Operating Hours, Restricted Travel, and Holiday Restrictions
Permits are issued only for daylight hours (1/2 hour before sunrise and 1/2 hour after sunset, Monday through Friday. Permits shall not be issued starting noon the day before and continuing through the dawn of the following day for these holidays: New Year’s Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day.
Travel is permitted on weekends for loads not exceeding 10 feet in width, 14 feet in height, and 90 feet in length. This is similar to bordering states’ parameters and allows for weekend movement all day on Saturday and until 3:00 pm on Sunday.
Mobile or modular homes cannot travel on the weekends.
From February to April, there are additional limits, and specific routing may vary. Overweight permits will not be issued during this time. Maximum axle weights may be reduced up to 35%, and a tandem group may only be allowed 26,000 lbs. (13,000 lbs. per axle); two tandem groups may allow 26,000 lbs. for one group and 32,000 lbs. for the other tandem group.
Signs, Flags, and Lights Requirements
Signs, signals, safety flags, and warning lights are required when moving heavy haul loads or superloads for the safety of everyone on the road.
Signs
“OVERSIZE LOAD” signs are required on the bumper of the truck and the other on the rear of the trailer for any over-dimensional freight.
Sign dimensions must be 5 feet long, 12 inches high, and use black letters that are 8 inches high on a yellow background.
If the height of the vehicle exceeds 14 feet and 6 inches, the escort vehicle is required to have a fixed measure pole or device set at the clearance high to ensure the load can make it safely under.
Flags
Six fluorescent red safety flags must be at least 18 inches square and mounted on each corner of the unit. Additional flags should be displayed at the widest points on each side of the load. If there is an overhang, the extremities must be flagged, as well.
Lights
A minimum of two flashing or rotating amber lights must be on the outer rear portion of the vehicle.
Obtaining a permit
The Transport Permits Unit issues permits for oversize and overweight loads to travel on state and federal highways within Michigan. During the spring weight restriction period, overweight permits will not be issued except in emergency cases. You can sign up for an account on
https://milogintp.michigan.gov to apply for or renew permits.
To review the forms needed, visit
https://mdotjboss.state.mi.us/webforms/SearchForms. You can either fill in the PDF form to print with all of the information or print it and fill it out by hand before mailing or faxing it to the Michigan Department of Transportation. For general oversized and overweight permit questions, call 517-241-8999.
