Oversized Vehicle Shipping

Even though a considerable part of vehicle shipping industry is taken up by car shipping, there is an entire category of vehicles that deserves special attention. We are talking about oversized or overweight vehicles which are more challenging to ship than regular cars due to individual preparation and procedure required for their transportation.

WHAT DOES “OVERSIZED” STAND FOR?

A vehicle is considered oversized if:

It cannot fit on a standard car hauler and requires a larger transportation vehicle

Both open and enclosed car-carrier trailers are designed for standard-size sedans and SUVs and it is neither safe nor legal to use them for transporting such loads as large RVs or construction machines.

It exceeds size or weight road restrictions imposed by federal or state laws

The need for such restrictions is conditioned by specific road infrastructure of the US which includes bridges, tunnels, overpasses, etc. Before starting the shipping process it is important to consider the following size and weight limits imposed by the Department of Transportation (DOT):

• Weight: no more than 80,000 lbs. of gross vehicle weight
  Width: no wider than 102” (not including mirrors, handholds etc.)
  Height: each state has its own restrictions which can vary from 13’6” to 14’

If the vehicle exceeds these limits, it is considered as oversized and will require a permit for driving on a highway, in some cases an escort car and most likely special routing.

COMMON TYPES OF OVERSIZED VEHICLES

This broad category of vehicles includes machines of various types, shapes, sizes and weight. However, the most commonly shipped ones include:

• Large and heavy trucks and UTVs
• Buses and big recreational vehicles
• Limousines
• Large boats and yachts
• Farm machinery
• Construction machines (cranes, bulldozers, excavators, etc.)

Every single vehicle is unique and requires individual logistic approach for transportation.

TYPES OF CARRIERS FOR OVERSIZE LOADS

In order to perform the move safely, it is crucial to choose the right type of carrier for your particular vehicle. There are four major options for relocating an oversize vehicle:

Hiring a drive-away service

Suitable for operable trucks, buses and RVs

If the vehicle you are looking to relocate is operable and can be driven you might consider hiring a professional licensed driver who will be able to get it to the destination point for you, even if it’s a cross-country ride. Read more about drive-away service and why it is safe. This option usually turns out to be less costly than hiring a hauler to load and transport your vehicle.

Hauling

Suitable for UTVs, limousines, boats, farm and construction machinery, inoperable RVs, buses, multiple trucks

Depending on your vehicle’s dimensions and weight, one of the following types of open trailers can be chosen from:

Flatbed truck

Cheaper than other types of large open hauling trucks
Most commonly used for farm and construction machines that are not very vulnerable to weather conditions

Lowboy truck

Suitable for loads with big height as the platform is located very low to the ground comparing to other types of truck trailers

Drop deck (Step deck) truck

Suitable for tall vehicles its floor level can be regulated

Big rick truck

Super large truck unit with an enclosed trailer
Most of the time, when the shipped vehicle exceeds DOT size or weight restrictions escort service will be required to ensure the safety of such transportation.

Escort (pilot car) is a car with a special yellow “oversize load” sign and flashing lights which goes before or behind the hauler to warn other motoring public, makes sure the road conditions ahead are suitable for the transportation and sends messages to the driver if stop or rerouting is needed.

Railway transportation

Suitable for extra-large oversize vehicles, farm and construction machinery, multiple vehicles

Sometimes it might be too complicated to find an appropriate route for transporting extra-large vehicles with height exceeding 14’ or multiple loads with weight reaching 100,000 lbs.

In cases like this turning to railway transportation might be an option. Since railway platforms have larger capacity, they can fit vehicles which are up to 17’ in height, 11’ in width and 500,000 lbs. weight.

ANY TYPE OF SHIPMENT YOU CHOOSE TO GO WITH WILL BE COMPLETELY INSURED WITH 100% COVERAGE BY CARRIER’S LICENSE

WHAT IS THE PRICE FOR SHIPPING OVERSIZED VEHICLES?

As you can see, shipping a vehicle which exceeds standard car dimensions requires individual approach. Because there are a lot of factors to the shipping procedure the price can vary greatly.

Once you submit a request or contact us directly we will be able to provide you with the information about shipping options and a customized quote in less than 30 minutes!

It’s easy!

Just specify:

make and model of the vehicle,
its dimensions (height, width, length and weight),
condition (operable or inoperable),
attachments and modifications (if any)
and we will take care of the rest!

Fill out the contact form or give us a call at 904-863-5350
Once you place an order with us your vehicle will
immediately get the widest visibility among all the carriers on your route!