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Start with the actual weights

Get:

  • cargo weight,
  • container tare,
  • container gross weight,
  • tractor/chassis configuration when known.

Do not price or dispatch a “heavy” container based on an estimate if an accurate weight is available.

Container capacity is not highway legality

A container can physically carry the freight and still be illegal on the road configuration.

Federal Interstate weight standards generally include:

  • 80,000 lb gross,
  • 20,000 lb single axle,
  • 34,000 lb tandem axle,
  • Federal Bridge Formula limits.

But states can have different rules off the Interstate and grandfathered provisions.

The Bridge Formula can require a lower allowed weight depending on axle number and spacing.

So:

container gross weight ≠ automatic legal truck weight

Chassis configuration matters

Heavy drayage may use:

  • tri-axle chassis,
  • sliding axle/tandem positioning where permitted,
  • specialized equipment.

The purpose is to distribute weight.

More axles do not automatically make every route legal.

20-foot containers

Dense 20-foot boxes are a common weight challenge because the cargo is concentrated over a shorter container/chassis footprint.

A tri-axle chassis or transload may be considered depending on the actual load and route.

Permits

An overweight permit may be possible depending on:

  • state,
  • route,
  • axle configuration,
  • gross weight,
  • divisibility,
  • bridge restrictions.

A port dray permit does not automatically authorize all local roads.

Local route problem

Even if the state permit works, the first/last miles can be the hardest:

  • city streets,
  • county roads,
  • bridges,
  • terminal roads,
  • customer entrance.

The permitted/legal route matters.

Transload option

If the box is too heavy for a practical legal road move:

  1. dray a legal/authorized short route to transload,
  2. strip freight,
  3. redistribute into domestic equipment,
  4. return ocean container.

This can eliminate ocean-container equipment time and reduce overweight exposure.

Do not forget the chassis pool

The carrier must actually have access to the equipment configuration.

A quote using a tri-axle that cannot be sourced is not a plan.

Scale plan

Depending on the move, scaling may be useful to confirm axle/gross distribution.

Know whether there is a practical scale location on the legal route.

Information needed for a heavy-container quote

  • container size/type,
  • cargo weight,
  • gross container weight,
  • port/terminal,
  • delivery address,
  • commodity,
  • divisibility,
  • equipment requirement,
  • desired delivery date,
  • live/drop/transload,
  • any known chassis/permit arrangement.

Example

Container gross: heavy enough to put a standard configuration at risk.

Do not ask only:

Is it under 80,000 gross truck weight?

Also ask:

What is on each axle group and what spacing/configuration is being used?

FHWA emphasizes that axle spacing is part of bridge-weight compliance.

Bottom line

Heavy drayage is a configuration problem.

Solve:

weight + axles + chassis + route + permit + customer handling

before the box leaves the terminal.

Related:

Moving a heavy box?

Send the cargo weight, the container size and the delivery address and we will help work out the equipment and route the weight actually needs.

Request a Freight Quote

Official references

  • FHWA Bridge Formula: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/publications/brdg_frm_wghts/
  • FHWA OS/OW contacts/context: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/sw/permit_report/