01The short answer
In Florida a load can be 8 ft 6 in wide and 13 ft 6 in high without a permit, on a truck and trailer combination up to 68 ft long, at up to 20,000 lb on a single axle and 80,000 lb gross. Anything bigger or heavier needs an oversize or overweight permit before it goes on a public road. Equipment of 10,000 lb or more has to be held by at least four tie-downs.
This is a summary to help you ask the right questions, not legal advice. The statutes and FDOT's permit office have the final word.
02Size and weight limits
| Limit | Florida maximum without a permit |
|---|---|
| Width | 102 inches (8 ft 6 in), not counting safety devices |
| Height | 13 ft 6 in, including the load |
| Length, truck and trailer | 68 ft; 65 ft and two units for a combination that is not a commercial vehicle |
| Front overhang | 3 ft past the front wheels |
| Weight | 20,000 lb on a single axle, 80,000 lb gross |
03When you need a permit
Any oversize or overweight vehicle or load needs a special permit before it goes on a public road. FDOT issues permits for state roads and local authorities issue them for their own roads. FDOT offers annual blanket permits, vehicle-specific blanket permits, 10-day trip permits and 3-month route permits through its online permit system.
04CDL and USDOT numbers
- CDL Class A covers combinations of 26,001 lb or more where the towed unit is over 10,000 lb. Class B covers single trucks of 26,001 lb or more.
- Florida requires intrastate carriers to have a USDOT number, and Florida Statute 316.302 applies the federal safety rules to intrastate commercial vehicles, with an exemption for vehicles under 26,001 lb that are not carrying placarded hazardous material.
- Registering is free for intrastate-only carriers, and failing to register carries a $500 fine under Florida Statute 316.3025.
First Responder Transport runs under USDOT 3944345.
05How a machine has to be chained
Federal cargo securement rules, which Florida applies to commercial vehicles, are specific about heavy equipment:
- 10,000 lb or more: at least four tie-downs, restraining the machine forward, back, sideways and upward, attached as close as practical to the front and rear.
- Buckets, blades and booms are lowered and secured, and articulated joints are locked.
- Lighter equipment: the combined working load limit of the tie-downs has to be at least half the weight of the machine.
Four points is the federal minimum for heavy equipment, and it is how every load on our deck goes down: checked before the truck leaves the gate and again before it gets on the highway.
06Doing it yourself, or hiring it out
If you are towing your own skid steer behind a pickup, the questions are the ones on this page: is the combination under the CDL threshold, is the load inside the size limits, and have you got four good chains and binders on it. If any answer is no, or you are not sure, that is the job to hand over.
The heavy equipment transport page has what we need to quote a move.
07Questions people ask
How wide can a load be in Florida without a permit?
102 inches, which is 8 ft 6 in, not counting safety devices.
How tall can a load be in Florida?
13 ft 6 in including the load, without a permit.
Do I need a CDL to haul a skid steer?
You need a Class A CDL for a combination of 26,001 lb or more where the trailer is over 10,000 lb. Many pickup and trailer setups are under that, but add up the real weights.
How many chains does heavy equipment need?
At least four tie-downs for equipment of 10,000 lb or more, with buckets and booms lowered and secured.