Oversize permit in Alaska ??

[tomco]

Does anyone know the current law for a boat that is 8' 6" wide and has Deep Creek guideons that are 9' to the extreme outside? I trucked for 25 years and that was legal. 8'6" load with up to 3" of safety gear on each side, making the widest point 9'. A friend just got popped last weekend and had to buy a $50.00 permit for his boat and trailer. The permit doesn't require him to hang flags, have a beacon, or Oversize signs. Just pay up and now the public is SAFE !!! This is BS. Either it's LEGAL for all, or not LEGAL for all.
Comments????

[hoose35]

Yeah, the 50 bucks for an oversize permit, but don't have to have signs or any other way to warn others of a oversize load is pointless, but then again so are a lot of the little fees we have to pay associated with driving. As far as 9' being ok, I don't think it is, I think 8'6" is the widest it can be, whether it is the boat,trailer, or whatever else

[JR2]

When I called to ask about permits the nice people told me if any part of the trailer or load exceeds 8 ft 6 inches you need a permit. I also have to stop at all open weight stations and can not travel during hours of darkness or on certain holiday weekends. The state website is not too bad.. http://dot.alaska.gov/mscve/main.cfm...TOKEN=78180449

Also the permits manual is a wealth of info... http://dot.alaska.gov/mscve/webdocs/...l_rev_2009.pdf

[easthillsfbx]

The trailer being part of the 8'6" is an interesting question. I know that mirrors and handholds and such on the trailered vehicle are not included in the 8'6" limitation. You can have up to 9' including items like that. Bunks on a trailer though, at least in my thinking, are part of the trailer carrying the oversize load, and are subject to the 8'6" max. I am no expert and have a few tickets to my name so don't quote me.

Oversize permits are nothing but money for the state that we never see any benefit from anyway. Useless waste of time and money.

Yeah, the 50 bucks for an oversize permit, but don't have to have signs or any other way to warn others of a oversize load is pointless, but then again so are a lot of the little fees we have to pay associated with driving. As far as 9' being ok, I don't think it is, I think 8'6" is the widest it can be, whether it is the boat,trailer, or whatever else

[JR2]

$50 is cheap, I bought a 6 month permit so I can freely move between Eagle River, Homer, Seward and Whittier... $300 for having a wide boat that I can pull down the road faster than most tourists drive their rental cars and way safer than they drive for sure.

[hoose35]

The 8'6" permit is all about money, not safety. I can understand having restrictions and such for a load that is 10 foot or bigger.

[Dupont Spinner]

Does anyone know the current law for a boat that is 8' 6" wide and has Deep Creek guideons that are 9' to the extreme outside? I trucked for 25 years and that was legal. 8'6" load with up to 3" of safety gear on each side, making the widest point 9'. A friend just got popped last weekend and had to buy a $50.00 permit for his boat and trailer. The permit doesn't require him to hang flags, have a beacon, or Oversize signs. Just pay up and now the public is SAFE !!! This is BS. Either it's LEGAL for all, or not LEGAL for all.
Comments????

If you are required to have a permit for oversize you are required to have the signs and light and that is straight from the DOT guys.
Anything over 8'6" inches that is permenantly attached to the load and/or the trailer requires you to have an oversize permit and warning devices attached.

The link provided by JR2 is way good information and if you are not sure a call to the DOT office will erase any doubt. Many think they are there to stick it to you, but I have never found that to be true. They have always answered my questions, even some of the ones posed here, without fail. Now get stopped by the Troopers or local PD Enforcement you will get a thousand different answers.

[JR2]

I will even give you all the little secret the DOT people told me when I got my permit. Assign the permit to the trailer not the truck. If you do that you can use any truck to haul it with the same permit. So in the event of a truck problem you can hand someone else the permit and they can tow your boat to safety... if you assign it to the truck you have to get another permit to move it if that particular truck is not available...

And Dupot is right, the two times I have called DOT they where more than helpful. I actually asked what I had to do at the weight stations when I stop and they said "we have no idea but call this number and they will know". The number was the head DOT inspectors cell phone and he called me back in 2 hours and told me to drive on the scales, get weighed and then come inside with my permit. He also said all they really do is make sure you have a permit and its filled out right.

[Dupont Spinner]

I will even give you all the little secret the DOT people told me when I got my permit. Assign the permit to the trailer not the truck. If you do that you can use any truck to haul it with the same permit. So in the event of a truck problem you can hand someone else the permit and they can tow your boat to safety... if you assign it to the truck you have to get another permit to move it if that particular truck is not available...

And Dupot is right, the two times I have called DOT they where more than helpful. I actually asked what I had to do at the weight stations when I stop and they said "we have no idea but call this number and they will know". The number was the head DOT inspectors cell phone and he called me back in 2 hours and told me to drive on the scales, get weighed and then come inside with my permit. He also said all they really do is make sure you have a permit and its filled out right.

Right on the money....we are not commerical so they have little jurisdiction power over us......but what does happen is they immediately delay you while they call the troopers. I have seen it a couple of times, where you see a DOT vehicle sitting with a boat or other type non commerical load and if you drive back that way shortly you will find them conversing with a LEO. One of the most common is passing the weight station....that one down Sterling got me twice, no ticket but a good hard scolding.

As far as help they helped me measure my load after I had a dispute going thru the Whittier Tunnel. Now I know they can't charge me $135 for my boat anymore.

[Fish Witch]

Dupont - just curious. How did they measure your load out on the road? Hang plumb bobs or what?

[Dupont Spinner]

Dupont - just curious. How did they measure your load out on the road? Hang plumb bobs or what?

Yes they taped the plump bobs to the side of the boat, dropped them to the ground, ensured that they were at the widest point and pulled the tape measure out. On my Bayliner 2859 it lists the beam as 9'9", actually measurement is 9'10". Alot of manufacturers take the width into consideration knowing they need to stay under the 10 foot mark to stay away for the need of a pilot car in most states. When you do measure look down the side of the boat and measure at the widest point which may be up near the bow, as in my case.

I believe here in Alaska it changed to 10'6" now before needing the pilot car(???). I know we talked about it, but I didn't file it away as it did not apply to me at this time.

Ok now as far as enforcement goes....if you have a minor violation and at the way station many times the DOT will let you fix on the spot without calling troopers, but they do turn you over to the troopers if you choose to ignore it or ?????? Out on the road if a trooper stops you and he believes you are in violation especially a major, he calls DOT. So these guys do work hand in hand when it comes to non commerical enforcement. APD and Troopers both recieve annual training with DOT about permitted loads. So they do know their stuff but will use the experts as required.

I wish I could find the pictures of the guy reciever pulling the ~ 40+ foot long over 8 foot wide "MOBILE HOME" with his single axle F350(? I hope that's what he was towing it with, not that it mattered), no signs, no extended mirrors, etc, etc. There was no useable rear suspension left. I could go on and on but there was 4 APD cars, 2 Troopers and I think every DOT officer that lived in the Muni working this rolling hazard. I remember them being there for alot of hours.

[AKDoug]

Actually they aren't even DOT They are the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement division of Weights and Measures. Oddly enough, though, there are CVE officers that are on Weights and Measures payroll, and at least one that's on Dept. of Public Safety payroll. You are correct, though, several city police departments cross train their police officers in commercial vehicle work..APD, Houston and Wasilla all do. As well as the Troopers.

I have never been given a pass on an 8'6" load if any of my "safety devices" are over the 8' 6" limit on my semi. Get it under 8'6" or buy a permit. I agree, the permits are a joke. Actually, there are several commercial vehicle permits that I consider a joke, but oh well.

[JR2]

I just look at it this way, its the price I pay to be able to walk straight down the middle of the cabin of my boat... if I was a foot narrower I would have to walk sideways.