Oversize Permits
Federal law sets a baseline legal width of 8'6" under FHWA size regulations, but every state sets its own permit thresholds and rules above that baseline — which is exactly where oversize permitting gets complicated.
We confirm exact load dimensions, check them against every state's legal limits along the route, and file the oversize permit application in the format each state requires.
Loads move without being turned back at a scale house because a permit was filed for the wrong state's rules.
- 01Confirm exact width, height, and length of the load and vehicle combination.
- 02Identify every state along the route where the load exceeds legal dimensions.
- 03Submit permit applications formatted to each state's specific requirements.
- 04Confirm approval and route restrictions before the load moves.
The federal floor behind every state's rules
Under 23 CFR 658.15, no state may set a legal width limit narrower than 102 inches (8'6") on the National Network — a standard that traces back to the 1982 Surface Transportation Assistance Act, which extended the existing bus standard to trucks nationwide. Mirrors, turn signals, and similar fittings are excluded from the measured width. Anything wider than that federal baseline is where state oversize permitting begins, and every state builds its own thresholds, application formats, and approved routes from there.
The real cost of a rejected application
Incomplete or misformatted applications are consistently the biggest cause of permit delays — a load sitting idle waiting on a resubmitted application is lost revenue on top of the permit fee itself. Getting the dimensions, route, and paperwork right on the first submission is what actually keeps a schedule intact.