Oversize load trucking, Ontario and the US
Fission Logistics runs oversize load trucking in Ontario and into the US out of Mississauga, hauling loads wider than 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in), taller than 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in) from the road or longer than the legal limit for the truck. Permits and routing are done in house. Wide and long loads go on an open flatbed, and tall loads go on 1 of 4 step decks or in the 32 ft well of 1 of 3 double drops. Dispatch checks the route, pulls the Ontario and US permits and gives you one price before the truck moves.
Oversize load trucking at a glance
| Legal in Ontario | Up to 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) wide, load included, and up to 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in) tall from the road |
|---|---|
| Permits | Pulled in house by dispatch: MTO for provincial highways, the municipality where it issues its own, and each US state on the route. All of it is in the quote |
| Trailers | Open flatbed for wide and long loads. 4 step decks legal to 120 inches tall. 3 double drops with a 32 ft well, up to 42,000 lb. Multi axle units for loads that are heavy rather than big |
| Signs and flags | OVERSIZE LOAD sign, and red or orange flags at least 40 cm square at the edges of the load |
| Travel times | Up to 3.05 m wide and 25 m long can run at night under permit conditions. Wider loads run in daylight. Most moves are restricted on summer Friday afternoons and around statutory holidays |
| Cross border | Detroit and Buffalo. The US federal width limit on the National Network is 102 inches, the same 8 ft 6 in. Wider loads need a permit from each state on the route |
| Quote | After dispatch checks the route. Dispatch tells you when the price will come |
What we haul
Overlength steel and engineered wood, wide machinery and production cells, tall equipment, racking and fabricated assemblies. If it fits on one of our decks and can be chained down, dispatch can price it.
| Load | Trailer we send | What comes with it |
|---|---|---|
| Overlength, legal width and height | Open flatbed, 53 ft tandem | Flags, overhang signs and a single trip permit where required |
| Over width | Open flatbed or step deck | Permits and signs, plus an escort when the width requires one |
| Over height | Step deck or double drop | Route checked for bridges and wires, permits, and a height pole escort where required |
| Too heavy for a tandem | Multi axle curtainside, 50 ft | Up to 86,000 lb on the 6 axle inside Ontario and into Michigan, 76,000 lb into Ohio and Indiana. See heavy haul trucking in Ontario |
Ontario width limits, short version
| Width, load included | What it takes on MTO highways |
|---|---|
| Up to 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) | Legal. No permit. |
| 2.61 m to 3.99 m (up to 13 ft 1 in) | Oversize permit, signs and flags. No escort on most highways. |
| 4.0 m to 4.99 m (13 ft 1.5 in to 16 ft 4 in) | Permit and a private escort vehicle. On two lane highways, 2 escorts from 4.6 m. |
| 5 m and wider (16 ft 5 in and up) | Superload permit and a certified superload escort. |
Some highways need an escort at a narrower width, so dispatch checks every road on the route before quoting. The full chart, with annual permit widths and night rules, is in how wide a load can be in Ontario.
Source: MTO guide to oversize and overweight vehicles and loads. Rules change, so the permit always governs the move.
Oversize trucking companies: what to check
- Who pulls the permits? Our dispatch does it in house, for Ontario, the municipalities on the route and each US state.
- Is everything in one price? Yes. The permits and anything else the route needs are in the quote before the truck moves.
- How low is the deck? Our step deck lower deck sits 42 inches off the road, so a piece up to 120 inches tall rides without a height permit, like this 120 inch crate.
- Can it cross the border on the same truck? Yes, at Detroit and Buffalo, with the state permits pulled before the truck leaves.
- Who loads it? We don't carry ramps. Your crew loads from a dock, with a loader or by crane, and the driver secures it and mounts the signs and flags.
- Can you watch it move? Every tractor runs Samsara, and the receiver can get a live link.
Machines and dies that move plant to plant are covered on our machinery transport page, and excavators and site equipment under construction equipment hauling.
How an oversize move goes
- You send the piece, its exact dimensions and weight, and both addresses.
- Dispatch checks the route, permits, escort rules and travel times, then quotes one price.
- Your crew loads the piece, and the driver secures it and mounts the flags, signs and lights.
- The driver runs the permitted route and hours and calls the receiver before arrival.
What to send for an oversize quote
- Length, width and height at the widest and tallest points
- Weight
- Pickup and delivery addresses
- A photo or drawing, and how it loads: crane, forklift or dock
- Ready date
Measure with everything bolted on. Guards, ladders, handrails and outriggers often push a machine past 8 ft 6 in, and shipped separately the machine may go legal.
Lanes
Oversize moves run across Southern Ontario, north to Sudbury on the 400 and 69, and into Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. Other states are quoted on request. In Toronto a wide load also needs a City of Toronto permit; see flatbed trucking in Toronto. For the full width chart, see how wide a load can be in Ontario.
Questions shippers ask
Who gets the permits?
Our dispatch, in house, for Ontario and every US state on the route, plus escorts when needed. All of it is in the quote.
What trailers do you use?
Open flatbed for long and wide loads, step deck for tall ones, double drop for the tallest. Loads that are heavy rather than big go on a multi axle.
Do you run oversize cross border?
Yes, through Detroit and Buffalo. Each state has its own permit and travel hour rules, and dispatch plans around them.
How fast can you quote an oversize load?
It takes longer than a legal load, which we quote within 1 business hour. Dispatch checks the route, the permits and the escort rules first, and tells you when the price will come.
What counts as an oversize load in Ontario?
Anything wider than 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in), taller than 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in) from the road, or longer or heavier than the legal limit for the truck. Those loads need a permit from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. Every oversize load carries OVERSIZE LOAD signs and flags, and the widest and longest also need escorts. Each US state sets its own limits, so a load legal on one side of the border can need a permit on the other.
How tall can a load be in Ontario without a permit?
4.15 m (13 ft 7 in) measured from the road, truck and load together. On our step decks the lower deck sits 42 inches off the road, so a piece up to 120 inches tall rides legal. Taller pieces go in the well of a double drop.
Can an oversize load move at night?
In Ontario, loads up to 3.05 m wide and 25 m long can run at night under permit conditions on multi lane controlled access highways with a median. Wider loads run in daylight only. Most oversize moves are also restricted on summer Friday afternoons and around statutory holidays, and dispatch books the pickup around those windows.
Is an MTO permit enough for the whole trip?
No. An MTO permit covers provincial highways only. Each municipality on the route either accepts the MTO permit or issues its own for its roads, including the first and last mile. Dispatch checks every road on the route and pulls what it needs.
Related
Rather talk it through?
Call dispatch with the load and the lane. They'll tell you which trailer it goes on, and someone picks up 24 hours a day.