New Hampshire Oversize / Overweight Regulations

What is considered as "Oversized Load" in New Hampshire?

Dimensions: Width: 8' 6" Height: 13' 6" Semi Trailer Length: 53' (non-designated Hwys: 48) Maximum Length: 110' Legal Overhang: Front/Rear: 10'

What is considered as "Overweight Load" in New Hampshire?

Weights: Single Axle: 20,000 lb. Tandem axle: 34,000 lb. Tridem: 34,000 Max Gross Weight: 80,000 lb.

New Hampshire Oversize / Overweight Permits

New Hampshire Pilot Cars / Escorts

Escort Vehicle Requirements

The number of escort vehicle(s) required for manufactured housing, modular buildings, and building components shall be as provided in Tra 304.13(g). 

An escort vehicle is required for an oversize vehicle, object or vehicle and load, if: 

1. The overall width is equal to or greater than 12 feet 0 inches and less than 14 feet 0 inches; 
2. The overall length is equal to or greater than 90 feet 0 inches; 
3. The overall height is greater than 14 feet 0 inches; or 
4. There is a front or rear overhang of equal to or greater than 15 feet 0 inches. 

Two escort vehicles are required if:
        1. If the width is 12 feet 0 inches wide AND
        2. If the rear overhang of 15 feet 0 inches

A state police escort, plus any required non-police escorts are required if:
The vehicle and load are 100 feet 0 inches or more in length.
Note: State police escort may not be required if it is determined that weather conditions, visibility, traffic flow, or other conditions do not compromise safe movement. 

Two State Police escorts may be required, in addition those required above if If the overall width exceeds 14 feet 0 inches

If the movement requires highway closure or closure of a portion of a highway, 3 state police escorts shall be required, provided that any state police escorts already required under (e)-(f) above shall be included in counting the 3 state police escorts required .

The permit office will determine the number of non-police and state police escort vehicles required. The permit office may also determine the number and type of  additional non-police escorts that may be needed to safely effect the required traffic control of any move

The following shall apply to the operation of an escort vehicle(s): 

1. The driver shall maintain 2-way radio contact with the permitted vehicle and all escort vehicles and shall keep the permitted vehicle and other escort vehicles, including state police, in the line of sight at all times; 
2. All drivers shall operate escort vehicles with headlights turned on in the low beam position at all times; 
3. When one escort is required, the driver shall position the vehicle to precede a load on undivided highways and follow the load on divided highways; 
4. When 2 escorts are required, one escort shall precede the load and the other shall follow the load; 
5. When traffic following a permit move has accumulated to 7 or more vehicles because of the permitted move, the driver(s) shall yield the right-of-way at the nearest accessible, safe location for these vehicles to pass; and 
6. When crossing a bridge on a 2-way highway, when the bridge width is 24 feet 0 inches or less, the police escort shall stop all traffic while the load is on the bridge.

New Hampshire Axle Regulations

Maximum Legal Weight Limits

Axle Group                            Maximum

Single                                      22,400 lb.

Tandem                                  18,000 lb.

Tridem                                    54,000 lb.

Maximum GVW                     80,000 lb.

Other Weights:

Two Axle Truck – 33,400 lbs.
Three Axle Truck – 55,000 lbs., 22,400 lbs./axle max 
Four Axle Truck – 60,000 lbs., 18,000 lbs./axleMaximum Permit Weight Allowed

Maximum Certified Vehicle Weight Limits on Approved Structures:

Single Unit Vehicles:

Two Axle Truck – 37,400 lbs.
Three Axle Truck – 65,000 lbs., 22,400 lbs./axle max
Four Axle Truck – 73,000 lbs., 20,000 lbs./axle

Combination Vehicles:

3 Axle Tractor Semi-Trailer – 54,500 – 60,000 lbs. (D=25 ft. – 32 ft.)
4 Axle Semi-Trailer – 59,000 – 69,000 (D = 8 ft. – 18 ft.)
5 or 6 Axle Semi-Trailer – 70,000 – 84,000 lbs. (D=19 ft. – 29 ft.)
86,000 – 99,000 lbs. (D = 30 ft. – 36 ft.)
6,7 or 8 Axle Semi-Trailer – 86,000 – 99,000 lbs. (D=30 ft. – 36 ft.)

OS/OW Permit shall be submitted to Bridge Design for bridge review if:

Any bridge on the proposed route has a load posting or weight restriction
Any axle spacing less than 4'-0"
Any single axle exceeds 27,500 pounds. (10'-0" or more to any adjacent axle)
Any axle of a tandem group exceeds 25,000 pounds. (see note 2)

New Hampshire Trip and Fuel (IRP / IFTA) Permits

Trip Permit - 72 hours, $15.00

Fuel Permit - 72 hours, $10.00

New Hampshire Overweight / Oversize Fines

The penalty for an overloaded vehicle is a fine for not more than $100 for a first offense nor more than $250 for a subsequent offense within the registration year. 

Any person who shall drive or cause to be driven on a bridge of this state a vehicle whose weight exceeds the limit of an excluded bridge (or bridge posted for no trucks) may be fined up to four hundred dollars ($400).

Fines for excessive weight are:

Weight                                                                        Fine

Over legal weigh                                                      $100 or $.02 for each pound in excess

2nd offense over the legal weight                        $250 or $.02 for each pound in excess

3rd Offense                                                              $250 or $.02 for each pound in excess

Over 15,000 lb. but less than 30,000 lb.              $.03 per pound overweight

Over 30,000 lb. but less than 30,000 lb.              $.03 per pound overweight

Running Hours and Holiday Restrictions

Non-police escort vehicles shall be equipped with the following equipment installed: 

1. An operating, top-mounted, flashing or strobe amber light visible for 1000 feet in all directions; 

2. A 2-way radio that can communicate with all vehicles, including police.

3. Two warning signs shall be displayed during the move on the front and back of the vehicle or one sign above the roofline where it is visible from the front and rear meeting the following standards: 

• The sign shall contain the legend reading “OVERSIZE LOAD” in black letters not less than 10 inches high of a 1.4-inch stroke on a yellow background; 
  
• The sign shall be made of durable material unaffected by moisture; and 
• The shape of the warning sign shall be varied to fit the escort vehicle, with a minimum size of 5 feet 0 inches wide and 12 inches high.
  

Flags, Lights and Banners

New Hampshire Tire Regulations

It shall be unlawful to drive a motor vehicle or trailer upon the ways unless such motor vehicle or trailer is equipped with tires in safe operating condition.

No tire mounted on a motor vehicle or trailer shall be deemed to be in safe operating condition unless it meets the visual and tread depth requirements set forth in this subdivision.

Minimum legal tread depth requirement is 2/32 inches.

Readings shall be taken in a major tread groove of the tire nearest the center at 2 points of the circumference not closer than 15 inches. Readings for a tire which has the tread design running across the tire or for a sipped tire, where such tread design is permitted, shall be taken at or near the center of the tire at 2 points of the circumference not closer than 15 inches.

New Hampshire Frost Laws

Heavy vehicle ban may be necessary to protect pavements during thaw.

Warmer weather means sections of roads will be vulnerable to pavement breaking up as the frost leaves the underlying road base.

Road postings are determined annually by local NHDOT District Engineers, who carefully review each roadway in their areas before posting a road limit to ensure protection of the roads. For up-to-date road conditions and restrictions, go to: http://newengland511.org/ and select "trucking" at the top of the page and "New Hampshire" at the top of the map.

The maximum allowable vehicular weight on posted sections of State highways is one half of the regularly allowed legal load .

Affected roads can be found on the Web at https://www.nh.gov/dot/media/nr2011/nr03222-roadpostings.htm

New Hampshire Annual Permits

Maximum limits: 

• Length: 75′ 
• Width: 10′ 6”
• Height: 13′ 6”
• Weight: Legal weight

Cost: 

Annual permits for vehicles no greater than 75-0 in length, 10-6 in width, 13-6 in height, and NH Legal Registered Weight GVW  are$ 115.00 for statewide travel.

$60.00 for travel within a 100-mile radius for New Hampshire based and registered carriers only

Time: 1 business day

New Hampshire Road Conditions

In any work zone along any road, normal speed limits may be reduced, traffic lanes may be changed, and people and vehicles may be working on or near the road.

Diamond-shaped orange warning signs are posted in advance of road construction projects. Slow down! Be alert! Pay attention to the signs!

A "flagger ahead" warning sign may be posted in the work zone. Be prepared to slow down, stop, change lanes, etc. Be prepared to obey the flagger's directions.

When indicated, merge as soon as possible. Don't zoom right up to the lane closure, then try to barge in.

Slow down when the signs say to. A car traveling 60 m.p.h. travels 88 feet per second. If you're going 60 m.p.h., and you pass a sign that states, “Road Work 1,500 feet,” you'll be in that work zone in 17 seconds.

The most common crash in a highway work zone is the rear-end collision, so remember to leave two seconds of braking distance between you and the car in front of you. 

Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and traffic barriers, trucks, construction equipment and workers.

New Hampshire Manufactured Houses and Mobile homes

Special Provisions for Single-Trip Permits for Manufactured Housing, Modular Buildings, and Building Components

The movement of manufactured housing, a modular building, or building components requires a single-trip permit. 

The movement of manufactured or modular buildings that exceed 16 feet 0 inches in width is not permitted. 

There is a 6-inch allowance for overhanging eave(s) on the right-hand shoulder side of the highway in the direction of travel. Any eave overhang on the left side shall be considered part of the maximum width dimension. 

A single trip permit for movement of a vehicle hauling manufactured housing, modular buildings, or building components shall be subject to the following conditions: 

(1) The manufacturer's specifications regarding maximum capacities for the equipment employed in transporting manufactured housing units shall not be exceeded

(2) The towing vehicle for manufactured housing units which exceed 10 feet 0 inches in width shall be a truck-tractor of not less than 2-ton capacity, equipped with dual wheels on each side of the drive axle

(3) The transport vehicles, including trailers, must all necessary operating safety equipment

(4) Moves shall be prohibited when ground surface wind velocity exceeds 25 miles per hour

(e) A single trip permit issued for movement of a vehicle hauling manufactured housing, modular building, or building components, with overall measurements of up to 110 feet 0 inches in length, equal to or less than 14 feet 6 inches in height, and equal to or less than 14 feet 0 inches in width, shall be allowed to move from Monday through Friday, unless otherwise suspended by a holiday, weather condition, or other control regulation or noted on the face of the permit. 

(f) A single trip permit issued under Tra 304.12 for movement of a vehicle hauling manufactured housing, modular building, or building components, with overall measurements of up to 110 feet 0 inches in length, equal to or less than 14 feet 6 inches in height, and greater than 14 feet 0 inches but equal to or less than 16 feet 0 inches in width, shall be limited to: 

(1) Movements on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

(2) Restricted to highways featuring a minimum pavement width of 24 feet 0 inches and minimum paved shoulders of 8 feet 0 inches, from point of origin to point of delivery. Special rules apply if a portion of the required route is less than 24 ft 0 in wide

Escorts and Police escorts may be required based on the overall length and/or width of the unit as well as the roads required to deliver the unit.

If the permit office determines that the anticipated highway traffic or weather conditions indicate that the safety of the public would be increased or the likelihood of damage of roadside objects would be reduced by requiring non-police or state police escort vehicle(s) not already required, the permit office shall require such additional escort vehicle(s).

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Oversize / Overweight Regulations By State