Boat transport trucks hauling more than one large boat and traveling NC highways have been stopped and the companies warned that the loads do not meet the NC "divisible load" requirements. The North Carolina Department of Transportation Permit Department has recently reconfirmed, that, according to NC law, "stinger" combinations used to deliver boats are "divisible" loads and thus will not be issued an Oversize/Overweight permit unless the load is not "divisible. This usually means one oversize or overweight item makes up the entire load.
There appears to be confusion about the seemingly contradictory NC and Federal regulations. Any combination of transport vehicles or tractor trailer combinations that are legal under federal statute can be used on Interstate highways and certain other roads that provide reasonable access to Interstates and some other Federally designated roads. State roads are subject to the uses and limits of the North Carolina requirements. Interpretation of what a "tractor-semitrailer" combination is (no load can be carried on a tractor and a tractor is not a stinger which is called a "vehicle combination" in NC terminology), and what a "vehicle combination" is. North Carolina has no special category of "boat" transport vehicle or combination, as exists in Federal regulations.
The permit requirements and other pertinent materials including the NC DOT "Oversize/Overweight Permit Handbook" are available on their web site at:
http://www.ncdot.org/doh/operations/dp_chief_eng/maintenance/permits/documents/.The North Carolina laws that are applicable are NC Law 20-115, 20-115.1 and 20-116. These are available on the General Assembly's web site at:
- http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-115.html and
- http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-115.1.html and
- http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-116.html
The manager of the NC DOT Oversize/Overweight Permit Unit is Tammy Denning. According to her any change to the "stinger" boat transport requirements would require a North Carolina legislative Act such as an amendment to existing law. Ms. Denning is available at (919) 733-4740. The applicable Federal Statutes are explained at the Federal Highway Administrations' web site at: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/documents/pilotcar_bpguideline/oversize_load_movement.htm.