How much legal overhang?

Depends on where you are, I know most places 4 feet or more requires the 3 light markers, flags and lights. Are you talking local or interstate?

 

i was always lead to believe that up to 4' of overhang on the back with out permits.i usually hang a flag off the farthest point.went through many dot scales w/3/4'hangin over w/a flag on it and never been questioned.just gotta make dam sure you securement is right

 

From what I've been told, anything over 53' long requires OS permits. You are allowed 4' of overhang on a 48' flatbed, but anything over that again needs permits. But with a 53' flat you are not allowed to overhang I thought???

 

North Carolina is like that for sure, 48 with 4 feet overhang and better have flags and lights. Permits needed over 4 feet for any size trailer.

 

With a permit the load length can be 1/3 of the trailer or 1/4 of the total wheelbase,depending on the state. There are other limitations to load length depending on the type of trailer config.

 

In PA you do not need permits for overhang on a 53' trailer, but in VA you do need permits. We hauled 60' rails on a 53' and had split the overhang front and back. Those two states I remember, MD and WV does not ring a bell if we had permits or not. I haul alot of steel plate and rails in PA that hang over a 53' and never have problems.

 

I used to have a spreadsheet for that, but now that I live in reefer land it doesn't apply to me any more.