Why You Need a Permit!

March 1, 2006

If you think that it’s not important to get a permit to haul a piece of equipment and you want to take that chance, I can give you $88,671.50 worth of reasons why that is not a good idea.

Running without a permit may work sometimes, but other times it just doesn’t. A heavy haul company doesn’t make any more profit if they run with or without the permit, but taking this risk does have its financial set-backs.

In a recent situation we had a heavy-haul member that went through a permit service to obtain their permits, something they do everyday. They were delivering a piece of equipment (asphalt grinder) to the Santa Barbara Airport and were given a couple days notice. Not any big problem, they move this type of equipment routinely.

The grinder was to do work on the runway and the job was scheduled to begin on a Friday night shift at the airport. On Thursday, the Caltrans permit was submitted and attempts were made to contact the City of Goleta, where the airport is located. The permit application was faxed to the city and later that day after the Caltrans permit had been issued the city’s permit department was contacted again, but no answer.

The permit service patiently waited for a response the next morning and continued to have no luck in speaking to anyone from the city. The city did not return any phone calls. The asphalt grinder was being transported from the Ontario area, so in order to be at the jobsite on time, the load proceeded, hoping the permit would be issued by the time they needed to exit the state highway and enter the City of Goleta.

The equipment arrived in Goleta and the permit had still not been issued. The hauler exited the freeway. In this case, the hauler had traveled this route before and knew that the route was safe, so they attempted to contact the city once again by phone with no luck and felt that they had exercised due diligence in obtaining the permit. In these situations, I would recommend that the pilot car driver go directly to the city, assuming they are open and get a permit.

Nevertheless, the company decided to proceeded to the airport without the permit and wouldn’t you have guessed it, they were stopped by the local sheriff waiting there. You have to wonder how these guys always know when you’re coming – they don’t answer the phones at the permit office but the sheriff is right there to hand you a citation. You have to wonder. Apparently, the sheriff went through the motions, called the member’s office and the permit service, and they explained the situation that they had gone through trying obtain the permit. The driver was let go without a citation and everyone felt that it was all resolved.

That’s when the horror story really began. Two months later, the company received a bail notice for $88,671.50 in the mail. They were citied for approximately 80,000 pounds above legal weight even though they had a Caltrans permit that allowed for that weight on a state highway. Eventually, following lengthy negotiations and two day long trips to deal with the city, the fine was dropped and settled to a mere $7,500. A $2,200 load cost the carrier $7,500 for not having a $16 permit.

This really did happen and it happens more than industry thinks, $30,000, $40.000 citations here and there, are not uncommon. These small cities are desperate for revenue and they are eating this up.

In the words of former President Bill Clinton, “we feel your pain”. We know the terrible trap that the pressure of business places your company and your drivers in but there is help on the way. The Fine Needs to Fit the Crime and we are working on ways to curb this continuing problem. It has been suggested that oversized/overweight fines (when you have a related Caltrans permit) should be maxed at $400-$500. This is a reasonable and fair alternative and one we should be pushing for the industry.

Until than, my advice to everyone is simple – don’t take the chance – local governments are all looking for revenue sources and this industry is perceived to be a cash-cow. The industry transportation consulting program will continue to work with local agencies and the state so that these situations won’t happen to you or someone you know (that’s a member).

Gregory D. Dineen
Industry Transportation Consultant