Is there a legal limit on how wide farm equipment can be to drive on public roads?

Question

I met a combine this morning (pulling the grain head) on a two lane oil road and he had tires in the ditch and so did I! The equipment I drive is big, but this new stuff is huge! Our gravel roads are narrow, so if I'm driving my pickup, I usually back up to a field approach or something. I'm not complaining, (I love the country life) but everything is going to continue to get bigger. What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

the maxuim allowed width on any two lane hiway for farm equipment is not to exceed 12!  and the farmer is not supossed to drive mare than 3/4 of a mile on any two lane to get to his field unless ther is no other way to do this as for having an oversize vechile they have to have a car/pickup with flashing yellow lights in front of it no more then one mile ahead and the same in the rear at the same distince and also the have to have lights flashing on them and a slow moving and wide load signs on everthing.

Answer 2

Every state has it's own legal limits on the size of equipment that can be driven down the road.  

It is almost always legal to drive the combine down the road, even the huge ones.  

It is almost always the law that they have to removed the header, because they take up so much of the road, and it is almost certain death if a driver hits the header.  

The headers have to be towed behind the combine, or more usually a pickup truck, which is following the combine.

I agree that they can be dangerous, and with the trend to become even bigger...oh my!

Frankly, I'm not sure if they will become bigger.  In many areas they bairly fit over some of the older bridges two lane.  I live in Idhao, in the high mountain desert...not too many bridges around here, but there are still some.  

Hopefully they will keep the bridges in mind, and no design them any wider.

Here in Idaho, it's illegal to drive the combines down the Interstates, but you see it all the time.  Since this is such a MAJOR agricultural area the police almost never give them tickets.  Even when they have their headers on!

Usually I do not have a problem with the combines.  Wheat and barley harvest is all done in two or three weeks....amazingly fast to harvest all those miles of grain.

The ones that scare the c**p out of me are the potoato, and sugar beet trucks.  Here in Idaho those farm children can legally drive the semi trucks (loaded with tons of potatoes or sugar beets) on the roads at 14 years of age!  

Some of them can barily reach the peddles!  Many of them are too agressive while driving.

The Schools in my area shut down for two weeks during the peak of potato harvest, so the children can help with harvest.  This is week number two.

Like you, I love the country life too.  

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

P.S.  Where are you that they are still harvesting grains?

Answer 3

Yes, there are legal limits but the specific limitations and the circumstances to which they apply vary with the particular laws and regulations of each state (if it is a state or interstate road) or county (if it is a local road).  I suggest that you check with your state's department of motor vehicles for this information and/or the local law enforcement agency in your city or county, or post your question again and identify your state and county so others can help find it for you.  

In any case, I expect there ARE guidelines in place that are designed to control against the kind of situation that you confronted on the road.  If not, it is an appropriate issue to raise with your local state legislators or city/county representatives.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Believe it's 10 to 14 feet, and should have an escort behind it running no less than three car lengths behind it.

Answer 5

I'm sure that there is no blanket answer that will hold true for all locations.  Likely there are different regulations every where you go.  In Kentucky you are allowed to take farm vehicles on any roads except intrastate highways.  I know that are getting bigger all of the time and can interrupt other travel.  But please just try to be patient, farmers must move their machinery to new locations.  It is something they don't like to do and traffic delays slow them down as well.  When it is harvest or planting time I try to take  delays into consideration and allow more time when traveling.  Good luck.

Answer 6

Definitely there is a legal limit for the purpose of driving a wide farm equipment in public......

Answer 7

A typical combine to harvest corn and soybeans is 20 feet wide.  Farmers don't need any tags etc to drive on a road.  Farmers are only making the equipment larger to cut labor costs.  If people would pay more for the cost of food production the equipment would not have to be as large to make a profit.   Any combine is going to be a road hog so it's just the way it is and will always be.  Get up before the farmer and get on the road before he does.  LOL

Answer 8

a

Answer 9

You would have to check the state regs on "wide load" restrictions to find your answer.

I hated driving on the road with a tractor.  Some of the bridges around here dont allow any room to pull wide equip across and its was pain for me and oncoming divers.  I dont have a hay baling business anymore so I dont have to deal with it now, except when I meet another farmer in my car.  Really though its just one of those things you have to deal with when you live in the country.    When I was driving though I would pull over and stop if i was pulling a wide load.

Answer 10

depending on the states and county