Home / Heavy Haul by State / Idaho
All 48 states · Agency of CRST · Asset-based capacity
Vector Logistics moves flatbed, heavy haul, and oversize freight in all 48 states as an agency of CRST. This is the Idaho chapter: ITD permits, the 129,000 lb network, US-95, and the routing calls that matter on a state that is long, mountainous, and two-lane where it counts. Shipping somewhere else? Same broker, same CRST network, every state.
Heavy haul in Idaho
Idaho lets you put more weight on the road than almost any state in the country. Up to 129,000 lb gross is allowed on designated routes with the right configuration and an annual or single-trip permit, which is why Idaho carriers run trailer combinations you do not see elsewhere. For a heavy haul broker that is an advantage, because a load that needs a superload plan in Washington can sometimes run as a routine overweight permit in Idaho.
The catch is geography. The Treasure Valley and the I-84 corridor are easy. North-south through the state is US-95, a two-lane highway that takes most of a day and does not forgive wide loads. The Lolo corridor on US-12 is beautiful and heavily restricted. The distance between services in central Idaho is real.
The numbers
Standard limits on Idaho state highways and Interstates. Over these means an Idaho Transportation Department permit.
| Dimension | Idaho legal limit | Over that means |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 8 ft 6 in | Over-width permit. Pilot car generally required over about 12 ft on two-lane routes and about 14 ft on Interstates, plus escorts on specific narrow routes like US-95 and US-12 at lower widths. |
| Height | 14 ft | Over-height permit and clearance check. Rural Idaho has fewer structures, but the ones on US-95 and in the canyons are what they are. |
| Length | 53 ft trailer | Over-length permit. Long loads on US-95 and the mountain routes need a rear pilot and a swing plan. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lb standard, 105,500 lb with annual permit | Up to 129,000 lb on designated routes with the right axle configuration and permit. Above that is a single-trip engineered move. |
| Axle weight | 20,000 lb single, 34,000 lb tandem | Axle spacing and bridge formula drive the trailer configuration. |
The 129,000 lb network has expanded steadily and covers much of I-84, I-15, I-86, and key state highways. Whether your origin and destination are both on it is the first thing we check, because it can be the difference between one truck and two.
Permits and escorts
Permits come from the Idaho Transportation Department. Routine oversize permits are inexpensive and usually issued quickly. Idaho is one of the easier states in the West to permit, and it is frequently the easy leg of a multi-state move.
Roads
Ontario to Boise to Twin Falls to the Utah line. This is Idaho's heavy haul highway: open, multilane, on the heavy-weight network, and connected to most of the state's industry. Wind near the Snake River and winter ice east of Mountain Home are the hazards.
Pocatello, Idaho Falls, and the route north to Montana. Phosphate, ag, and Idaho National Laboratory freight. High plains weather, long distances, few services.
The only route connecting southern Idaho to the Panhandle without leaving the state, and it is two-lane for most of 500 miles, with the White Bird grade, the Lewiston grade, and canyon sections that restrict width. Oversize loads between Boise and Coeur d'Alene often route through Oregon and Washington instead. We run that comparison on every north-south move.
Spokane to Coeur d'Alene to Montana through the Silver Valley. Mining equipment, timber, and freight connecting to Washington. Fourth of July Pass and Lookout Pass in winter.
Stanley, Ketchum, Salmon, Challis. Two-lane mountain roads that serve mining, ranching, and resort construction. Small oversize moves are routine; big ones need real planning and usually a pilot.
Who ships here
Why Vector
Most of what ships into and out of Idaho touches another state on the way, and the north-south question alone, US-95 versus routing through Oregon and Washington, is one a load-board broker will not even ask. We ask it on every move, in every state. We know the carriers who run these lanes, and CRST's asset-based network means the truck is there when the permit is, whether the load ends in Boise or Birmingham.
Typical Idaho heavy haul move: D8-class dozer with blade, 26 x 13 x 12 ft, 85,000 lb, Twin Falls to Coeur d'Alene. Over-width and overweight permit, pilot car on two-lane sections, and a routing decision between US-95 and I-84 to I-82 to US-395 through Washington. Two days either way; the difference is risk.
That routing call is the whole value of a broker who knows the roads.
Instant answer
Punch in the piece you need moved. We will tell you whether it runs legal, what trailer it belongs on, and what to expect before you ever pick up the phone. Add origin and destination and we will map the route and break down permits state by state.
Estimates based on standard federal and state limits as of June 2026. States change fees and rules, and exact requirements depend on route and axle configuration, so check with your broker for current information. Permits, routing, and escorts are exactly the work we handle for you. Routing by OSRM, geocoding © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Questions we get
Idaho allows up to 129,000 lb gross on designated routes with a qualifying axle configuration and permit, one of the highest allowances in the country. Standard legal gross is 80,000 lb, and 105,500 lb is available broadly with an annual permit. Whether both ends of your lane are on the 129,000 lb network is the first thing we check.
Generally over about 12 feet wide on two-lane routes and about 14 feet on Interstates, with additional escorts as width and length increase. US-95 and US-12 carry tighter escort requirements because of the road geometry. Requirements are set on the permit for the route.
Only within size limits set for that corridor, and very large loads have been denied. If your route shows US-12 as a shortcut between Lewiston and Montana, we will almost always route around it.
It depends on the load. US-95 keeps you in one permit state but is two-lane with grades and canyons that restrict wide loads. Routing through Oregon and Washington adds permits but puts the load on Interstate for most of the trip. We run both on every north-south Idaho move and quote the one that actually works.
Routine single-trip oversize and overweight permits from ITD are typically quick, often same day. Superloads beyond the weight network or with extreme dimensions go through engineering review and take longer. Start those early.
Yes. Construction equipment, transformers, switchgear, chillers, and modular structures into Boise, Kuna, and the Treasure Valley are regular moves, with CRST's compliance and insurance behind them.
Keep reading
We run all 48 states. Call (310) 989-6530 or send the details. Same-day answer, CRST capacity behind it.
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