Whether you own a trucking business or you work for another company on a commission or independent contractor basis, you have to understand and follow the rules of the road. Some of the rules don't make sense to you, but they are necessary all the same, like having to have overweight permits. What are overweight permits? When would you have to use them? Where do you get them?

Here are reasons why you need overweight permits when doing long haul trucking. When you have these permits, you can have peace of mind that you are driving legally with the load you have.

What are overweight permits?

As the name implies, overweight permits are special permits you can get for one-time loads that are too high or too heavy to legally carry on the road otherwise. These are temporary permits that typically come on a one-time basis, and you can get them from certain companies that supply them. Your haul will be investigated and measured or weighed before the overweight permits are supplied.

Why would you use overweight permits?

Overweight permits, as well as oversize permits, do more than just allow you to take your extra-large rig on the road legally or let you carry heavier or taller loads than usually permitted; they come with other necessities as well. Overweight permits often come with special directions for travel that you can take, so you don't cause a road obstruction or a danger on the road, along with other restrictions or allowances.

Where do you get overweight permits?

You need to buy overweight permits before you go out on the road so you don't get fined or get into other legal trouble. If you work for a trucking company, they can tell you where to get overweight permits for your rig. Otherwise, you can buy these permits — which vary in price depending on where you get them and what you need them for — from your state's transportation department. Some places even allow you to purchase these permits online, although you will want to go through the fine details and any disclaimers before doing so.

If you're unsure whether you need overweight permits for your travels or you have recently started carrying a new type of load, you need to speak to a transportation department to learn if this is something you need to invest in. Odds are, you will need to get overweight permits at some point, so it's wise to start investigating them now.