If you own a freight company and use semi-trucks to transport your products to various locations, there are many things to consider from proper maintenance to your semi-trucks to knowing when it is time to replace your trucks. Another thing you should know about is overweight trucks. Below is what will happen if your trucks are overweight and you use them for transport, as well as tips on getting an overweight permit.

Overweight Truck Problems

If your semi-trucks are overweight and you continue to drive them, this is dangerous not only for the driver of the truck but for other vehicles around the truck.

Being overweight can cause problems with the semi-trucks. For example, being overweight affects the performance of the truck. While going downhill, the velocity is affected. This will put extra work on the brakes, which can result in break failure over time.

An overweight truck is also not as secure, meaning product may fall off while driving down the road or items may become dislodged. The load may shift causing the truck to be imbalanced, which puts more pressure on one axle when compared to the other axles. This not only causes problems with the axle, but imbalanced weight also increases the chances of you getting into an accident.

Overweight trucks can also result in other problems including:

• Problems driving up inclines
• Going at faster speeds when driving downhill
• Decreased stop time
• Increased rollover accidents
• Tire blowouts
• Loss of control of the trucks while steering

Overweight Truck Permits

If you have an overweight load that you need to transport one time, you can get an overweight truck permit.

How you get an overweight truck permit will depend on the state that you live in. The guidelines for these permits look at the overall height, overall width, the length of the trailer, and the weight of the trailer when loaded with the freight. If you do not get a permit this would result in legal ramifications for you, especially if an overweight truck gets into an accident This could result in you spending a lot of money on lawsuits or even losing your company.

Contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles and they can give you information on regulations for overweight trucks for the state that you live in. This department can also give you information on how you can get the permit that you need, as well as how much the permit will cost you. The cost is generally around $100 to $200 dollars.

The company where you obtain your overweight permit can give you much more information about this.