Defending Motor Carriers Performing Oversize Load and Heavy Haul Operations

Written by Patrick Foppe and Kevin Fritz of Lashly & Baer, P.C. for the 2015 Fall/Winter issue of USLAW Magazine.

Every motorist has likely encountered a truck hauling an oversize or overweight shipment on the highway. These trucks often have signs warning of “oversize load” and other warnings, such as flags and flashing lights. Sometimes, these loads seemingly consume the whole travel lane or even protrude outside the designated travel lane. Depending on their size, oversize loads are occasionally escorted by pilot vehicles or the police.

For obvious reasons, oversize and heavy shipments can pose an increased danger to the motoring public and strain the public infrastructure by causing the premature deterioration of the highway structures. The types of accidents involving oversize and overweight loads vary from routine traffic accidents to accidents caused by the load itself…read more.