What Is Considered an Oversized Heavy Equipment Transport in Ontario?
With a land mass as large as Canada’s, there is some significant variation in terrain between provinces. There’s a lot to see across the country, from mountains to foothills to winding forest roads to stretching prairie highways. The landscape in Ontario ranges from the rocky Canadian Shield to rolling plains.
Different permits are required for each province and territory, and the documents needed and restrictions to follow differ by province too. Since the terrain changes so much, a wide range of knowledge and experience is required to drive through every province. Even more, expertise is needed when an oversized load is being transported. An experienced driver can help you navigate such things, but it can help to know a brief overview of the subject yourself.
What Are the Oversized Dimensions?
When looking into shipping a load of heavy equipment, it is essential to know what qualifies as an oversized load so you can be prepared. In Ontario, a load becomes oversized when it has a width of 3.7m (on two-lane highways) or 3.85m (on multi-lane highways). The maximum length is 25m for combination vehicles and 12.5m for single vehicles, with an overall maximum height of 4.26m. Beyond these dimensions, a load qualifies as oversized, and extra permits are required.
The drivers in the Trusted Dispatch network are very experienced with hauling oversized loads. Our drivers will usually be able to help you through these steps, though it doesn’t hurt to familiarize yourself with the types of permits beforehand.
Oversize/Overweight Permitting in Ontario
Four types of permits are issued for oversized loads and vehicles: annual, project, single-trip, and superload. An annual permit is just what it sounds like: a permit which is valid for 12 months after its issue. A project permit can be acquired for contractors moving loads for the duration of a contract for up to six months. A single-trip permit is valid for a one-way trip, and a superload permit is for a load with very large dimensions and/or weight.
The permits needed will depend on the load. With Trusted Dispatch, we typically only deal with single-trip and superload permits, but if your driver passes through Ontario, a permit will be required.
Single-Trip Permits
What kind of scenario demands a single-trip permit? Let’s imagine you’ve just found a used excavator for a great price. The one complication is that it’s located in central Ontario while you’re located in Red Deer, Alberta. To move it, you’ll need a permit to get through Ontario and every other province on the route. Drivers that use Trusted Dispatch move loads all across Canada and the United States, which means a driver that is already in Ontario might be able to move your load. In this case, they will only need a single-trip permit for the one-way trip.
Superload Permits
When an oversized load becomes a superload, a superload permit is required. These are heavy loads that exceed 5m in width, 45.75m in length, and/or 120,000kg in weight. These loads are not as common and therefore take more time to organize, and it could be worth considering other modes of transportation. Superloads do happen, but thankfully, Trusted Dispatch knows how to handle them.
Heavy Equipment Shipping Companies in Ontario
For all your heavy-haul shipment needs in Ontario and across Canada, Trusted Dispatch is at your service. We provide professional, experienced heavy equipment hauling at a fair price for both customers and drivers. Our website and load board are easy to navigate, making for a straightforward process. However, we are available to answer any questions you may have during regular business hours via phone, email, or online chat. Get started with a free, instant quote today!
