Overweight Permit Axle Weights: How to Read Them

An overweight permit is only as good as the match between the numbers on it and the truck that shows up. Searches for overweight permit axle weights usually come from someone staring at a table of axles, spacings and pounds and wondering which numbers actually matter.

This guide is for owner-operators and small-fleet dispatchers holding an already-issued overweight or oversize/overweight permit PDF. It explains what the weight section usually contains, how to check it against the real configuration, and where to look for weight-related conditions elsewhere in the permit. For the full permit walkthrough, see how to read an oversize load permit.

JaloPermit, which publishes this guide, is a reading aid for issued permit PDFs. It is not a permit-filing service and it does not plan routes or provide navigation. The issued permit always wins.

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What the weight section usually lists

Layouts differ by state, but an overweight permit commonly describes the permitted vehicle with some combination of:

• Gross vehicle weight for the whole combination as permitted.
• Number of axles and how they are grouped: steer, single, tandem, tridem or larger groups.
• Weight per axle or axle group. Each group carries its own permitted figure, not just the gross.
• Axle spacings between axles and groups, often in feet and inches.
• Tire details such as count or size on some permits.
• Vehicle identifiers such as unit, trailer and configuration description.

Unfamiliar terms like tridem or axle group? The OS/OW permit terms glossary explains them.

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Why axle weights matter as much as gross

Roads and bridges feel weight through each axle group and how far apart the groups are, not only through the total. That is why a permit can be exceeded at one axle group even when the gross weight is under the permitted total. Shifting the load forward or back, sliding a tandem or swapping a trailer can change the axle weights and spacings without changing the gross.

For reference, the federal baseline on the Interstate system without a permit is 20,000 lb on a single axle, 34,000 lb on a tandem and 80,000 lb gross, subject to the federal bridge formula. States set their own permit rules above those limits, and the permit you hold states what this move is allowed.

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Check the permit against the scale ticket

1. Scale the load as it will travel, if you can, and keep the ticket with the paperwork.
2. Compare axle group by axle group, not just gross. Every group should be at or under its permitted figure.
3. Compare the axle count and spacings with the truck and trailer actually running.
4. Check the vehicle details. A permit written for one configuration may not cover another.
5. If anything is over or different, stop. Adjust the load or contact the issuing office before departure.

Weight stations along the route will check these same numbers. See oversize loads and weigh stations.

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Weight conditions outside the weight table

Weight shows up elsewhere in the permit too. Read the full text for:

• Bridge instructions, such as speed limits, lane positioning or crossing restrictions on named structures.
• Seasonal or posted-road notes that may limit weight on certain segments.
• Route segments where the permitted weight or conditions differ.
• Escort or travel-time conditions tied to the heavier configuration. See how to check oversize permit curfews.

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Put the route alerts on one card

Drop the issued, text-based permit PDF into the permit decoder on the JaloPermit homepage. It turns the permit into a one-card route summary that can surface load dimensions, curfews, escorts, weigh stations, truck stops and low-bridge alerts for review. Check the axle table itself against the original PDF: exact weights and spacings should always be read from the permit text.

JaloPermit covers the 48 contiguous states and reads text-based permit PDFs only (not scans or image-only files). Guests get three free decodes a day with no account and no card. Logged-in users get 10 free decodes a day. After those free decodes, each one is $3.50. There is no subscription.

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Limits: the issued permit always wins

• The card is a reading aid. It does not weigh anything, interpret law, approve a move or change any permit condition.
• The issued permit governs. If the card and the permit differ, follow the permit.
• Bridge and roadside data is incomplete. A missing alert does not establish clearance or bridge capacity.
• When anything is unclear, call the issuing state DOT or permit office before you move.

Questions about how JaloPermit reads a permit? Email support@jalopermit.org.

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FAQs