, Monday through Friday. In some instances, other time limitations may be applied.

 

 

Under no condition will a permit be issued for a movement to take place from 12:00 noon on the day preceding the holiday and continuing until daylight of the first day after the holidays here listed:

 

1. Christmas Day
2. Thanksgiving Day
3. Memorial Day
4. Labor Day
5. Independence Day

 

 

 

 

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