Home / Heavy Haul by State / Washington
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 Washington chapter: WSDOT permits, Snoqualmie Pass, Seattle curfews, the ports, and two floating bridges that do not like heavy loads. Shipping somewhere else? Same broker, same CRST network, every state.
Heavy haul in Washington
Washington is two states for a heavy haul broker. West of the Cascades is the Puget Sound corridor: Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Olympia, the ports, the aerospace plants, and the worst freeway congestion in the Northwest. East of the Cascades is Spokane, the Tri-Cities, Yakima, and Moses Lake, where the roads are open and the loads are agricultural, energy, and industrial.
Connecting them is I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass, which is where a good share of Washington oversize moves either go smoothly or fall apart. The rest of this page is the practical version of how it works.
The numbers
Standard limits on Washington state highways and Interstates. Over these numbers means a WSDOT permit.
| Dimension | Washington legal limit | Over that means |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 8 ft 6 in | Over-width permit. Pilot car generally required over about 11 ft on two-lane roads and about 14 ft on multilane, which makes Washington a bit stricter than Oregon on two-lane routes. |
| Height | 14 ft | Over-height permit and clearance check. Seattle-area overpasses and the I-5 express lane structures deserve a real survey. |
| Length | 53 ft trailer | Over-length permit. Rear pilot commonly required on mountain passes for long loads. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lb | Overweight permit. Washington allows up to 105,500 lb with the right axle configuration on most routes; above that is a single-trip engineered permit. |
| Axle weight | 20,000 lb single, 34,000 lb tandem | Governs trailer choice on heavy machines. Axle spacing tables apply. |
Washington is a bridge-weight state. Tacoma Narrows, the Hood Canal floating bridge on SR-104, and the I-90 and SR-520 floating bridges into Seattle all have their own limits, and a route that looks fine on the map can be a no-go because of one structure. We check structures before we quote.
Permits and escorts
Permits come from WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Services. Routine single-trip oversize permits are modest, and WSDOT's online system is reasonably fast for standard loads.
Roads
The main east-west route and the pass with the most traffic in the state. Chain requirements and closures in winter, construction every summer, and oversize travel windows that tighten on ski weekends. High and wide loads over Snoqualmie need a plan for staging on both sides.
Capacity is not the issue, curfews are. Seattle and Tacoma peak-hour restrictions, the JBLM stretch, and the Ship Canal bridge. Plan the Puget Sound segment first and let the rest of the route follow.
Alternatives to I-90 that are narrower, steeper, and more restrictive for oversize. Sometimes the right answer for a load going to Wenatchee or Yakima, usually not for a wide one.
Ellensburg to Yakima to Kennewick and on toward Oregon. Open, oversize-friendly, and home to a lot of energy and ag freight. Wind can be a factor for high-profile loads near the Columbia.
Two-lane, winding, with tunnels that have posted height limits. Not a heavy haul route unless the load is small or the destination is on that side. Most Gorge freight runs I-84 on the Oregon side and crosses at a bridge that can take it.
SR-520, I-90 Lake Washington, and the Hood Canal bridge have restrictions on oversize and overweight loads that can be absolute. A move from the Olympic Peninsula or across Lake Washington needs the structure cleared before anything else is booked.
Who ships here
Why Vector
Washington loads fail on scheduling more than on equipment. The truck is rarely the problem. The curfew, the pass, the bridge, and the port appointment are the problem, and they have to be solved in the right order. That is what we do before the quote goes out, and it is why a Vector quote for a Washington oversize move is built on a real route, not a mileage calculator.
Typical Washington heavy haul move: 60 ton rough terrain crane, 45 ft, 10 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft tall, 96,000 lb, Kent to Spokane. Overweight and over-width permit, I-90 over Snoqualmie, mid-day Seattle departure to clear the curfew, RGN with jeep. Escorts depend on route conditions.
Most of the work on that move happens before the truck is dispatched.
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
WSDOT restricts oversize load movement during weekday peak hours on I-5, I-405, and SR-167 through the Seattle and Tacoma area, generally in the morning and late afternoon commute windows, with tighter restrictions as loads get wider. The exact windows are set on the permit and vary by route and load size. We build Puget Sound schedules around them.
Generally over about 11 feet wide on two-lane roads and over about 14 feet wide on multilane highways, with additional escorts as dimensions increase. Over-length and over-height loads pick up escort requirements depending on the route. Washington requires certified pilot car operators.
Usually yes, with planning. Chain requirements, weather closures, and construction can all halt oversize traffic, and permits carry conditions for the pass. We stage loads on either side and move when the window is clean.
The floating bridges and the Hood Canal bridge have their own oversize and overweight restrictions that can rule a route out entirely. We clear the specific structure with WSDOT before quoting any move that would cross one.
Up to 105,500 lb gross is available with the right axle configuration on most routes. Heavier moves need single-trip permits with route and bridge review.
Yes. Oversize project cargo out of the Puget Sound ports is a core part of what we broker, with CRST's asset-based network and cargo insurance behind every move.
Keep reading
We run all 48 states. Call (310) 989-6530 or send the details. Same-day answer, CRST capacity behind it.
Let's Move Something
Tell me what it is and where it needs to go. I will get back to you the same day, with CRST's asset-based network behind every quote.
No portals, no phone trees. You get the person who books your freight.
Same-day response on every quote request. If a load is sitting, call. That is what the phone is for.
Tell me what you are moving and I will respond same day.