Line 01 / Oversize load dispatch
Oversize load dispatch where the permits are on the invoice, not in your pocket
Heavy haul invoices are big: a linehaul in the thousands, plus permits for every state, escorts, and sometimes route surveys. Every one of those lines has to be priced, paid and paid back. Our heavy haul dispatch puts each cost on the rate confirmation before you accept, so the big invoice is also a profitable one.
Oversize work rewards planning more than speed. Travel windows, holiday restrictions, escort rules that change at state lines and bridges that can't take your weight all shape the trip. We plan the route around them and quote you the days, not just the miles.
Line 02 / Rates and limits
What heavy haul pays, and where "oversize" starts
Nobody publishes a reliable national heavy haul rate, because no two loads are alike: an 11 ft wide excavator and a 16 ft wide transformer share a trailer type and little else. Heavy haul is quoted per load from dimensions, weight, route, permits and escorts. The nearest public benchmark is DAT's flatbed spot rate, which heavy haul generally pays well above.
What makes a load oversize is the federal and state limits. On the National Network, federal rules set the width at 102 inches (8.5 ft) and gross weight at 80,000 lb, with 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem. Height and many length limits are set by each state. Anything over needs a permit from every state on the route.
Check any load's dimensions against those limits with the oversize load checker before you quote it. For taller freight that stays inside legal limits on a lower deck, see step deck dispatch.
DAT flatbed spot benchmark, week ending Aug 14, 2026
$2.72/mi
Linehaul only, full standard flatbed loads. Not a heavy haul rate.
Source: DAT, Flatbed Report, Aug 17, 2026 · checked Oct 2026
Federal limits, National Network
- Width102 in
- Gross weight80,000 lb
- Single axle20,000 lb
- Tandem axle34,000 lb
- HeightSet by states
Source: LII / eCFR, 23 CFR 658.15, width · checked Oct 2026
Source: LII / eCFR, 23 CFR 658.17, weight · checked Oct 2026
Line 03 / Heavy haul invoice
One heavy haul invoice, with the stub that shows our cut
This invoice is made up, for a made-up carrier. Edit any line. The remittance stub at the bottom shows what the broker pays you, what part of it our fee is based on, and the fee itself. Permits and escorts are pass-through: you paid them, the broker pays them back, and we don't take 5% of money that was never profit.
INVOICE · EXAMPLE
Carrier A LLC
Bill to: Sample Broker Co. · Load: excavator, 11 ft 2 in wide
| Line | Amount | In fee base? |
|---|---|---|
| Linehaul, 840 mi | $ | Yes |
| Fuel surcharge | $ | Yes |
| State permits (4 states) (pass-through) | $ | No |
| Escorts, front + rear (pass-through) | $ | No |
| Detention, 3 hrs | $ | Yes |
| Invoice total | $14,065 |
REMITTANCE STUB
Permits and escorts pay back what you spent, so they stay out of the fee base. Edit any amount.
A large invoice also means a large wait. If you fronted the permits and escorts and the broker pays in 30 days, one heavy haul load can tie up thousands of dollars. Some carriers factor just those invoices. Read freight factoring to see what that costs before you decide.
We also watch the days. A 600-mile oversize load with daylight-only travel, a weekend restriction and an escort change at a state line can take three days. Priced per day instead of per mile, a strong rate can turn ordinary. We quote you both.
Heavy haul freight we book
Construction and mining equipment, cranes and attachments, agricultural machinery, transformers and generators, industrial tanks and vessels, prefabricated structures, and wind and energy components when your equipment and permits allow. Each comes with its own loading method, securement plan and route constraints.
What we need from you
Trailer type and deck lengths, axle configuration and spacing, permitted weight capacity, ramps or detachable neck, chains and binders rated for the work, oversize banners, flags and lights, and any states where you already hold annual permits. With that, we only quote loads you can move legally the first time.
A heavy haul week
Fewer loads, more planning. Permits ordered as soon as dimensions are confirmed, escorts booked by state, travel windows and curfews mapped, and the reload checked before you deliver. You confirm each load with the full cost picture, and the paperwork comes straight to you.
Line 04 / Fee and questions
Heavy haul and lowboy dispatch questions
5% of gross load revenue for one truck with 6+ months of authority, 7% while your MC is under 6 months, 4% per truck for two or more (limited time). Permit and escort reimbursements are pass-through and carry no fee. No setup fee, no contract, cancel with 30 days notice. See our dispatch fees. Every load is offered to you first; the rate confirmation comes straight to you, and you decide.
Who pays for permits and escorts?
It is settled on the rate confirmation. On most heavy haul loads the shipper or broker pays for permits and escorts, either reimbursed as separate lines or built into a quoted rate. We get the arrangement in writing before you accept, and we never take our fee on reimbursements that only repay what you spent.
How much do oversize loads pay per mile?
There is no public national heavy haul rate index, because loads are quoted one at a time by dimensions, weight, route and permits. Per mile, they usually pay well above standard flatbed freight, whose national benchmark was $2.72 a mile on DAT for the week ending Aug 14, 2026. The real test is your net after permits, escorts and slow travel days.
Should I factor large heavy haul invoices?
Sometimes. A single heavy haul invoice can be larger than a week of van loads, and you may have fronted permits and escorts before the broker pays. If waiting 30 days strains your cash, factoring that invoice can make sense; compare the fee on a big invoice with the cost of the wait.
Do you dispatch lowboys and RGNs?
Yes: lowboys, removable gooseneck (RGN) trailers, double drops, extendable trailers and step decks running permitted freight. Tell us your trailer, axle configuration and permitted weight capacity, and we only bring you loads you can legally move.
Is the dispatch fee charged on permits and escorts?
No. The fee is 5% of the load revenue, such as linehaul, fuel surcharge and detention. Permit and escort reimbursements only repay costs you paid out, so they stay out of the fee base. The remittance stub on this page shows exactly which lines count.
Do you dispatch superloads?
When your equipment, permits and experience fit them, yes. Superloads need route surveys, engineering reviews, police escorts in some states and long lead times. We price that time and those costs into the quote and only bring them to carriers set up for them.
How long do oversize permits take?
It varies by state and by load. Routine single-trip permits for moderate oversize are often issued the same day or within a few days online. Superloads, unusual routes and some bridges need engineering review and can take weeks. We build the permit time into the pickup date before you commit.
What we check on every oversize offer
- + Exact dimensions and weight from the shipper, in writing.
- + Permits, travel windows and holiday restrictions in every state on the route.
- + Escort and height-pole requirements by state, and who books them.
- + Your trailer's permitted capacity and axle spacing against the load.
- + Reimbursement terms on the rate con, line by line.
Plan the quarter around the big loads
Send your trailer, axle setup, permitted capacity and home base. We quote heavy haul with permits and escorts on the rate con, and you confirm every load.
5% of gross. No setup fee. Cancel with 30 days notice.
IFTA quarters: next four due dates
Weekend due dates roll to the next business day