Have you seen some trailers that are accompanied by police escorts? Those fleets do not enjoy VIP treatment as some people might think. It has something to do with the rules and regulations of the state.
Companies engaged in heavy haul trucking have to secure a permit when they cross state lines. Even intrastate fleets, or those trucking companies that haul cargo within the state’s borders, have to comply with the regulations of the state. As managing a freight operation can be a lot for anyone to deal with, it then comes as no surprise to find that some companies may decide to implement potential solutions such as Titan Winds trucking software, to help manage various aspects of the business a lot better.
Load and Weight Standards
Different states have their respective load and weight standards, which is understandable because each route is different in terms of width and weight a truck can carry. Not to mention other factors like overpasses and bridges where trucks cannot pass through.
In Texas, the legal dimensions for heavy haul trucking include a gross weight of 80,000 Ibs., a height of 14 feet and a width of eight feet. A special permit is required if you exceed these limits.
A permit for hauling heavy cargo is only suitable for three to five days. The trucking company must know that these permits are non-transferable and that, there is a need to secure another one if it expires. For trucks that cross Texas lines, they need to obtain a permit before entering the state.
They also have a short window to operate. In Texas, you will only be given ½ hour before sunrise and another ½ hour after sunset on weekdays and weekends. Interstate trucks with loads within the legal limits may also travel at night, and otherwise for intrastate cargo.
When Does Heavy Haul Trucking Require An Escort?
There are particular circumstances when the loads are too heavy or too large that they go beyond the standards of the state. They are called Super Loads.
Take Texas, for example, a trailer that’s over 110 feet long will require one escort; while, a container that’s more than 125 feet long will require two.
If the heavy equipment has an overhang of more than 20 feet, you will only need one escort, and if it exceeds 30 feet, it will require two. You also need a special permit for this which takes several weeks to approve.
The standard height of the vehicle is 14 feet, and if you go beyond that, you will require one police escort. For vehicles exceeding 18 feet, they need to be accompanied by police escorts before they are allowed to travel on Texas roads. The same is required for a truck that’s more than 14 feet wide. By truckers having a police escort on the roads could make the roads safer, decreasing the number of collisions that occur between trucks and other road users. However, sometimes this is not always the case and accidents can happen regardless of how safe you are being. If you have been injured in a truck collision, you need to make sure that you find an attorney who is an expert in handling truck accident cases to help you receive what you are entitled to. But hopefully, with the police escorts that have been given to truckers, this should decrease the chances of this happening.
Trucks that weigh over 254,000 Ibs. will be traveling a particular route because some roads are too narrow or could not bear its weight. Meanwhile, Super Heavy Loads are defined as vehicles weighing more than 200,000 pounds with a spacing of less than 95 feet of the axle.
These trucks require individual police escorts for safety purposes- not for VIP treatment but to protect drivers and other motorists alike. For more information, you can always conduct a search online.
