Pennsylvania Overweight Container Parameters

Overweight Containers:

Program 1                                                         Program 2
90,000 lbs. (40,823 kg) Program                                107,500 lbs. (48,761 kg) Program 

PENNSYLVANIA OVERWEIGHT CONTAINERIZED CARGO

Gross 90,000 lbs. (40,823 kg)
   * For a manifested international freight in a sealed, seagoing container
   * 24 hours a day (except holidays and inclement weather)
   * 7 days a week  (except holidays and inclement weather)

Permit must be in truck in addition to Form M-938 – Urbanized Area Map and General Conditions

Axle weight cannot exceed 21,000 lbs.

Distance between last axle of truck tractor and first axle of the chassis/semi-trailer shall be at least 28 feet on a 5 axle combination and at least 24 feet on a 6 axle combination.

Make of container should be considered when loading overweight

Route must be considered to ensure travel over approved roads
   * State roads only only
   – 1 – 2- & 3 digit SR’s.  If traveling on a 4 digit SR (i.e., SR  1001)
   – Must complete Form M936 NS for approval to travel on a 4 digit SR.
    Click Here for Form M936

   * Local permission for local roads

For a typical load (individual loads may vary)...

Equipment
    Container      7,000 lbs.
    Chassis         7,000 lbs.
    Tractor        17,000 lbs.
    Total           31,000 lbs.

Net             59,000 lbs. of cargo weight (26.8 tons)

Pennsylvania has instituted a program for containerized cargos of refrigerated meat: annual permits are available for gross vehicle weights of up to 107,500 pounds (48,761 kg.) for Philadelphia and the surrounding counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia).  40 foot tri-axel trucks are available to carry your heavy frozen meat cargoes from the Port of Philadelphia to one of the many MID warehouses in the Philadelphia area.

Gross 107,500 lbs. (48,761 kg)
    * An annual permit may be issued authorizing the movement, on specified highways, of containerized
       refrigerated meat products

    * Draying tractor must be equipped with engine retarding braking system when used outside the five-county
      port area (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties)

    * Travel is authorized 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on holidays and in inclement weather

Axle weight cannot exceed 21,000 lbs.

Vehicle must be a six-axle combination three-axle truck tractor

Make of container and chassis should be considered when loading overweight

Moveable rear axles on chassis will help distribute payload weight

Specified highways and routes may only be permitted in the counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia

For a typical load (individual loads may vary)...

Equipment
   Container        10,400 lbs.
   Chassis           10,500 lbs.
   Gen Set             2,700 lbs.
   Gen Set Fuel         500 lbs.
   Tractor             17,000 lbs.
Total                 41,100 lbs.

Net Payload       66,400 lbs. of cargo weight (30 metric tons)

Please contact the PRPA Marketing Department at (215) 426-2600 for more information.
Questions regarding permitting and application specifics ca be directed to PennDOT at (610) 205-6787.

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