La. Admin. Code tit. 73 § I-309

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section I-309 - Permit Restriction

A. Enforcing Permit Restrictions

1. The truck permit office has the authority to put additional restrictions on a permit. These restrictions will be noted on the "Restrictions" or "Remarks" sections of the permit.

2. The Weights and Standards Stationary Scale Police Force officer shall see that all restrictions shown on the permit have been followed before a vehicle is allowed to proceed, unless directed otherwise by the truck permit office.

3. If an officer suspects that a normal restriction has been omitted from the permit (for example, a load 100 feet long without an escort), the truck permit office shall be contacted for verification. No ticket shall be issued for restrictions which were overlooked by the permit office; however, the vehicle shall be delayed until necessary restrictions have been met.

B. Escorts

1. Private escorts are required for all vehicles and loads:

a. over 12 feet wide and up to 16 feet wide;

b. over 90 feet long and up to 125 feet long.

2. State police escorts are normally required for vehicles and loads:

a. over 16 feet in width;

b. over 125 feet in length;

c. on any vehicle or load deemed necessary by the department.

3. An escort vehicle may escort two overlength vehicles or loads, but only one overwidth vehicle or load.

4. An escort vehicle must be behind overlength vehicles and loads. On a multilane highway it must be behind an overwidth vehicle or load and on a two-lane highway it must be in front of an overwidth vehicle or load.

5. The DOTD District Maintenance Engineer must approve all movements over 18 feet wide, such as houses. This may be done by a letter which grants permission for the movement or by sending a representative from the district office to escort the movement. Either the letter or the representative must be present before the movement can proceed.

C. Interstate Movement

1. Vehicles and loads with forest product permits, forest management equipment permits, oil field equipment permits, and steering axle permits are prohibited from moving on interstate highways.

2. Vehicles and loads over 14 feet wide are prohibited from moving on interstate highways.

D. Night, Inclement Weather, and Holiday Movement

1. Most vehicles and loads requiring a permit will be prohibited from moving at night, in inclement weather, and on certain designated holidays by the truck permit office. The state police may override the truck permit office for safety reasons.

2. Weights and Standards Stationary Scale Police Force officers shall not allow vehicles requiring oversize permits to cross either of the Mississippi River Bridges in New Orleans from 6:30 to 9 a.m. and from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Except in cases of emergencies, these vehicles cannot be parked within 75 feet of the highway if they are within two miles of the bridges. Vehicles with valid utility vehicle permits are exempt from these restrictions if they are being operated by a public utility. Vehicles in violation shall be reported to the state police.

3. The truck permit office does not prohibit following vehicles and loads from on Sundays after 1 p.m., on holidays, or at night:

a. vehicles with valid waste disposal truck permits, steering axles permits, harvest season permits, utility vehicle permits, and oil field equipment permits;

b. vehicles with valid oversize and overweight permits:

i. if the load does not project beyond the boundaries of the vehicle;

ii. if the width of the vehicle and load does not exceed 8 feet;

iii. if the height of the vehicle and load does not exceed 14 feet, 4 inches; and

iv. if the weight of the vehicle and load does not exceed 120,000 pounds.

4. The truck permit office does not prohibit the following vehicles and loads from traveling on Sundays after 1 p.m. or on holidays, but it does prohibit them from traveling at night:

a. vehicles with valid forest product permits or forest management equipment permits;

b. vehicles with valid oversize permits which are transporting pipe loaded across the vehicle (rather than lengthwise) and which do not exceed 8 feet, 8 inches in width (including the pipe).

5. In the field the Weights and Standards Stationary Scale Police Force officer shall be responsible for determining the intensity of inclement weather (severe, moderate, or mild) unless the state police determine otherwise.

6. Severe Weather. Vehicles and loads requiring a permit are prohibited from traveling during weather which is physically severe, such as extremely heavy rain, heavy fog, icy road conditions, heavy snow, or any continuous condition which creates low visibility for drivers or hazardous driving conditions. However, vehicles with valid utility vehicle permits are not prohibited from traveling in severe weather.

7. Moderate Weather. Some vehicles with permits may travel at the option of the driver if the officer considers the weather to be moderate and if the vehicle has not been prohibited by the truck permit office from traveling during moderate weather. In general, the following vehicles and loads are not prohibited by the truck permit office from traveling during moderate weather:

a. vehicles with valid forest product permits, forest management equipment permits, utility vehicle permits, waste disposal permits, steering axle permits, harvest season permits, and oil field equipment permits;

b. vehicles with valid oversize and overweight permits:

i. if the load does not project beyond the boundaries of the vehicle;

ii. if the width of the vehicle and load does not exceed 8 feet;

iii. if the height of the vehicle and load does not exceed 14 feet, 4 inches; and

iv. if the weight of the vehicle and load does not exceed 120,000 pounds;

c. vehicles with valid oversize permits which are transporting pipe loaded across the vehicle (rather then lengthwise) and which do not exceed 8 feet, 8 inches in width (including pipe).

8. Mild Weather. Wet pavement, light drizzle, and wind are not considered inclement weather for the purposes of permit movement. Permit movements are not prohibited from traveling during these milder weather conditions unless the movement would create a traffic hazard; for example, movement of a load 14 feet wide during rain or movement of mobile homes in wind.

9. If a vehicle has been prohibited from moving in moderate or severe weather is underway when such weather occurs, the vehicle is required to proceed to a safe place off the roadway and park until the weather clears. During inclement weather officers at stationary location shall delay such vehicles until the weather clears, and officers on mobile units shall escort such vehicles to a safe place for parking until the weather clears. If the vehicle is observed traveling after being directed to stop, a violation ticket shall be issued.

E. Red Warning Flags

1. In general, flags are required by the truck permit office on vehicles and loads which exceed the legal width. There must be flags at the following points.

a. Four flags, two on the front edges and two on the rear edges, must be attached at the widest points on the part of the vehicle or load which exceeds the legal width.

b. If a load projects only to one side of a vehicle of legal width, one flag on the front edge of the load and one flag on the rear edge of the load will be sufficient.

c. If a projecting load does not exceed 3 feet from front to back, one flag on each side will be sufficient.

d. Flags must be attached on any other portion of the vehicle which is wider than the flagged front or rear edges.

2. Generally, red flags are also required by the truck permit office on vehicles and loads which exceed the legal length or which have a rear end overhang of more than 4 feet. (If the overhang clears the pavement by 6 feet or more, red flags are not required.) There must be flags at the following points.

a. If the overlength or projecting portion is 2 feet wide or less, one flag must be located at the extreme rear end of the load.

b. If the overlength or projection portion is wider than 2 feet, two flags at the extreme rear end of the load must be located to indicate maximum width.

3. All warning flags must be red and at least 18 inches square. Flags must either be securely fastened by at least one corner or securely mounted on a staff which keeps the flag upright.

F. Warning Signs

1. Vehicles and loads exceeding 10 feet in width must display two signs with the wording "oversize load." One sign must be on the front of the vehicle. The other must be on the rear of the load; however, if the sign cannot be attached or clearly read in this position, then the sign must be on the rear of the vehicle itself.

2. Vehicles and loads exceeding 75 feet in length or the legal rear end overhang must display two signs with the wording "oversize load." These signs must be on the sides of the overhanging part of the load; however, if the signs cannot be attached or clearly read in this position, then the signs must be on the sides of the vehicle. If the rear end overhang clears the pavement by 6 feet or more, no sign is required on the overhang.

3. Vehicles and loads exceeding the legal front end overhang must display one sign with the wording "oversize load." This sign must be on the front of the vehicle. If the overhang clears the pavement by 6 feet or more, no sign is required.

4. All warning signs must be at least 7 feet long and 18 inches high. The background must be yellow and the lettering black. Letters must be at least 10 inches high with a 1 5/8 inch brush stroke.

G. Warning Lights

1. The truck permit office requires lights at night and during inclement weather on vehicles and loads which exceed the legal width, in the following places.

a. Two amber lights must be attached at the widest points on the front edges of the overwidth part of the vehicle or load, and these lights must be visible from both the front and the side.

b. Two red lights must be attached at the widest points on the rear edges of the overwidth part of the vehicle or load and these lights must be visible from both the rear and the side.

c. An amber light must be attached on any part of the vehicle or load which is wider than the front or rear edges, and this light must be visible from the front, side and rear.

d. A single light on each side, visible from the front, side, and rear, may be used if the overwidth part of the vehicle or load does not exceed 3 feet from front to back. If the overwidth part is at or near the front of the vehicle, this light must be amber. If the overwidth part is at or near the rear of the vehicle, this light must be red.

2. The truck permit office also requires lights at night and during inclement weather on vehicles and loads which are overlength or have rear end overhangs of more than 4 feet, in the following places.

a. Two red lights, one on each side, must be visible from the side and indicate the extreme rear of the vehicle or load.

b. Two red lights, one on each side, and two red reflectors, one on each side, must be visible from the rear, must be located on the rear of the vehicle or load, and must indicate maximum width of the overlength or projecting part. However, if the overlength or projecting part is 2 feet wide or less, one red light and one red reflector are sufficient.

3. Two or more lights may be combined if the resulting light still conforms to the requirements and its effectiveness is not hurt by the combinations.

4. All lights must be of types approved for such use by the Department of Public Safety and must be visible from a distance of 500 feet. (Approval of any nonstandard lights is done by state police troops.)

H. Speed Limits

1. The truck permit office may also restrict the speed of a movement. Permit movements are limited to 45 miles per hour unless otherwise noted on the permit.

2. The state police shall be contacted if any vehicle with a permit appears to be exceeding its permitted speed limit.

La. Admin. Code tit. 73, § I-309

Promulgated by the Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Highways, LR 5:38 (February 1979), amended LR 18:508 (May 1992), amended by the Office of Weights Measures and Standards, LR 20:463 (April 1994), Amended LR 481733

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 32:2 et seq.