PERMITS:
Permits are valid for 5 travel days.
TRAVEL TIME:
Travel is allowed Monday 12:01 a.m. through noon on Saturday and on Sunday from 12:01 a.m. until noon. Vehicles between 12′ and 14′ wide, over 13’11” in height, and between 80′ and 114′ long are only permitted to travel sunrise to sunset Monday through Friday except no travel will be allowed between 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. or between 3:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Loads over 14′ wide and/or over 115′ in length are allowed to travel from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
RESTRICTED TRAVEL:
No travel on major holidays, and some holiday weekends. Routes 95 and 93 in the Boston area are restricted to travel only between 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
TURNPIKE:
Between NY line and I-95, no permit is required up to 10′ wide, legal weight, and up to 80′ long. Turnpike permits are issued for vehicles and loads up to 12′ wide, 13’6″ high, and 80’ long, and up to 99,000 pounds. (Lower limits apply to the Sumner, Callahan and Ted Williams Tunnels in the Boston area.) Permits to exceed these dimensions on the Turnpike require special engineering approval plus a $350.00 fee. Vehicles/loads over 12′ wide, over 100′ long or over 130,000 gross requires a police escort.
LEGAL DIMENSIONS:
Width: 8’6″
Height: 13’6″
Length: 53′ semi-trailer on Interstate and designated highways.
Overhang: 3′ front, 4′ rear
Weight: 80,000 Gross; Single – 24,000 designated highways (22,400 other roads);
Tandem – 34,000; Tridem – 36,000
ROUTINE PERMIT LIMITS:
Width: 14′
Height: 14′ (Over 13’8″ requires a height survey)
Length: 115′
Weight: 130,000 pounds gross (see note below). Single, Tandem, Tridem – Depends on axle spacing
Loads exceeding these dimensions are treated as super loads. Over 130,000 pounds gross requires engineering company survey of structures.
Note: the maximum superload within Massachusetts is 16 feet.
ESCORTS:
Width: Over 12′ – 1 escort; over 13′ – 2 escorts; over 15′ – 2 escorts and 2 State Police. (Loads from 8’6″ to 12′ must have escort when traveling in the tunnels.)
Height: Over 13′ 8″ – route/height survey and 1 front escort; Over 13’11” (depending on route) – 2 escorts. Over 14’11” – 2 front escort and State Police escort.
Length: Over 80′ – 1 escort; over 95′ – 2 escorts; over 135’– 2 escorts and 2 State police.
Overhang: Over 4′ if poles, masts, booms, etc. or if overhang is over 10′ – 1 escort
Note: On Massachusetts Turnpike, over 12′ wide, over 100′ long or over 130,000 pounds gross requires a police escort. On Cape Cod, if width is over 12′ – 1 escort and State Police escort.
SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:
“Oversize Load” sign required on rear of an oversize vehicle that does not require an escort. Mount red flags on extremities and corners for any over width or over length vehicle. For all over dimensional loads, made during hours of darkness, a flashing amber light shall be in operation above the highest point of the vehicle and visible from the front and rear of the vehicle.
