Winter Load Increases will
begin on unrestricted highways in the NORTH and NORTH-CENTRAL FROST ZONES at 12:01 AM on Saturday, December 7, 2013 .
Vehicles will be allowed to
operate up to 10 percent over the standard legal maximum loads on unrestricted
highways during the Winter Load Increase period. However, trucks must
comply with current registration weight laws and not exceed registered gross
weight tolerances. Please check with local agencies (cities, counties and
townships) prior to increasing any weights on their routes. The sign erected on
the roadway governs the load limit in effect. A Winter Weight Increase
Permit is required to take advantage of the 10 percent weight increase on
Interstate Highways only; a permit is not required for state trunk highways.
For questions about legal
weight/size trucking, call:
Minnesota Department of
Public Safety - State Patrol - Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
(651) 405-6171 (select Option
3, Option 3)
For questions about over
legal weight/size "heavy haul" trucking, call:
Minnesota Department of
Transportation
Freight and Commercial
Vehicle Operations - Oversize/Weight Permits
(651) 296-6000
Winter Load Increases
starting and ending dates are based on how weather is affecting roadway
strength. These dates are established by monitoring roadway strength as
weather conditions change. Therefore, the ending date for Winter Load
Increases is variable and drivers MUST check for updates throughout the year.
Vehicle operators are required to check with the Minnesota Department of
Transportation (MnDOT) for the exact start and end dates.
All changes are made with a
minimum three calendar-day notice.
For the most current
information, please go to MnDOT’s automated 24-hour message center at (800)
723-6543 for the USA Canada
