Class C permits help oversize loads travel safely through the state

As you can see in the video above, applying for and receiving a Class C permit from ADOT isn’t just a formality – it’s a critical step that helps ensure safety on the state’s roads.

These Class C permits (which are required for oversized/overweight loads that are either in excess of 250,000 pounds, measure more than 120 feet in length, 16 feet in height or 14 feet in width) are vital because when a transport hauler applies for one, it allows ADOT to analyze all the specs and make sure a load can safely make it along its route.

Making ADOT aware that such a heavy load is about to enter onto its highways, gives Class C Supervisor Chris Pippin and her team the chance to communicate with various ADOT district engineers to make sure current road conditions and construction projects are accounted for in the final route.

“I just want the people of Arizona to understand that what we do here at the state in issuing these Class C permits that we do everything we can to keep the motoring public very, very safe,” Pippin says in the video above.

State Bridge Engineer Jean Nehme underscores that point by commenting on what’s at stake when it comes to bridge safety.

“You need to make sure the bridge capacity can handle the additional load,” he says. “If you exceed those loads repeatedly, the pavement will have to be replaced sooner, the bridges may deteriorate, or you may have a failure. So, if you’re exceeding what’s permitted within the legal weight limit, then that’s why permitting is necessary.”

To learn more about oversized loads and Class C permits, check out our previous blog posts August 9, 2011 and August 22, 2011.