ENTRY 01 / OVERSIZE LOAD DISPATCH
Oversize load dispatch where permits and escorts are settled first
Heavy haul pays well and costs a lot before it pays: permits in every state, escorts, route surveys, and days lost to curfews and weather. Our oversize load dispatch puts who pays for each of those on the rate con before you sign, checks the route against your rig, and books freight that pays after the costs, not before. You approve every load.
- Permits on paper
- 5% of gross
- You sign every load
Lowboy, RGN, stretch and multi-axle setups under your own authority, one truck or a small heavy haul fleet.
Every rate con spells out permits, escorts and travel limits before your signature goes on it.
ENTRY 02 / PERMIT AND ESCORT LEDGER
Heavy haul dispatch starts with who pays for what
The same rate can be a great load or a poor one depending on who pays for permits, escorts and the route survey. Toggle each line between broker-paid, reimbursed and carrier-paid, and watch what the load really pays and how much cash you have out before payday.
PERMIT AND ESCORT LEDGER · EXAMPLE AMOUNTS
| ITEM | AMOUNT | WHO PAYS |
|---|---|---|
| Oversize permit, state 1 | $90.00 | |
| Oversize permit, state 2 | $120.00 | |
| Oversize permit, state 3 | $60.00 | |
| Front escort, one day | $650.00 | |
| Rear escort, one day | $650.00 | |
| Route survey | $300.00 |
| Cash you put out before payment | ($920.00) |
|---|---|
| Costs you keep (not reimbursed) | ($650.00) |
| WHAT THE LOAD REALLY PAYS | $3,150.00 |
Amounts are EXAMPLE values; real permit and escort costs vary by state, size and route. Who pays is decided on the rate con, before you sign.
Reimbursed costs still matter: you carry them until the broker pays. On a load with several states of permits and two escorts, that can be real money for weeks. We get the reimbursement terms written down, including what receipts the broker needs. If reimbursement terms are vague, the load waits until they are not.
ENTRY 03 / CHECKLIST
The oversize checklist before any rate con reaches you
Federal rules set some limits on the National Network: a 102-inch width limit and an 80,000 lb gross weight limit on interstates, among others. Height and many length limits are set by states, and every state on the route issues its own oversize permit with its own rules on escorts, travel hours and signage.
SOURCE: 23 CFR PART 658, TRUCK SIZE AND WEIGHT, OCT 2026
State DOT permit offices publish their own requirements; we check each state on the route, because the strictest state sets the plan.
- Dimensions and weight. Width, height, length, overhang and gross weight, with axle weights for your setup.
- Permits by state. Every state on the route, who buys them and how long they take.
- Escorts. How many, front or rear, certified pilot cars or police where required, and who books them.
- Route. The permitted route, bridges and clearances, and whether a route survey is needed.
- Travel restrictions. Daylight only, weekend and holiday curfews, and city rush-hour bans.
- Loading and securement. Crane or drive-on, chains and binders, and who supervises loading.
- Flags, lights and signs. What each state requires for the load's size.
Lowboy dispatch and the trailers we book
Lowboy
Fixed or detachable gooseneck for tall, heavy machinery. The deck height is the reason the load is legal.
RGN
Removable gooseneck for drive-on equipment. Front loading saves cranes on many jobs.
Stretch deck
Extends for long freight like beams, poles and blades.
Multi-axle
Extra axles to spread very heavy loads. Requires careful permits and routing.
Loads that are tall but still legal often fit a step deck without any permit; that is a different, simpler job. See step deck dispatch for those. Once a piece goes over legal size, it is oversize work and gets the full checklist above.
Heavy haul freight follows big projects: highway and bridge work, energy and utility construction, factory installs and equipment dealers moving inventory between yards. Those projects come in waves, so we keep an eye on where they are starting and plan your lanes toward them. When project freight is thin, a legal-size equipment load can keep the trailer earning until the next oversize job.
ONE HEAVY HAUL LOAD, CALL TO DELIVERY · EXAMPLE
A broker offers an excavator, 11 ft 6 in wide, from a dealer to a jobsite three states away. Before anything reaches the owner, the desk confirms exact dimensions and weight, asks who buys the permits (the broker, in this case), and who books escorts (the carrier, reimbursed with receipts). The route crosses a state that requires a front escort at that width, and a city with a rush-hour ban. The rate con arrives with all of it written down. The owner signs. Permits are issued; the load leaves at sunrise to meet daylight-only travel; the escort meets the truck at the state line; delivery is on the second morning.
Why heavy haul rates work differently
Heavy haul isn't priced by the mile the way van freight is. The rate has to cover the slower travel, daylight and curfew limits, loading time with cranes or ramps, the permit and escort plan, and the empty run back with a specialized trailer that has fewer loads to choose from.
That is why we judge an oversize load by what it pays per day of the truck's time, after the costs you carry, not by its rate per mile. A shorter load that takes one day can beat a longer one that takes three.
Why heavy haul owners hire an oversize dispatcher
Costs before revenue
Permits and escorts can cost hundreds or thousands before the load moves. Terms on paper protect the margin.
Time is the hidden cost
Curfews, permit waits and escort availability can turn a one-day haul into three. The rate has to cover it.
Bad dimensions are expensive
A load that arrives an inch wider than the permit says can be stopped. Exact numbers before you sign avoid it.
Few loads, high stakes
Heavy haul has fewer loads per week, so each one needs to be the right one.
ENTRY 04 / OVERSIZE QUESTIONS
Oversize and heavy haul dispatch questions
Q01Who pays for permits and escorts?
Whoever the rate con says. Sometimes the broker or shipper buys permits and arranges escorts; sometimes the carrier pays up front and is reimbursed; sometimes the carrier pays out of the rate. All three are common, so the terms must be written before you accept the load, not argued about at settlement.
Q02What counts as an oversize load?
Anything over the legal limits for width, height, length or weight on the route. On the National Network, the federal width limit is 102 inches and the interstate gross weight limit is 80,000 lb; height and many length limits are set by each state. Over any limit means a permit from every state on the route.
Q03How long do oversize permits take?
It depends on the state and the load. Many routine oversize permits are issued quickly through state online systems, while very large or heavy loads, often called superloads, can need engineering review and take much longer. Plan permit time into the pickup date.
Q04How much does heavy haul dispatch cost?
The same as every truck we dispatch: 5% of gross on loads you haul with one truck and an MC past 6 months, 7% while the MC is newer, 4% for two or more trucks. No setup fee, no contract, and nothing on a load you decline.
Q05Do you dispatch lowboys and RGNs?
Yes. Lowboys, removable gooseneck trailers, stretch decks and multi-axle setups for oversize and heavy freight, under your own authority. Tell us your trailer, its rated capacity and axle setup, and the permits and escorts you usually handle.
The fee on a heavy haul load
Oversize work pays the same tier as every truck we dispatch: 5% of gross with one truck and an MC past six months, 7% while the MC is newer, 4% for two or more trucks. On the EXAMPLE $3,800 load above, the fee at the standard rate is $190. Nothing is charged on a load you decline, and there is no setup fee or contract. See the dispatch pricing page.
To start, send your MC and USDOT number, certificate of insurance with the limits your heavy loads need, a W-9, trailer type with deck heights and rated capacity, axle setup, your ELD provider and your notice of assignment if you factor. CDL drivers with their own authority also need a drug and alcohol testing program.
Heavy loads that pay after the permits
Apply in about a minute. Tell us your trailer, capacity and the states you run; every oversize rate con lands in your inbox with permits and escorts spelled out.
Line haul · EXAMPLE
Permits + escorts · EXAMPLE
You keep · EXAMPLE