Longtime Request by CTA’s Heavy Specialized Carriers Conference Approved

If you recall, last year, CTA informed its Heavy Specialized Carriers Conference members that Caltrans formally adopted a new policy that will be included in their Transportation Permits Policy Manual. The policy change allowed haulers/drivers operating under an Annual Transportation Permit to carry and display the “Weekly Short-term Restrictions for Annual Permit Holders (Weekly Restrictions)" in either printed or electronic form. This was a good start but for years, CTA and its heavy specialized carriers conference members held numerous meetings with both Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol requesting that this policy be extended to Single Trip Permits.

Last week at the California Transportation Permit Advisory Council (CTPAC) meeting, the CHP announced that it will now allow, upon request by an officer, copies of Single Trip extra-legal permits and their required accompaniments via an electronic device. Caltrans has recently implemented a web based permit application system for carriers to obtain a single trip extra-legal transportation permit. This allows carriers to display an electronic version of a transportation permit and its required accompaniments on an electronic device.

Caltrans provides single trip permits to carriers in an electronic format which may be downloaded, printed, or faxed prior to a permitted extra-legal movement. The requirement to possess an electronic permit and required accompaniments shall follow existing requirements for carrying paper permits. Carriers not in possession of a paper version of the permit and required accompaniments, or unable to produce an electronic version due to cellular telephone coverage issues, electronic damage, or other reasons, will be deemed not in compliance.

CTA advises members that transport extra-legal loads that require a permit to carry a copy of both the CHP Inspection Bulletin and the Inspection Bulletin for Allied Agencies in their truck while this new policy is being rolled out. CTA would like to thank Bobby Weyers (Heavy Transport/Bragg Companies), Tim McVay (Marco Trucking), and Matt Klenske (Dalton Trucking) for their efforts over the years working with CTA, Caltrans and the CHP to get this policy implemented. For more information please contact Eric Sauer at esauer@caltrux.org.