Trucks that weigh a lot can be a danger to the population and the roadways they travel on. Because of this, the DOT has weight limitations for these heavy load transporters. Keeping your truck and its load under the legal limit is important to reduce the risk of accidents due to imbalance or top heavy loads, especially when traveling at high speeds on major interstates or highways. The legal weight limit also protects the infrastructure of our roads, which will wear and tear faster with excess weight. Trucks and semis are also taxed by the amount of weight they carry, because the weight of goods directly correlates to their profit.
The weight of trucks is also an environmental concern. The heavier the trucks are, the less fuel efficient they will be on the road, which leads to more gasses that erode our earth’s ozone. All said, it’s important to maximize on your cargo space and weight limits while being safe, efficient, and budget-friendly. This article will discuss the weight limitations on trucking, shipping, and freight train transportation, and how our services at Heavy Weight Transport can safely transport your heavy cargo within these limitations.
Truck Weight Limits
The legal weight limit for what trucks can carry is often decided federally. Without a permit, a semi-truck and its accompanying trailer can not legally weigh more than a total of 80,000 pounds per federal law. Because the weight of the tractor and trailer is included in the 80,000 pound limit, the actual weight of the load might only be roughly 43,000 – 48,000 pounds. There are also weight limits for the trucks themselves.
Your truck must be under 32,000 pounds or under on its own without carrying any load. At the federal level, trucks are allotted 20,000 pounds on a single axle, and 34,000 pounds on a tandem axle group. That’s a lot of weight! Trucks can be weighed at weigh stations using truck scales. Trucks should always be weighed before transporting their items to avoid potential fines and fees. However, DOT weight limits by state differ from these federal rules.
Shipping Container Weight
It’s also important to keep shipping containers within their legal weight limits, whether inland or on a ship. Weighing these containers ensures the safety of the items being transported and the safety of the road. Containers are relatively lightweight and easy to move. As the shipping container size increases, so does the shipping container weight. You might hear the term “Tare weight” which refers to the weight of an empty shipping container. You can determine the payload weight by subtracting the tare weight from the total weight with load.
Shipping container weight is determined with either a trailer suspension weighing system, a truck scale, or with an axle scale. The method of weighing depends on the state requirements, budget, and items at hand. Overweight shipping containers are at risk for fines and damaged goods, not to mention a safety hazard. At Heavy Weight Transport, our reliable fleet of multi-axle chassis are designed to move sealed ocean containers weighing up to 64,000 pounds. This allows us to move even the heaviest of shipping containers.
Freight Weight
Freight weight refers to the weight of the goods transported by ship, truck, plane, or train. When it comes to shipping, items over 150 pounds are considered to be “freight”. So, freight weight refers to the items themselves, or, the stuff inside the shipping containers. Adding the weight of the freight plus the weight of the tare weight will give you the total weight of the cargo. The heavier the freight is, the more difficult it is to transport, and the more you will need to pay to get it to its final destination. At Heavy Weight Transport, our fleet of tractors is new and we ensure compliance with any and all local, state and federal regulations for heavy freight weight. We have obtained all of the standard overweight permits necessary to move heavy things quickly!
DOT Weight Limits by State
DOT truck weight limits vary from state to state, but are typically indicated in axle limits. There is a limit to how much weight a single axle, double axle, and tridem can support. Because different states have different weight limits, you need to plan travel accordingly. If you’re traveling across multiple states, you need to plan for this before travel and load your shipping weight within the limits of all states crossed.
You’ll want to ensure that you are abiding by the maximum weight of each state that you enter to avoid any fines and feeds. The penalty for overweight trucks is also dependent on the state rules and regulations. Overweight containers can rack up fines of less than $1 to over $100 per pound of cargo. So, it’s important to have a plan before transporting cargo so you can assure there will be no delays, extra charges, or mishaps along the way.
Weight, There’s More!
Truck weight limits are an important factor when transporting heavy loads. Planning in advance and choosing a service you trust will get you the most bang for your buck while staying within local, federal, and state regulations. Heavy Weight Transport specializes in heavy and oversized drayage, and we always make sure to stay within the truck weight limits. Our specialty is moving heavy cargo loads legally per state maximum, so you don’t have to worry about calculating things like freight weight and tare weight yourself.
If you’re unsure if your product or cargo is overweight, check out our cargo weight matrix to get an idea of maximum loading capacities. With special permits, we are also able to carry loads or ocean containers at additional weight. If you’re a company looking to transport your heavy products to your destination safely and seamlessly, contact us today to get a quote for your heavy load shipment. Get your customized transportation quote today!
