Pole and utility vehicles/trailers – Wisconsin

Vehicle length

Generally, no person, without and permit, may operate any single vehicle with an overall length of more than 45 feet or any combination of two vehicles with an overall length of more than 70 feet.

However, the following vehicles, used by a pipeline company or operator, public service corporation, municipal utility, or cooperative association, or by a motor carrier operating under contract with any of these entities, for the transportation of poles, pipe, girders and similar materials, may be operated without a permit for excessive length if the overall length does not exceed:

• 60 feet for a single vehicle, and
• 120 feet for a 2-vehicle combination.

A vehicle or vehicle combination described above may also carry a load extending not more than 10 feet beyond the front bumper of the vehicle or foremost vehicle in the vehicle combination.

Tiedowns

All logs transported on pole trailers must be securely fastened by at least one tiedown to the front bolster and at least one tiedown to the rear bolster of the vehicle.

Key definitions

The term "log" means a section of a trunk or branches of a felled tree.  The term also includes, but is not limited to, similar peeled or unpeeled forest products such as pilings, posts, poles, cordwood, pulpwood, and fuel wood.