Comment by bsder

> After you insure your cargo, you take the exact route the bureau provided, and if something happens due to road conditions, government pays your damages.

That is not how it works in Texas.

Yes, the state gives you a route. However, it is always the responsibility of the carrier to make sure that everything on the way has appropriate ratings and heights. If the state runs your 15' load under a 14' 6" bridge or runs your 80,000lb load over a 40,000lb rated bridge, it is incumbent upon the driver/carrier to not hit the bridge or collapse it.

I knew several of the people who used to work out these permits. If they missed something, sometimes a driver would have to back a load up (yes, in reverse as the load would be too big to turn around) for 20 or 30 miles to change routes. If you were on an unusual route, for some reason, the maps they used didn't always have the correct heights marked for every interchange.