Practices for Permitting Superheavy Load Movements on Highway Pavements

This Synthesis captures the state of the practice in permitting superheavy commercial vehicles (SHCVs) or “superloads.” These are trucks that exceed the thresholds set for overweight vehicles allowed to operate with annual permits throughout state highway networks. Instead, SHCVs are issued single-trip permits on specific routes, following some type of engineering analysis. Work for this synthesis consisted of a literature review and a survey questionnaire. The literature review covered the SHCV permitting regulations and fees for the United States and the Canadian provinces, as well as efforts undertaken in Europe, Australia, and South Africa to harmonize weight regulations between their member states. The survey questionnaire was designed to collect additional detail on the practices that U.S. states and Canadian provinces implement to handle SHCV permits. Four case examples are provided that offer more detailed information on permitting practices. The findings of this study suggest that the practice of permitting SHCVs could be significantly improved through further study of their impact on pavements and implementation of the results in establishing equitable permit fees that cover pavement utilization and/or damage.