Accommodating Oversize and Overweight Loads: Technical Report (0-6404-1)

Adequate management of oversize/overweight (OS/OW) permit loads throughout the state of Texas is critical to maintaining avibrant state economy. The growth in the number and the size of permit loads in recent years is clear evidence that new tools and new techniques are needed to match this growth without causing undue delays to permit applicants. Problems such as increasing prevalence of reroutes due to maintenance and other district activities along with potential damage to the highway infrastructure from permit loads led to this research project. A related initiative was development of a new automated routing program--Texas Permit Routing Optimization System. Research objectives were to:

• Identify the most common OS/OW dimension and weight groups.
• Identify criteria for assigning these OS/OW groups to existing road networks.
• Identify criteria for assigning current and projected OS/OW groups to the future road network upgraded to meet future demand.

The research project resulted in a statewide map recommending primary and alternate OS/OW route networks for the most common origins and destinations based on historical Motor Carrier Division data. Keeping stratetgic routes open for OS/OW loads and minimizing the number of reroutes along the way will reduce the impedances and unknowns in this critical segment of the motor carrier industry.