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As nice as it is to have a pickup truck handy to cart and tow heavier loads around town, not all loads are made equal. Even with a variety of cargo management solutions, some loads are just too big to lug around, at least without some manner of warning for anyone driving near or behind you. Hauling oversized cargo without proper warning can be just as dangerous to hauling unsecured cargo in a truck. This is why the United States government, as well as individual state governments, enforce overhang limits, hard limits on the distance which a vehicle’s load can jut out either in front of or behind it.
If you have any intention of hauling large loads, whether you’re moving lumber for a construction job or toting a couple of kayaks into the countryside, you need to know how far those loads are permitted to extend and apply a warning flag to your load if it exceeds those limits. Here’s the tricky part, though: while the federal government enforces a baseline rule on overhang limits, every individual state government puts its own individual addendums on the matter, requiring you to be in the know on both fronts so as to not break the law.
The overhang limit and flag requirement varies by state
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According to the United States Federal Highway Administration, the baseline rule for overhang limits is a maximum of 3 feet in front and 4 feet in back. In other words, if you have a load on your vehicle that exceeds either of those lengths, it must be marked with a fluorescent warning flag, usually in red, white, yellow, or orange. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Every state takes this baseline and adds additional rules and modifiers on top of it to ensure safety on local roads.
For example, in the state of California, according to the California Department of Transportation, there are four additional rules to be conscious of. First, a load cannot extend past the last point of contact for a greater distance than that equal to two-thirds of the length of the wheelbase. Second, the combined length of a vehicle and its load may not exceed 75 feet, front or back. Third, any load that extends more than 4 feet from the rear, starting from the taillamps, must have one red warning flag, or two flags if the load is wider than 2 feet. Two red lights must also be visible on the load if you’re driving in darkness.
Finally, there are exceptions on construction materials like timber, poles, and pipes, but they must be carried either on a dolly or in a semitrailer, and they must not exceed 80 feet in length. This exception only applies to employees of public utility companies, licensed contractors, or agents of the Department of Transportation.
Bottom line, if you have any plans to move a large load in the near future, you should check your state’s DoT laws to make sure you’re compliant. Also, ensure you keep your trucks and trailers loaded properly.