O/D Over Width measurements? Heavy-Haul weight and permits?

I think it's anything wider than 108" and longer than 10' off the back of the trailer. You'll need a strobe light and a strobe light permit. The strobe is suposed to met dot regs but many log haulers don't worry about it. Not sure on the height. We have trailers 14' high. I think it depends on the state your in. If the law is 13'6" then 13'7" would be OD. Most states have an 80,000 pound limit. Anything over that would require a permit

 

Actually, anything over 102" wide is considered over width. Most of the newer trailers are 102" wide. If the load extends beyond the railings then it is over width. Anything where the height is over 13'6" is usually considered over height in most states, but some will allow 14'. Although some states limit your height to 13'6", they may allow a couple more inches without requiring a permit. The amount of over hang can vary according to the length of your trailer and state. Most states will allow about 4-5' over hang without considering you to be over length. Other states will allow more of an over hang without being permitted. Some states will tie those to the over all length. A 48' trailer with an over hang may be able to have more of an over hang than a 53' trailer. Some states require strobe lights. Some require a rear strobe. Some require one on the front. Some require one on the front and rear. Others may not require a strobe at all. Georgia requires you to purchase a permit to run a strobe light. I think it is still $5/year. In Alabama, the rules are different on things such as poles. If a pole is made of wood the length laws are different than if it is fabricated. Most states restrict trucks to 80,000 pounds, but a few will allow more for the same number of axles. I suppose that you could consider any load over 80,000 pounds to be heavy haul, although I usually consider heavy haul as much more weight and more than 5 axles. Width laws are pretty much uniform in states. Height and length laws can vary from one state to another. But, as a rule of thumb, 13'6" is the norm. If you do over size you need to be familiar with the laws of the states in which you plan to travel.

Another thing is escorts. I have had loads on that require different escorts for the same load. One load I had to have a rear escort in one state, front in another, two in a different state and none in the last state. It would be great if rules could be standardized.

 

The Amber Light Permit is $2.00 in both Georgia and Nevada. Georgia has a sticker that must be displayed and Nevada requires a repeipt be kept in the truck.

48' trailers can have 4' off the back, 53' Trailers can have no overhang, front or back. I cannot cite any regulation for this. According to ATS this is the regulation. I asked time and time again for a reference, but was never given one.

 

You may be right on the $2/permit for Georgia. I didn't take time to look it up. You can have an overhang on a 53' trailer without permitting. It depends on the state. It has more to do with the over all length in most states. The best thing is to check the rules in each state before buying the permit to make sure you get what you need. To give you an idea, we had a 53' trailer with an oversize that didn't need a permit for length other than Tennessee. We traveled in Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas and none required a length permit or restricted us on length except Tennessee.

 

ATS will start you at the bottom and give you experience with various load as you learn.

 

I would expect that it will take a few years before any carrier will allow you to get into the multi axle oversize freight. You need to get the basics down first and the company needs to be comfortable with your abilities. I would not worry too much about reaching "heavy haul status." You need to concentrate on learning as much as you can. It is the little things you will pick up along the way that will make the difference in this business.

You can't just throw a load on the truck with a couple of chains. You need to really look at the load and decide where it should sit on the truck for the best distribution of the load. I don't know how quickly ATS will move you up to the heavy and multi axle freight. My guess is that it will take a few years. I would expect that you should have 6-8 years experience before getting into the heavier multi axle freight.

I don't know anything about ATS's leases. I am not a fan of any carrier lease programs. You need to ask ATS direct about what you can do at the end of you lease. I don't know anything about a TAPS program. I would caution you about getting a fourth axle on the truck before you know for sure that you will be hauling that type of freight. Specking a truck for heavy haul will be expensive and add a lot of weight that you don't need if you decide to go back to general freight. You will not only be specking an extra axle, but heavier axles and tires, possibly a double frame. You will probably want to go with an 18 speed transmission rather than a 10 speed. All of those extra's add weight. If you change your mind at a later date it could cause you some problems hauling general freight. There could be loads you would not be able to haul due to the extra weight.

 

ATS uses a classification system. Lowest is Class 4, this is where you will start unless you can show verifiable experience haul OD loads. If you can, this load history will be evaluated and you will be assigned a classification appropriate to you experience.

The classifications are 4-1, 1A is dedicated Heavy Haul, which includes Blades. You have to be invited, based on the company's needs and your performance with ATS. In order to move up a classification you have to meet certain reguirements. Basically, haul at a minimum, five loads at your current classification or higher. You are allowed to haul one classification above your current classification.

Classification are based upon the loads height, weight, width and value. Value being the most overlooked. I hauled loads that were worth $1.5 and 2.5 million and they did not count as far as advancing my classification. They are mostly interested in width and height.

Until you are officially classified 1A Heavy Haul, ATS will not allow you to purchase a truck with 4 axles through any of their programs. Indeed, it would be unwise for you to secure your own 4 axle truck. As G/MAN says, it is a heavy truck. Your fuel mileage will kill you. Why get 5 MPG when driven properly a standard truck use for general freight will get 7 MPG. That is a $20,000 difference in fuel cost per year. This is a major reason I was successful at ATS. I worked hard on my fuel mileage and pocketed an additonal $20,000 per year.

My best advice is to be patient with the classifications. Moving from Class 4 to Class 3 is very easy. In theory you could do it in as little as five loads, if they were all OD. I doubt that will happen, but stanger things have happened. Moving up to Class 2 can be done in a year, More likely, in that one to two year time frame. At Class 2 you can haul Class 1 loads. That is heavy haul, just not dedicated.