What is a Superload?

A superload is a move so large or heavy that the issuing state will not sell a permit for it at a published price. Instead the agency reviews the route, usually analyses the bridges on it, and prices the move afterwards — often attaching a route survey and escorts as conditions.

The most common error about superloads is the threshold. A figure of "over 80,000 lb" circulates widely; 80,000 lb is the federal legal gross limit, the point at which an ordinary overweight permit becomes necessary. Real published superload lines sit far higher, and several states escalate on width, height or length regardless of weight — so a wide but comparatively light load can be a superload while a much heavier legal-width one is not.

Published superload thresholds by state →