Canadian Weight Limit Permits

The purpose of this program is to authorize the operation of two vehicle configurations at certain Canadian weight limits between the Canadian border at Calais to the Domtar Mill in Baileyville; from the Canadian border at Madawaska to the Fraser Paper facility; and from the Canadian border at Van Buren to the rail yard in Van Buren. For definitions and the entire rule, please refer to Chapter 170.

Canadian Weight Limits (CWL) Permit Requirements

A Canadian Weight Limits Permit allows the operation of an authorized vehicle configuration(s) at certain Canadian weight limits between either the Canadian border at Calais to a mill in Baileyville, the Canadian border at Madawaska to a paper mill in Madawaska, or the Canadian border at Van Buren to a rail yard in Van Buren. Please review the following requirements before completing the application.

USDOT Number: All applicants must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as a motor carrier and have an active interstate USDOT Number. The legal name on the USDOT Number census information must be the same as the legal name on the CWL permit application.

International Registration Plan (IRP): Any truck tractor listed on a CWL permit application must be registered in the IRP for 100,000 lbs. in Maine. The IRP Account Number is located at the top of the IRP cab card (for example: NB 1234 2 2011).

International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA): All applicants must have an active IFTA account and display IFTA decals on any truck tractor listed on a CWL permit application. The IFTA Account Number is a nine (9) digit number prefixed with the two character IFTA base jurisdiction abbreviation (for example: NB123456789).

Safety: An applicant's permit request may be denied if the applicant has been prioritized for a FMCSA safety intervention or has an unsatisfactory FMCSA safety rating, as evidenced by a Monitor status in any Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC) or a Marginal or Unfit Safety Fitness Determination. Carriers can check their federal safety information at http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov.

Unified Carrier Registration (UCR): Applicants must have submitted their UCR registration and paid the applicable UCR fee for the registration year in which the CWL permit application is submitted. Contact the Operating Authority Unit at 207-624-9000 ext. 52131 if you need to register or need more information.

Application (.pdf)
Requirements (.pdf)

To contact the Bureau of Motor Vehicles regarding Canadian Weight Limit Permits, please call Motor Carrier Services' Overlimit Permit Unit at (207) 624-9000 ext. 52134. Questions or comments can be sent to: Overpermits@maine.gov