- A vehicle engaged in the construction of highways, when the movement of the vehicle is confined to highways, roads, or sections that are under construction and not yet open to the public. The only exception to this would be if the authority having jurisdiction over the construction of a public highway gives notice that a permit is needed.
- Machinery or equipment used in highway construction or maintenance by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), or by Indiana counties or municipalities.
- Implements of agriculture when used during farming operations or when so constructed that the implements can be moved without material damage to highways.
- The width or height of a farm vehicle loaded with a farm product. This includes a truck hauling unprocessed tobacco leaf.
- Fire-fighting apparatus owned or operated by a political subdivision or volunteer fire company.
- The movement of a disabled vehicle or combination of vehicles for a distance that does not exceed 50 highway miles by a registered recovery vehicle or by a vehicle described in IC 9-18-13-5 is exempt from the dimension and weight limits as stated.
- The crate’s contents (must specify exactly what is in the crate)
- The reason it needs to be crated
- The dimensions of the load itself (This should include the height, length, width, and weight.)
- The dimensions of the load after it is crated (This should include the height, length, width, and weight of the piece including the crate to determine how much dimension is being added by the crate.)
- The type of crate being used
In June 2020, INDOT waived holiday travel restrictions for permitted overweight bulk milk transports weighing up to 154,000 lbs. GVW only. This includes vehicles permitted with single-trip overweight permits and those with annual bulk milk permits. For more information, call Motor Carrier Services at 317-615-7200 or email IndianaOSW@dor.in.gov.
A permit that is issued for a sealed ocean container is valid for one year. Once the driver has paid $800 for the permit, they must follow the below provisions:
- The container is sealed at the place of origin and has not been opened except by an agent of the federal government that may inspect the contents; and
- Being transported to and from a distribution facility.
- Ocean containers cannot exceed 53 feet (trailer and load length) in length with a tractor-trailer hook-up, 60 feet overall in length with a truck-trailer hook up, 8 feet 6 inches wide and 13 feet 6 inches overall height and 95,000 pounds.
Carriers can apply for Sealed Ocean Container permits online. Separate permits must be ordered for each truck.
Log in to your OSOW online service account and click on “Special Weight Vehicle Registration.” Select the year you are registering for and add your vehicle information, including the full Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). After you have added all your vehicles, you must pay the $25 registration fee before any Special Weight Permits can be ordered. Once you have entered and registered all your vehicles, you need to renew your Special Weight Registration annually. You can also add, edit or delete trucks at any time at no additional cost. To order a Special Weight Permit, your vehicle must be registered.
Please review the special weight route information before applying for your special weight vehicle registration.
Log in to your OSOW online service account and click “Apply for Permit.” Select “Annual permit” for type of permit to be ordered. Then select “Toll Road Gate-Annual” from the list. You will complete the vehicle information section and select the gate numbers you need. You can then pay for and print your Toll Road Gate Permits. You will need to obtain only one permit for each truck (each permit can have multiple gates listed).
RVs (all classes including travel trailers and 5th wheels) may not exceed 45 feet in length; 8 feet, 6 inches in width; or 13 feet, 6 inches in height. The width must not exceed beyond manufacturer-installed rearview mirrors on the motorhome or tow vehicle. This may be less than 8 ft, 6 inches.
Maximum motor home length is 45 feet.
Total length including the vehicle, trailer or other towable may not exceed 60 feet (excluding boat transporters.)
If your recreational vehicle exceeds any of the dimensions listed above, please contact Motor Carrier Services at IndianaOSW@dor.in.gov or 317-615-7200 for guidance.
Indiana HEA 1190, which took effect July 1, 2021, contains several changes to Indiana’s oversize/overweight (OSOW) motor carrier laws, including expanding Indiana’s Overweight Commodity Permit to include materials other than metal and agricultural products.
Under the new law, carriers can apply for single-trip Overweight Commodity permits for divisible loads exceeding 2.4 ESALs and weighing 80,000-120,000 lbs. Although the law allows only 8,500 of these permits annually, there are no limits on the number of annual permits issued for divisible loads less than 2.4 ESALs.
Carriers who obtained an OSOW Commodity Permit prior to Jan. 1, 2021 are grandfathered into the new law in certain circumstances. Their single-trip permits will not count toward the annual limit if they haul only the commodity requested on the prior permit and do not exceed the previous weight thresholds of:
- Up to 120,000 lbs. for metal and
- Up to 97,000 lbs. for agricultural carriers and those who haul logs, wood chips, tree bark or sawdust under an OSOW Agricultural Commodity permit.
Under HEA 1190 and HEA 1150, what constitutes a civil penalty and how much carriers will pay for violating OSOW rules will change. More information is in the Oversize/Overweight (OSOW) Civil Penalties section of this webpage.
Among other OSOW-related measures, HEA 1190 also:
- Instructs INDOT to change permit fees no later than Oct. 1;
- Allows INDOT to temporarily increase the number of OSOW permits for divisible loads issued in response to an emergency or changes in market conditions; and
- Allows INDOT to suspend overweight divisible load permitting if they observe increases in infrastructure damage on a permitted route or the number of accidents associated with these loads.
