Heavy Equipment Transport in Ohio
Excavators, dozers, loaders and tractors moved across Ohio on the trailer each machine needs, with the state's oversize permits arranged before pickup.
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- PICKUP LOCATION
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Every carrier is vetted for operating authority and insurance, and we check the certificate before every dispatch, not once a year. USDOT 3411782 · MC 1100274
At a glance
Shipping in Ohio at a glance
The facts that decide how a load moves here. Regulatory figures link to the official page they come from.
- I-70
- I-71
- I-74
- I-75
- I-76
- I-77
- I-80
- I-90
- I-270
- I-275
- I-480
- Port of Cleveland
- Port of Toledo
- Port of Cincinnati
How freight moves in Ohio
Freight in Ohio runs on I-70, I-71, I-74, I-75, I-76 and I-77. Ocean and river cargo moves through Port of Cleveland, Port of Toledo and Port of Cincinnati. The state's economy leans on automotive and auto-parts manufacturing, steel, metals, plastics and polymers, logistics and distribution centered on the I-70, I-71 and I-75 corridors and healthcare, insurance and finance, and that is most of what moves on its roads.
Rules of the road
What shapes a move in Ohio
- When oversize loads can travel
Ohio permitted loads may move in daylight (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset), loads over 12 feet wide are barred in 22 listed metro counties during weekday rush hours and from 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and over-dimension loads do not move over the six major holiday weekends. Source ↗
- Escort vehicles
Ohio requires a lead escort for permitted loads over 13 feet wide, a rear escort for loads over 90 feet long, a lead escort with a height-sensing device above 14 feet 6 inches high, and both lead and rear escorts above 14 feet 6 inches wide or 14 feet 10 inches high. Source ↗
- Seasonal conditions
Under Ohio law, thaws and excessive moisture let ODOT cut allowed weights on state highways by up to 25 percent and county commissioners cut them by up to 50 percent on county roads, with signs posted at least a day before the reduction starts.
Lake-effect snow in the northeastern Ohio snowbelt can slow I-90 east of Cleveland in winter, and an Ohio special hauling permit is void whenever road, weather or traffic conditions make travel unsafe.
Rules change. The specialist on your move checks the current ones for your exact route before anything is booked.
Permits by state
If the route leaves Ohio
Every state a load crosses issues its own oversize permit. These are the offices next door, closest first, with their legal limits.
Kentucky
KYTC · Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Motor Carriers
Legal height: 13 ft 6 in (14 ft for car haulers)
Legal width: 8 ft 6 in on Interstates, parkways and designated highways (8 ft on other roads)
Michigan
MDOT · Michigan Department of Transportation
Legal height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Legal width: 8 ft 6 in on designated highways (8 ft on other roads)
Pennsylvania
PennDOT · Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Central Permit Office
Legal height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Legal width: 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
West Virginia
WVDOH · West Virginia Division of Highways, Hauling Permits (Department of Transportation)
Legal height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Legal width: 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
Indiana
Indiana DOR · Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services
Legal height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Legal width: 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
Cities
Heavy Equipment Transport by city in Ohio
These are the busiest pickup points. Any address in Ohio works, including the towns between them.
CincinnatiHamilton County
Cincinnati sits on the Ohio River where I-71 and I-75 cross, and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport, a major air-cargo hub, is just across the river in Kentucky.
- I-71
- I-75
- I-74
- I-275
ClevelandCuyahoga County
Cleveland is a Lake Erie port city where I-71, I-77 and I-90 meet, with the Port of Cleveland handling Great Lakes bulk, steel and general cargo.
- I-71
- I-77
- I-90
- I-480
ColumbusFranklin County
Columbus, the state capital and largest city, sits where I-70 and I-71 cross inside the I-270 beltway, with large distribution centers and an inland port at Rickenbacker International Airport.
- I-70
- I-71
- I-270
- I-670
ToledoLucas County
Toledo is a Great Lakes port city where I-75 meets the Ohio Turnpike (I-80 and I-90), and the Port of Toledo handles bulk and general cargo on Lake Erie.
- I-75
- I-80
- I-90
- I-475
AkronSummit County
Akron, south of Cleveland, is where I-76 and I-77 meet, in a region long known for rubber and polymer manufacturing.
- I-76
- I-77
- I-277
DaytonMontgomery County
Dayton is where I-70 and I-75 cross in southwestern Ohio, next to a major Air Force base and an aerospace and defense research cluster.
- I-70
- I-75
- I-675
YoungstownMahoning County
Youngstown, in northeastern Ohio, is served by I-80 and I-76 near the Pennsylvania line, in a region built on steel.
- I-80
- I-76
- I-680
Heavy Equipment Transport
Trailers and machines
RGN (removable gooseneck)
The neck detaches so tracked and wheeled machines drive on at deck level.
Lowboy
A deck close to the ground for tall machines that would break the legal height on a flatbed.
Step deck
For loaders, tractors and skid steers that clear the height limit on its lower deck.
Flatbed
For attachments, smaller machines and anything loaded by forklift or crane.
Questions about shipping in Ohio
Who issues oversize permits in Ohio?
The Ohio Department of Transportation, Special Hauling Permits (ODOT). A load over the legal limits (13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) tall, 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) wide) needs its permit for the exact route, and it is arranged before pickup so the machine does not wait at the yard.
When can an oversize load travel in Ohio?
Ohio permitted loads may move in daylight (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset), loads over 12 feet wide are barred in 22 listed metro counties during weekday rush hours and from 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and over-dimension loads do not move over the six major holiday weekends.
When does Ohio require escort vehicles?
Ohio requires a lead escort for permitted loads over 13 feet wide, a rear escort for loads over 90 feet long, a lead escort with a height-sensing device above 14 feet 6 inches high, and both lead and rear escorts above 14 feet 6 inches wide or 14 feet 10 inches high.
Are there seasonal restrictions in Ohio?
Under Ohio law, thaws and excessive moisture let ODOT cut allowed weights on state highways by up to 25 percent and county commissioners cut them by up to 50 percent on county roads, with signs posted at least a day before the reduction starts. Lake-effect snow in the northeastern Ohio snowbelt can slow I-90 east of Cleveland in winter, and an Ohio special hauling permit is void whenever road, weather or traffic conditions make travel unsafe.
Which trailer does my machine need?
The machine decides: its weight, height, width and whether it drives on. Tracked machines usually ride an RGN or a lowboy, loaders and tractors a step deck, attachments a flatbed. With the make, model and dimensions we tell you which before we quote.
How fast do you reply to a quote request?
In under 10 minutes during business hours, by text or phone for a move inside the U.S., and on WhatsApp for one going to Mexico.
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Our logistics specialists are standing by. We reply in under 10 minutes.
Every carrier is vetted for operating authority and insurance, and we check the certificate before every dispatch, not once a year. USDOT 3411782 · MC 1100274