All cargo shipments moving overland within North America are
governed by weight restriction laws established by both
federal and local government agencies. The consequences of
exceeding the legal limit are fines, liability claims,
equipment damage and/or extra costs such as transloading.
Beginning April 9, 1997 all containers moving by truck over
US highways exceeding 29,000 lbs. of gross cargo weight must
be certified. Certification must be passed to the carrier
prior to tender of the load for intermodal transport. The
certificate must include the following items:
- Certifying party
- Date of certification
- Commodity
- Container number
- Gross cargo weight
including pallets and dunnage
Failure to comply with
federal law can result in the delay of the shipment. The law
now gives the trucker, if fined for an overweight violation
due to incorrect or missing information from the issuing
party of the container, the right to lien the load to
collect the amount of the fine. The liable party is the
party that provides false or erroneous certification
information, violates state highway weight law or fails to
pass on certification information.
Maximum Payload (USA & Canada)
To prevent the stressing of Federal Highway Bridges, the
Federal Bridge Formula uses the spacing of axles on vehicles
to help identify the maximum allowable gross vehicle weight.
Various factors such as type of cargo, distribution of cargo
within the container and different types of equipment (e.g.
steel vs. aluminum containers, flush vs. slider chassis,
tractor weight/type, gensets for reefer) will affect the
determination of an absolute maximum cargo payload.
Due to the variety of
variables that factor into the bridge formula calculation,
we offer the following recommended guideline for the average
maximum container payload weights.
NOTE: Strict adherence to
reefer weights. Limit of tare weight shown on container may
never be exceeded.
In the U.S.
- 39,500 lbs. (17.92MT)
per 20-foot container
- 44,500 lbs. (20.19MT)
per 40-foot container
- 41,500 lbs. (18.82MT)
per 45-foot container
- 36,500 lbs. (16.56MT)
per 20-foot reefer container
- 41,500 lbs. (18.82MT)
per 40-foot reefer container
In Canada
- 40,000 lbs. (18.14MT)
per 20-foot container
- 44,500 lbs. (20.19MT)
per 40-foot container
- 37,000 lbs. (16.78MT)
per 20-foot reefer container
- 41,500 lbs. (18.82MT)
per 40-foot reefer container
Intermodal Loading
Guide
Click here
Weight Limitations by State/Province
Special equipment is
available in some North American locations for overweight
containers to be handled legally.
- Some states have higher
weight limitations with permits. See grid below:
- Additional weight
permits are for 40s only where available.
- All states are 80,000
G.V.W. except those where Permits are available up to a
specified weight limit. Note - G.V.W. means Gross
Vehicle Weight and is the weight of the container, cargo
and tractor.
- Any Permit requests are
required to be submitted through the Exception Handling
Process and an SSR secured for additional costs and
special handling.
| State/Province |
G.V.W. * |
G.V.W. w/
Permit |
Single Axle |
Tandem Axle |
|
Alabama |
80,000 |
100,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Alaska |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Alberta |
86,000 |
n/a |
56,000 |
86,000 |
|
Arizona |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Arkansas |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
British Columbia |
86,000 |
n/a |
56,000 |
86,000 |
|
California ** |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Colorado |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Connecticut |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Delaware |
80,000 |
90,000 |
22,000 |
34,000 |
|
Florida |
80,000 |
95,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Georgia |
80,000 |
100,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Idaho |
80,000 |
105,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Illinois |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Indiana |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Iowa |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Kansas |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Kentucky |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Louisiana
***50 mile radius of port |
80,000 |
95,000 |
n/a |
40,000 |
|
Maine |
80,000 |
99,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Manitoba |
82,700 |
n/a |
20,000 |
35,000 |
|
Maryland |
80,000 |
90,000 |
22,000 |
40,000 |
|
Massachusetts |
80,000 |
99,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Michigan |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Minnesota |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Mississippi |
80,000 |
95,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Missouri |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Montana |
80,000 |
105,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Nebraska |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Nevada |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
New
Brunswick |
97,000 |
n/a |
19,900 |
39,700 |
|
Newfoundland |
97,000 |
n/a |
19,900 |
39,700 |
|
New
Hampshire |
80,000 |
99,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
New
Jersey |
80,000 |
90,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
New
Mexico |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
New
York |
80,000 |
88,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
North
Carolina |
80,000 |
94,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
North
Dakota |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Nova
Scotia |
97,000 |
n/a |
19,900 |
39,700 |
|
Ohio |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Oklahoma |
80,000 |
95,000 |
20,000 |
40,000 |
|
Ontario |
97,000 |
n/a |
19,900 |
39,700 |
|
Oregon |
80,000 |
105,000 |
22,400 |
36,000 |
|
Pennsylvania |
80,000 |
90,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Prince Edward Island |
97,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
40,000 |
|
Quebec |
90,961 |
n/a |
39,682 |
46,296 |
|
Rhode
Island |
80,000 |
99,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Saskatoon |
86,000 |
n/a |
56,000 |
86,000 |
|
South
Carolina |
80,000 |
90,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
South
Dakota |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Tennessee |
80,000 |
90,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Texas |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Utah |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Vermont |
80,000 |
99,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Virginia |
80,000 |
90,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Washington |
80,000 |
105,500 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
West
Virginia |
80,000 |
88,000 |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Wisconsin |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
Wyoming |
80,000 |
n/a |
20,000 |
34,000 |
|
* Gross Vehicle Weight
in lbs. |
|
** see the chart for
Long Beach/Los Angeles Maximum Weight |
|
*** within 450 miles
radius of the ports you can run heavier but outside
the 50 mile radius, GVW is 80,000. |
|
