A massively overweight load made the national news after it was stuck on the side of a highway without a permit for days late last month. Now, that same load is getting headlines again with a $57,000 fine thought to be the largest for a motor vehicle violation in state history.
The 16-axle truck was meant to carry heavy loads, but without a permit, it was almost 400,000 pounds overweight. Its cargo was a generator weighing more than 560,000 lbs. and while the company had put in for a special permit it had not yet been approved.
Bay Crane Northeast is a carrier that until this incident was in good standing with the RIDOT. But for some reason, the load was dispatched before the permit was approved. So when the truck was stopped on the side of I-95 on its way to Massachusetts, that’s where it stayed for days.
Eventually, the truck and its cargo were moved to a Park & Ride on Route 117 to alleviate some of the traffic caused by curious onlookers. Finally, the RIDOT allowed the truck to continue on once the carrier agreed to a few conditions including getting a $25 million insurance policy, paying for the cost of a police escort, and reimbursing RIDOT up to $60,000 for their costs in dealing with the incident.
No one was injured, and no property was damaged or destroyed, but the RIDOT has now hit the carrier with a $57,000 fine for the mistake. This amount is in addition to the previous money paid.
And it looks like the company’s troubles aren’t over. A traffic tribunal date for the carrier has been set for August 31st.
Source: wpri, usnews, boston, instrancejournal, wpri, boston, turnto10, turnto10
Anthony says
The driver should have made sure he had all of his paperwork in order and is also asking about all and any permits needed.
RIDOT took advantage of this error when they added the fine at the very end.
Tom says
The company should sue RI for interfering with lawful commerce. Screw RIdot two flag cars could move that load, no police cars needed. The truck is designed to carry the load and not cause any damage. The only “costs” th RIdot inccured are fees of the lawyers they are gonna need to collect this nonsense fine. Bay Crane Northeast should fight this. Although the person that dispatched this load should be fired for sending the driver with it and not having things in order. The fines levied are totally ridiculous especially given the fact that no damage was done to anything or anybody.
Snowman says
Tom I am assuming you are a civil engineer with expertise in roadways and bridges, hmmm, no maybe an attorney who specializes in transportation…Oh snap! Nevermind, just another trucker. Do you understand the legal definition of “interfering with interstate commerce”? Because this is not even close to that.
gene ezell says
its amazing how getting a permit suddenly allows the road to support all that weight
chance o'holahan says
clearly you have zero knowledge of the transportation industry. i pray to god you don’t sit behind the wheel of anything more than 2 axles
Peter says
The driver shouldn’t have left without the permit. We are the captains and everything is our responsibility. No excuse for this.
Bruce 0Connor says
Yes without paperwork shouldn’t be sent out
Robert Bethel says
This is not the first time Bay Crane has done something like this.
They were stopped out on the Mass pike a couple years back with a big crane with no overweight permit.
No permit , no go,
plain and simple.
C.J.Moore says
For something this large and heavy the company, driver, and escorts should have checked all permits to confirm go ahead. However Rhode Island shouldn’t fine 100000.00’s of dollars in fines… Way to much… Didn’t Rhode Island want TOLLS for Trucks only??? Yes… Trucker Unfriendly State so Avoid bringing them milk and bread and products needed…!
Michael Charette says
RI needs the money, why do you think they want to charge trucks a toll for using the roadway .
TexasJester says
And this is why, when you’re oversize, you don’t move until you have the permit in hand. It saves a world of trouble……
deez Nuts says
You can move just stop BEFORE you get where you need the permits.
Robert says
When my co gives me a heavy load without a permit,I simply refuse it,we don’t haul loads like that, but overweight is overweight,some of our drivers do it and if they get caught our safety dept takes the fine out of their pay,its the drivers resposibility to recognize this,& we don’t get fired we get it legal or refuse it, & some drivers take a chance,some make it,some don’t.
john says
Drivers should do everything they can to avoid/boycott the state of Rhode Island.
Joe trucker says
I’m sure the driver, being a company driver was instructed to start the move without a permit by Bay Crane, antisapating receiving the permit soon in the hopes of getting the move completed before the upcoming holiday
Felix says
I understand the needs for the permit and I understand why you have to have the permit and you do not move until you have the permits but after paying everything else why do they have to pay another $57,000 in fines this just goes to show you that when you get pulled over for a DOT inspection or whatever they want to do it has nothing to do with safety they just lookin to make money if they do not write your ticket they’re not pulling you over because they need to make the money why else would they be out there doing this if you look at how they are funding the police department It Is by these tickets that they write Rhode Island just made a big contribution to the next set of
Jeff Pearson says
The 57000 is an OVER WEIGHT ticket..think about if this company went on a route that had a bridge that couldnt handle the weight..And that weight damaged the bridge so bad that it was closed lets say on a major interstate…where YOU would have to go 50 miles now out of route to get to your destination..and that extra miles were all on you…because your company uses household movers guide miles to figure your pay…and that detour is not included..now do you think that fine was for pocket money to the state?
Lloyd says
Yes it was for the state. They made the company get a $25 million insurance policy, and $60k just for dealing with it. There was no damage so no need for extra fines when they already were fined and had insurance
Kevin Whitted says
The article says there was no damage didnt say anything about a bridge
deez Nuts says
yes and no. They were going on the permitted route they just didnt have the permit in hand. I take it you dont move oversize
MATTHEW says
That’s a good point driver. And as a driver myself even though I may like it or not, I do agree with the point that you make.
Bigbirdtrucker says
Check your permits and don’t blame DOT
Greg says
How much did the driver get fined? How many points on his CDL? He screwed up big time as well. You can bet he’ll be cryin the blues for quite awhile too. Not just the lamebrain dispatcher & his company. This is why I don’t do oversize. Too many hastles. It ain’t worth the extra dime.
Jon says
Wonderful choice the driver has, NOT. A company driver refusing a load, they can apply lots of pressure on a driver, threaten to fire him etc.
All the same I’d say “fire me” before I’d move a load without the permit, especially one like that, ’cause as you say, he’s screwed for years to come now. A Driver HAS to stand up for him or herself, your company sure won’t. Better to have to find a new job as a driver than to have that on your record. Fact is, they might fire him because he didn’t refuse it. The buck stops at the driver. “At will” employment ….right!
Sure!
Chris O says
RIDot set this company up. Why not just give them the overweight permit when they requested it? They knew they had to haul the load and just waited to bust the company.
Jeff Pearson says
This company got off cheap..when you dont have a heavy permit..or lost it due to a vehicle code violation…they return your truck to 80,000 lbs and go from there…and you thought you had to pay alot for being 3-4 thousand over gross? Its called being in a hurry and not wanting to wait for the state to do all of their studies on routing and foot dragging that they do..And they figured that seeing how the permit had been applied for but they didnt have it in hand …well lets just go for it…the customer probably really needed it over in a state where all the permits were in place..seeing how its a transformer and were pushing the company…where they should have called up R.I. and told them if you want your lights on..quit the foot dragging..
Peter says
I think that the generator was ready to go and needed to be delivered. Everyone knew that the permit was not issued. The permit was not coming. Some supervisor just told everyone to move it anyway.
I think everyone knew the permit was not issued and did it anyway. I wonder how many other times they moved without a permit.
I wonder if the company was denied a permit for this load.
Will says
Yes the driver should’ve made sure the paperwork was in order I do want to point out that Rhode Island is 110% against the trucking industry although the driver is at fault for this I say drivers don’t deliver freight to Rhode Island until they appreciate us more
les gvt says
I am surprised a load this big would even fit in RI
Jude Ossowski says
I was thinking the same thing.
Me says
they deserved it, thought they were gonna pull a slick one, I wont drive with a headlight out and these idiots pull this, hahahaha
Craig says
Pulled a lot of permit loads and as the driver it’s all on you to verify a good permit. When your under the load it’s on you ,you don’t have to move you make the decision so now you pay.
Jeffrey says
Why in the world would the driver even move this load without a permit?
Hagarcobra says
As a very experienced driver hauling oversize/overweight loads,you NEVER move a permit load without a permit. Everything about this move was illegal. The instant you touch a public road with no permit,you are illegal. How many times has this happened before? With thier apparent cavalier attitude, I’d guess alot. Thier “huge” fine for that load is a slap on the wrist. It is interesting to read the opinions of the Door Slammers who should be asking questions to learn about the heavy haul segment of our industry instead of lending thier expert opinions.
b o b says
oversize loads carry oversize problems and fines , Hazmat has problems too , I wonder if the drivers get over size pay checks too ?
Alex says
While it seems to be a very exorbitant fine, you have to consider that the state wants to discourage other companies from trying to make heavy hauls without the proper permits.
We don’t know the whole story, but maybe the company did it knowingly hoping to get away with it, to save money or try to make up for forgetting to apply for the permit in time, or some other such reason.
Just another reason to keep your paperwork in order! Lol
James says
Infrastructure is very expensive to build and rebuild when permitted loads are done illegally, it causes damage to other drivers, make’s a negative impact on professional drivers, and to say no one got hurt is purely unprofessional, I have driven for 20+ years and if the load is illegal, refuse it!, its your a**, not there’s!
Paul Logan says
Did the DRIVER read his permit? did the DRIVER SIGN the permit(required in some states)? VERIFY THE INFO ON THE PERMIT. This is why a special class like hazmat, tankers double-triple endorsement should be had. 80% of the people behind the wheel do not know how to OPERATE a CMV, They just drive a truck.