AQUACULTURE

Commercial Boat Haulers - Call Before You Haul

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To prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species, and others are making information available to boat haulers, auctioneers, marinas, manufacturers, and brokers to make it easy to comply with state, provincial and federal laws, prevent costly delays in transporting or selling boats, and help reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species. 

In December of 2021, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission  launched Call Before You Haul, a program that provides a 24-7 toll-free number that commercial and other watercraft haulers can call before transporting a boat to Columbia River Basin states. The caller provides information about the source and destination of the watercraft, and the four states (as well as Canada and British Columbia) are notified that the watercraft is being shipped. The destination state, or province, then contacts the hauler to obtain additional information, or make arrangements for the watercraft to be inspected, and decontaminated (if applicable).

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The source states included in the pilot program were from the Great Lakes and Lower Colorado River regions (Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and New York). The program is currently being expanded to all states and Canadian provinces.

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As part of the program, information is being provided to each pilot state for uploading to its commercial hauler and overweight/oversize website and permit application system, which watercraft haulers will see when requesting transportation permits. In addition, direct outreach is being made to watercraft carriers and shippers online, boat dealerships and organizations, and boat brokers to inform them about the program. In addition, any Department of Transportation office can link to this web page.

Call Before You Haul Progress Map

This map illustrates the progress being made with state departments of transportation, highway patrol, and motor vehicles to provide information about Call Before You Haul on their state permitting and transportation websites. Map updated 26 July 2022.

State actions:

Minnesota Department of Transportation

Annual Noncommercial Boat Hauler Permit | Single Trip Permit | Annual Commercial Boat Hauler Permit

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Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Single Trip Oversize/Overweight Permit | Multiple Trip Permit to Transport
 

Kentucky Department of Transportation

Overweight/Over-Dimensional Services

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Illinois Department of Transportation

General Provisions (see page 3)

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Iowa Department of Transportation

Information added to IAPS permit application website: https://ia.gotpermits.com/iaps/login.asp;

Link added to Iowa DOT Motor Carrier Resources page: https://iowadot.gov/mvd/motorcarriers/Oversize-Overweight-Trip-permits

Restrictions added to permits when the load description is a boat or watercraft vessel.
 

Nevada Department of Transportation

State of Nevada Commercial Vehicle Service

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Utah Department of Transportation

Oversize Non-Divisible Load Provisions

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Montana Department of Transportation

Commercially Transported Watercraft

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Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

PENNDOT's Hauling Information Webpage

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Colorado Department of Transportation

CDOT's Freight Mobility and Safety Branch is providing links to the Call Before You Haul webpage: https://freight.colorado.gov/resources

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Alaska

Will be distributing Call Before You Haul fliers at Ports of Entry and posted on their website

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Michigan

Added the Call Before You Haul link under "Transporting Watercraft to Western States"

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Ohio Department of Transportation

Added Call Before You Haul information to their permits website.

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Indiana Department of Transportation

INDOT staff are working with Department of Revenue - Motor Carrier Division to post information on their OSW website

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Oregon Department of Transportation

Agency posted the information on their Motor Carrier News webpage: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/MCT/Pages/MCNews.aspx

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Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles

Added Call Before You Haul information to Special Restrictions on Standard Permit Form for Intra/Interstate Travel for Non-divisible Oversize And/or Overweight Loads

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Alabama Department of Transportation

Added Call Before You Haul link to their Oversize/Overweight Permits website. 

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North Dakota Highway Patrol

Added Call Before You Haul to their Motor Carrier Operations website.

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California

Caltrans added a link to the Call Before You Haul website on their permits homepage:
https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/transportation-permits

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Washington

Added Call Before You Haul website link from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife webpage to their Maps & resources for commercial vehicles | WSDOT (wa.gov)

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Idaho

Idaho DOT added link to Call Before You Haul information on Idaho DOT permitting website.

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New Jersey Department of Transportation

Added Call Before You Haul link to Bulletin section of Superload website.

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Florida

FDOT posted the Call Before You Haul flyer on its PO website and the PAS webpage.

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North Carolina

North Carolina DOT added the Call Before You Haul Link to their Oversize/Overweight Permit Operations website.

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Rhode Island

Rhode Island DOT added the Call Before You Haul link to the RIDOT Permitting website and will permanently post on their FAQs sheet.

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Louisiana

Louisiana DOT added Call Before You Haul brochure to their permitting website.

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New Mexico

New Mexico DOT added a link to their Ports of Entry webpage that provides information about trip and oversize/overweight permits.

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Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles/Vermont Agency of Transportation

Vermont DMV/AT added the Call Before You Haul link/notification to their commercial vehicle operations page.

South Dakota

Added Call Before You Haul to their permitting system as well as the South Dakota Trucking website.

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Texas

Texas Parks and Wildlife added the link to their website. Texas DOT chose not to participate.

Delaware

Delaware DOT is willing able able to pass the information about the program on to any that asks, but they have no mechanism in place yet to share electronically.

PENDING ACTIONS

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Oklahoma

Will be posting on Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Size and Weights Permits website. The Size & Weights Permit Division within the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety was recently incorporated into the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Website changes will occur by the 2nd week of August 2022.

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Arkansas

Arkansas Highway Police Permit Office will be sharing Call Before You Haul information with any carriers hauling watercraft.

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Georgia Department of Public Safety/Department of Transportation

Agency will be updating boat/yacht transport permits to include Call Before You Haul information for next computer upgrade.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Highway Patrol is connecting to PSMFC's Facebook page post on Call Before You Haul and adding the Call Before You Haul link to their permitting website.

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Missouri

Missouri DOT is distributing the Call Before You Haul flier to all OSOW boat permits.

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Arizona

Arizona DOT is adding Call Before You Haul as a condition to their permits.

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Tennessee

Tennessee DOT is adding Call Before You Haul to their permitting website.

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Virginia

Virginia DOT is updating their permit web portal and will be adding hyperlinks to Call Before You Haul.

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Massachusetts

Will be adding link to Call Before You Haul to their Mass511 online system.

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