ST. PAUL, Minn. — Winter truck load increases began Monday, Dec. 21, on unrestricted state highways in the north frost zone, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). For a map of the state’s frost zones, click here.
Commercial vehicles will be allowed to operate up to 10% over the standard legal maximum loads on unrestricted highways during the winter load increase period. However, trucks must comply with current registration weight laws and not exceed registered gross weight tolerances. Drivers should check with local agencies before increasing any weights on city, county and township routes.
A winter weight increase permit is required to take advantage of the 10% weight increase on interstate highways only; a permit is not required for state trunk highways.
For questions about over legal weight/size “heavy haul” trucking, contact MnDOT’s Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations-Oversize/Weight Permits at 651-296-6000 or ofcvopermits.dot@state.mn.us. For questions about enforcement contact the Minnesota Department of Public Safety-State Patrol-Commercial Vehicle Enforcement at 651-350-2000.
The start and end dates for winter load increases are based on how weather affects roadway strength. These dates are established by monitoring roadway strength as weather conditions change. The end date for winter load increases varies, and drivers should check for updates throughout the year.
All changes to load limits are made with a minimum three-day notice. For the most current information, call MnDOT’s automated 24-hour message center at 800-723-6543 for the U.S. and Canada, or 651-366-5400 for the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. This information is also published on the MnDOT seasonal load limits website.